photo by: Nick Henthorn

Brennan Wack publicly signed onto the Yale football program Wednesday at Wheeling Park High School. From left is mother Kathleen, Brennan Wack, father Josh, and sister Caroline.

WHEELING — After dominating competition across the Ohio Valley, Wheeling Park’s Brennan Wack is moving on– to the Ivy League.

Wack publicly committed to Yale on Wednesday inside Wheeling Park High School, setting a course for the next steps in the two-time Curt Warner award winner’s football and academic careers– a relief for the Patriots’ star tailback.

“It’s great to finally have the process over with, don’t have to stress about it anymore,” Wack said. “Yale just definitely seemed like the right place for me. Obviously it has top-tier academics, and then also they’re great at football, I think they have a really good culture there, really good players, really good coaches, and it’s just a great place all-around.”

Wack rushed for 2,079 yards and 26 touchdowns in his senior season, and 2,258 yards and 31 touchdowns in his junior season, capturing the Curt Warner award in both years as the Mountain State’s best running back- the first two-time winner of the award in its history.

With his time playing at Park now concluded, Wack owns 17 school records in all.

“Yale speaks for itself academically,” Wheeling Park head football coach and athletic director Chris Daugherty said. “But you know, football-wise, they had a great year. They made it to the playoffs. They beat Youngstown State in the first round and almost won their second round game, so it’s good football on top of being good academics, and that’s Brennan.

“Brennan’s statistically the best tailback ever in the history of the school. But he’s that way in the classroom too, he cares about the classroom, he cares about his grades and those things. Those are the type of kids that should go to Yale. I think it says a lot from Wheeling Park’s standpoint that he’s been educated to the point that he can go on to Yale, and obviously trained and did the right things through our football program to be able to go play. Great school, great opportunity, great kid.”

Wack took a trip to Yale during the football season, and had his official visit last weekend. He had multiple universities to sift through.

“There were a lot of schools that I was considering,” Wack said. “But then I got this offer and- I don’t want to say it was the obvious choice, but I think it was definitely, definitely up there. Still took some contemplation, but I think it was an easy choice.”

“I was excited for him because getting recruited in 2025-26 is very different than even five, six, seven years ago,” Daugherty said. “With the portal, it’s changed a lot for high school kids. And so it’s a process, it’s a long process. It’s an uncomfortable process sometimes, but you know, I knew that he was gonna find the right home and I think, in my opinion, he might have found the perfect home.”

Yale competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in the Ivy League Conference, and the Bulldogs went 9-3 last year, defeating rival Harvard in their annual regular season-finale game.

Yale is coached by Tony Reno.

Inside Wheeling Park High School’s auditorium Wednesday, Wack celebrated with his family, friends, and a large contingent from the Patriots football team.

“Obviously his family’s super excited, but when you see almost our whole football team, definitely the older guys on our team, it says something about how they feel about him,” Daugherty said. “He’s a very humble kid and you can’t pick those things up unless you live daily with him, right? And all the accolades from across the state, in the OVAC and in the school, you would never know it. He would never, ever let that go to his head. And so there were a bunch of kids here today to celebrate with him and you could see some ownership in it, our linemen feel like they have some ownership in this– and they do!

“It’s a tight bunch of kids. Our senior group’s tight, our football team’s tight. And I thought that showed today with them all showing up and supporting him.”

“This school shaped who I am and I think it’s just a great program, great school, and we just have the best guys,” Wack said.

With his next destination now set, Wack and Daugherty reflected on the Patriots’ all-time leading rusher’s time at Park.

“He’s just gonna go work,” Daugherty said of Wack. “And those things don’t show until you get to game day the next year. It was evident his sophomore year, the growth from his sophomore to junior year was just explosive. And then, this year I really did not believe that he would replicate his junior year. And honestly, if we don’t deal with a two-and-a-half game hamstring injury, he outdoes his junior year. For him to duplicate it, it’s remarkable, but what it all goes back to is his offseason and work ethic and attention to detail.”

“You put your head down and work,” Wack said. “You try and live your life the right way. And I know it’s a mix of talent and then of course you have to work as hard as you can just to get there.”

Wack does not have a major picked out yet, though he said he is interested in studying in either the medical or finance fields.