× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Shedrick McCall, a rising senior running back at L.C. Bird, has committed to Old Dominion.

McCall, 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, is one of the area’s largest running backs. He rushed for 614 yards in the regular season last year, backing up J.B. Wright. With Wright now graduated, McCall figures to be the starter in 2016.

ODU’s rising profile appealed to McCall, according to his father, who is also named Shedrick McCall. The school has a new stadium in the works and its conference, Conference USA, recently signed new TV deal that will put some of its games on ESPN.

Because of his size, some schools recruited McCall as a linebacker, including Maryland and Virginia, according to his father. But running back is the position he wants to play, and it’s the position ODU recruited him to play.

McCall is the first Richmond-area player in the class of 2017 committed to ODU. Manchester defensive back Elijah Conner had committed there, but later changed his mind.