Bay Area Player of the Year, Pittsburg running back Jamar Searcy commits to Wake Forest

Versatile tailback, returner and safety follows Washington State coach Jake Dickert to the ACC; 'Players took me under their wings,' Searcy says
Pittsburg RB/SS Jamar Searcy (28) offers a stiff arm during the Pirates' 28-27 win over Folsom for the CIF Division 1-AA Northern California Regional title on Friday. At Pittsburg High School, 12-6-2024
Pittsburg RB/SS Jamar Searcy (28) offers a stiff arm during the Pirates' 28-27 win over Folsom for the CIF Division 1-AA Northern California Regional title on Friday. At Pittsburg High School, 12-6-2024 / Photo: Ernie Abrea

One of Northern California's most versatile football players from the Class of 2025 is headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Pittsburg senior running back, returner and safety Jamar Searcy, who led Pittsburg to a Northern California Division 1-AA championship, will follow former Washington State coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest, Searcy announced on X, formely known as Twitter.

Searcy signed to Washington State in early December, a place he had been committed to for months, but then opened up his recruitment after Dickert left the Cougars to take the Wake Forest head job.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Searcy was the San Francisco Chronicle's Metro Player of the Year after rushing for 1,666 yards, scoring 26 touchdowns — including four in the state title game, a 28-26 loss to Lincoln-San Diego — and adding 55 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass deflections.

"I’m excited to show my talents at the next level be apart of the same family I was with at Washington State," Searcy texted SBLive/High School on SI. "I chose Wake Forest because they really believed in me. They showed me they wanted me and the players took me under their wings while I was on the visit."

Wake Forest currently ranks 62nd in the country for 2025 recruiting, according to 247Sports. Of its 22 commitments/signees, Searcy is the first running back. Remarkably, of its 22 transfers from the portal, none are running backs so that leaves a big door open for Searcy, known for making the most out of little room with remarkable change of direction and toughness.

He was also part of Pittsburg's state championship 400-meter relay team so he has plenty of scoot.

Jamar Searcy, Washington State, Pittsburg High School, Lincoln High school, CIF championships
Pittsburg senior RB Jamar Search did it all on Friday with 23 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns to go along with five catches and 67 yards. It wasn't quite enough in a 28-26 defeat for the CIF Division 1-AA championship at Saddleback College. / Photo: Todd Shurtleff

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Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.