Ace Alston has always had the talent to be a star at defensive back. The Anderson High School senior has the work ethic to go with it.
The Raptors cornerback, and a Notre Dame football commit, enjoyed another individual honor when he was invited to play in the 2027 Navy All-American Bowl. The game is Jan. 9, 2027 in San Antonio, Texas and will be televised on NBC. Alston is the only Ohio player on the roster.
The school honored his accomplishment Oct. 6 at a ceremony, with representatives from the Navy welcoming him onto the roster.
“I'm looking forward to it, for sure,” Alston said. “For now, the main goal is to win the state championship and then going to the bowl game in San Antonio. I'm looking forward to having a great experience and having a great year.
It’s real cool just sharing this with my teammates, sharing this with my family and friends. Especially my teammates just competing with them every package, playing by their side every game. It just means so much to me that they're here supporting them.”
Alston is a four-star recruit by 247 Sports who ranks him as the nation’s No. 10 cornerback in the Class of 2027.
Alston spends a lot of time on his game outside of official team practice. Athletic Director Chris Newton noted that he regularly goes on the field at Brown Stadium late at night to work on things with his father.
“His unbelievable commitment to improve,” said head coach Evan Dreyer. “People don't know how much time he puts in because there are a lot of hours where the lights aren't on and it shows up on game night. His ability to work out in the morning, go to a speed trainer and then do skills and drills, and then film study. It's remarkable the time he's put in, which is making a phenomenal athlete.”
Said Newton: “He’s an incredibly respectful young man. He's just a joy to be around. And as a student, he is crushing his classes. The last time I checked, had him in the office, getting all As in all his classes. He’s ready to go to Notre Dame. He is ready to take that next step. Now, are not going to let him take that next step yet. We got a lot of games left to play around here. But we're very excited because he's definitely ready for that next step on the field and in the classroom.”
Alston said he has been to two Notre Dame games this season, one in Green Bay, Wisconsin against the Wisconsin Badgers and one in South Bend, and he loved the experience. He said he will graduate early and move to South Bend in January.
But first, he wants to win a state championship. He has helped the Raptors to the Division II state final the last two seasons.
“Yeah, really just having that chip on our shoulder each and every practice, going into every game with our mindset that we're going to dominate and just playing for each other, playing with each other and leaving it all out on the field. I feel like we're going to have a great season and we're going to win it all this season.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Anderson senior cornerback Ace Alston named a Navy All-American
