Myrtle Beach quarterback Arnold commits to Old Dominion
On Thursday morning, Drayton Arnold took a visit to Old Dominion, one of the four schools that have offered the Myrtle Beach quarterback.
He left the school with a verbal commitment to the Monarchs in place.
Arnold, the prolific Seahawk signal-caller, said it was time to make a decision before what is likely to be a hectic senior season begins.
“I think the biggest reason right now is that Old Dominion was the best fit for me,” Arnold said. “… I have a lot of trust in Coach [Bobby] Wilder.
“I don’t see any change happening [with a commitment]. I committed to ODU because I’m comfortable with the school. I like Norfolk. It’s very similar to Myrtle Beach.”
As a junior, Arnold threw for 2,884 yards and 37 touchdowns in just 10 1/2 games. He broke his right thumb in the playoff opener against Gilbert, but not until he added a 381-yard, four-touchdown performance that continued to gain him some national recognition.
In total, he threw for nearly 1,000 more yards than the next-best passer on the Grand Strand and accounted for 13 more touchdowns than any other area player. That production helped him gain offers from ODU, Ohio, Akron and Charlotte.
The year before, Arnold was instrumental in leading Myrtle Beach to the Class AAA state championship. It was during that 2013 season that Old Dominion started visiting.
In a two-day span two weeks ago, Arnold was one of three area standouts to receive an offer from the Monarchs, joining fellow Seahawk Brandon Sinclair and Conway tailback Jah’Maine Martin.
Two other high-profile South Carolina players are already on the Old Dominion roster.
Former Byrnes quarterback Shuler Bentley, a 2013 Shrine Bowler, redshirted at ODU this past season. Former Dillon receiver Eri’eon Hayes will be a true freshman there this fall.
Arnold was also a big part of the Myrtle Beach baseball team that won the Region VII-AAA title this spring and advanced to the Class AAA Lower State tournament.
Contact IAN GUERIN at ian@ianguerin.com.
This story was originally published May 14, 2015 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach quarterback Arnold commits to Old Dominion."