N.J. Gatorade Player of the Year announces commitment to one of college football’s top programs

Glassboro High School’s Xavier Sabb announced his commitment to Oregon at Landmark Americana in Glassboro, New Jersey on Friday, July 3, 2026. Kevin Emmons/South Jersey Sports Zone

GLASSBORO — The 2025-26 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year has found his next home.

Xavier Sabb, one of the top football recruits in the country in the class of 2027, announced his commitment to Oregon at Landmark Americana on Friday. The Glassboro standout chose the Ducks over LSU, Tennessee and UCLA.

“I felt this was the best situation for me,” Sabb said. “Obviously, the end goal is to go to the NFL and I feel like that was the best spot for me to go to.”

Oregon legend De’Anthony Thomas was a player Sabb would watch highlights of prior to his own games throughout his football journey. His commitment to the Ducks fulfilled a childhood dream.

“Oregon was my dream school when I was younger,” Sabb said. “So them giving me my first offer, that was really a dream come true. It feels great. Now I have to go out there and make everything come true.”

Sabb caught a team-high 59 passes for 896 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Bulldogs finished with a 14-0 record and won their second consecutive Group 1 state championship. Glassboro has also won three consecutive sectional titles. The Bulldogs have won 28 games in a row.

Sabb’s two older brothers, Keon Sabb and Amari Sabb, are both at Alabama. Keon previously won a College Football Playoff championship at Michigan prior to joining the Crimson Tide. Amari is an incoming freshman.

For Xavier, it was about writing his own story.

“I just wanted to make my own path,” he said. “Just following whatever was best for me. If (Alabama) was the situation for me, I would have gone, but it wasn’t my best situation. I just followed my own path.”

His path has included championships at every level. From his days as a superstar for the Glassboro Midget Football program to his current role as a two-way standout for his hometown’s high school, each season has culminated with a championship trophy.

“He’s won a championship at every level,” his father, Antoine Sabb, said. “He’s been blessed to have success on the field. He was always aggressive. This is something I’ve always foreseen for him if he continued to put the work in. Now, it’s about trying to win a national championship.”

It’s a student-athlete’s parents' dream to have one of their children reach the collegiate level of athletics. The Sabb household now has three sons that are members of Power 4 football programs.

“It’s super exciting,” Antoine said. “It’s a very unique situation to have all three of them going to play at that level. I’m excited for them. They put a lot of work in. A lot of sacrifice. From a family perspective, it’s a blessing. A true blessing.”

Xavier, a 2025 South Jersey Sports Zone All-South Jersey first team selection, wanted to play for Oregon wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator Ross Douglas. Douglas joined head coach Dan Lanning’s staff in 2025. He previously served as the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots prior to a stint in the same role at Syracuse in 2024.

“I’ve always wanted to play under him,” Xavier said. … “They’ll get a hard worker. Put my head down and work. The only thing I’m worried about is trying to get in that starting lineup.”

His aggression and explosiveness stood out on the gridiron from an early age. Glassboro head coach Timmy Breaker knew he was going to be a special player when he was six years old. Those projections became a reality.

“He was a running back at first,” Breaker said. “I think his first year of football he had 35 touchdowns at running back. He did everything he’s doing now when he was a kid. We’ve seen it before, but for it to come to fruition like this and for him to grow to be a great kid it’s special.” 

Keon, the eldest of the three Sabb brothers, was a top player at Glassboro prior to transferring to Williamstown and IMG Academy (Fla.). Amari, a 2026 graduate, was named the 2025 South Jersey Sports Zone Football Player of the Year as the Bulldogs won another state championship. Their parents both attended Glassboro High School.

It was important for Amari and Xavier to stay together and build a legacy on Joseph Bowe Boulevard across the street from Rowan University’s Richard Wackar Stadium.

“It’s so important,” their father said. “That’s why Xavier and Amari didn’t go to some of the big private schools and didn’t leave the state. We thought it was important to stay in the community to build it up and build a legacy for years to come.”

Xavier Sabb announced his commitment to Oregon alongside his parents at Landmark Americana in Glassboro, New Jersey on Friday, July 3, 2026. Kevin Emmons/South Jersey Sports Zone

The list of accomplishments is lengthy, but the legacy is still being built. Xavier and his teammates, some of which are also Division I commits, have unfinished business before they graduate.

“I’ve been to a championship every year,” he said. “We lost one, but we came back with a two-peat. Now we’re going back for a third. We’re trying to keep that streak alive.”