It's been all about trying to see the future for Gavin Sidwar when it comes to football.

When he decided to go to La Salle High School, football and academics played a big part.

"I felt that if I worked hard and kept improving, I could play as a freshman," Sidwar said. "And at a school with great academics and a great football history. And that was able to happen."

From there, the Warrington resident kept the same work ethic: Work, improve, and good things could happen.

"This is my first year as head coach, but I followed the team and followed what Gavin was doing," said Brett Gordon, a 1998 La Salle High grad and one of the school's all-time best players.

"I was a quarterback and he's a quarterback and he's fun to watch. He's got a gifted arm, is underrated as an athlete, and wants to learn. He's bought in to everything we've been teaching him and has a really high ceiling."

Already a two-year starter for the Explorers, Sidwar heads into his junior season with a big-time decision, his college choice, out of the way as he committed to play at Rutgers earlier this month.

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While most top high school players wait until before their senior seasons to make their college call, Sidwar, a three-star recruit, surveyed the landscape, liked what he saw, acted and became the Scarlet Knights' first committed recruit from the class of 2026.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play college football and I didn't feel like waiting when I didn't need to," said Sidwar, who threw for 2,439 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.

"I knew Rutgers was where I wanted to be the first time I went there for a visit. It felt like home and it's a program on the rise. (Head) Coach (Greg) Schiano keeps building the program and he's not going anywhere.

"And they've had a really good recruiting class for 2025 (high school graduates) and hopefully we'll have another good one after that."

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The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Sidwar also visited Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, but the opportunity to play in the Big Ten Conference was too hard to pass up.

"Rutgers is a great spot for Gavin," Gordon said. "It's an hour from home, it's Big Ten Football and he'll have a chance to compete for a job early on.

"He'll be playing in a Power Five conference at a program that continues to get better and better. Gavin is very bright, and he understands concepts and typically with him you only have to tell him something once.

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"And we also forget that he's only going to be a junior and is going to keep improving all the time."

With his college decision out of the way, Sidwar, for a change, has more immediate goals.

"My ultimate goal right now is help our team win a (PIAA) state championship," Sidwar said. "That's what I'm focused on now."

Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: La Salle QB Gavin Sidwar picks Rutgers, Big Ten as early commit