One of the goals of the Navy football program's recruiting efforts each year is to wrap up each class as early as possible. Doing so allows the coaches to shift their efforts to the next class. The Navy staff feels that they have a great message with a lot to offer, but sometimes that message can get drowned out when a player has already been hearing the pitches of several other schools. If you can get to that player first, your points are more likely to stick with him.

With six players already having given their verbal commitment to Navy by mid-April, it appears that the initiative is paying off.

The first of those players was William Ingle, a do-everything running back from Cincinnati's Sycamore High School who gave the Midshipmen his verbal pledge back in March. While Ingle has heard from several FBS schools, it's hard to imagine a more perfect fit than the Naval Academy with his post-graduation goals.

"I was already planning on joining the military at some point after college," he said. "I want to join the Marine Corps, so that was a huge factor."

The Marine Corps is a popular service selection among Navy football players. For Ingle, the Marines suit his personality and reflect the kind of person he wants to become.

"I think they're just a different breed of people," he said. "The mentality that they have, how in shape they are, and how physically demanding it is, it's something that I honestly like. I like working and putting my body through stress, and I think that's something that the Marine Corps does a really good job of. The discipline that those guys have is something that I want to be part of."

While he has his eyes set on becoming a Marine, that wasn't the only influence on Ingle's decision. Combining his career aspirations with everything else that the school offers made Navy the total package.

"The opportunities that I'll have, and the brotherhood and community around the Naval Academy and in Annapolis, I just don't think I could pass up an opportunity like that," Ingle said. "It wasn't just a four-year decision; it was a 40-year decision. All those opportunities, I just don't think I could pass up on something like this."

Those opportunities extend to the field, where Navy recruited Ingle to play B-back. He's fairly new to the running back position, having played quarterback from second grade through his sophomore year. He admits that he still loves playing quarterback, but he has embraced his new position and worked hard to learn its finer points.

"I needed to work on the small things, pass blocking, catching," he said. "During quarantine, I was with my quarterback four or five days a week for about three hours a day, and we'd just work on hands and blitz pickup and all that. The coaches really stressed that. They said that it would make our team better, so I worked on all the little things, and it definitely paid off. It definitely upped my game."

The result of that offseason effort is a well-rounded player with a highlight film that shows him doing a little bit of everything. He lines up at quarterback, running back, slot receiver, and on special teams while running, catching, returning kicks, and blocking. It's a versatility that reflects not only his hard work but his team-first attitude.

Being relatively new to running back, Ingle also has considerable upside at the position. He was recruited by PJ Volker, but has also talked with Jason MacDonald and is eager to learn under his tutelage.

"I really like Coach MacDonald, who's going to be my running back coach," Ingle said. "All the coaches I've talked to up to this point have been tremendous, so I'm super excited to be coached by them."

In the meantime, the work hasn't stopped. Ingle has maintained an intense weightlifting regimen since the end of football season and runs the 400 and 800 on his school's track team. He'll look to grow into his new position even more during his senior year, but with the extra confidence of knowing that his college plans are already taken care of.

"It feels amazing," he said. "It's a dream come true, something I wanted to do since I started playing football. Just knowing that all that hard work paid off is an amazing feeling."