The Omaha North class of 2026 is full of college commits such as Lydia Peterson, Max Clark, Darion Jones, and Jaron Cannon.
Lydia Peterson, 12, is an Omaha North volleyball player. Peterson is the varsity Defensive Specialist which is a role that focuses on defense. She has played volleyball for three years at North. She also plays on a club volleyball team called Envy; this will be her second year with the team.
Peterson loves volleyball and devotes herself and her time to it. Aside from team practices, she takes one on one private lessons with coaches. She also stays after practice to get in some extra touches.
“I decided I really didn’t want to be done with volleyball,” said Peterson. Once coming to this realization, she knew she needed to play college volleyball.
On August 10, 2025, Peterson committed to Doane University a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program to play college volleyball.
“I really like the coach at Doane; I have only ever heard good things about Doane Volleyball,” said Peterson.
Peterson’s committing process started with Omaha North volleyball holding a camp session where the Doane head coach came to watch the girls practice.
When practice ended, Peterson was able to talk to the Doane coach and set a time to meet at the college campus. During the visit, Peterson was able to play with the team and tour the campus.
Soon after, she received an offer to play volleyball at Doane.
Peterson has loved North volleyball; she has been able to grow and became a strong athlete.
“Coach Thurston has helped me so much, she has always pushed me to be better and has been the best supporter ever,” said Peterson.
Peterson is very thankful to Omaha North for giving her this opportunity to play at a higher level and for making her the best athlete she can be.
Another college commit is Darion Jones,12. Jones is an Omaha North Football player. He is Omaha North’s Defensive Back, allowing him to play both sides of the ball. Jones has played football since he was six years old.
Not only does Jones play for North, but he also plays for Warren Academy, which is a high-level club football team. He does football camps around the nation such as in Kansas City and Texas.
Jones has grown his love for football, and he knew he needed to play college football.
On July 4, 2025, he decided to commit to the University of Iowa, a Division I program to play football. It was broadcasted on the news.
Iowa University saw his football film on X and asked him to come to a spring practice, so they could watch him play. He was able to tour the facilities and meet the football team.
“After I visited the school, they offered me a spot on the team,” said Jones.
Jones was extremely grateful for this offer.
“I chose the school because it is a good school with great coaching staff, and it felt like the best decision for me and my family,” said Jones.
Jones had many different offers from all over the country such as Nebraska, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Kansas, and much more.
“I tell people don’t commit early, enjoy the process, enjoy the phone calls, and text messages, and just take it all in,” said Jones.
Jones enjoyed the recruitment process because he has a fun time talking to coaches, visiting schools, and meeting new kids.
“Coach Martin helped me reach out to a lot of coaches and get involved, North coaches made me a better person as well,” said Jones.
Jones cannot wait to play at the next level and build a name for himself.
Another one of North’s commits is Max Clark, 12, another Omaha North football player. Clark is a Linebacker on the team and is one of the top defensive players in Nebraska. He is currently one of the Omaha North captains.
He has played football since third grade and plays on a Warren Academy team. They play teams from all over, learning from some of the best coaches in Nebraska.
Clark has built strong relationships with his teammates and coaches.
He committed in June of 2025 to the University of South Dakota; a Division I program.
“I chose them because it felt like home, has a great team environment, and I am getting a full ride scholarship to go play there,” said Clark.
Clark is looking forward to meeting new kids and growing as a player. He feels that he will be very successful as a student and an athlete at South Dakota.
His recruiting process started with a DM on X from the South Dakota coach. The coach was able to come and watch Clark work out. After the workout the coach offered him a spot on the team. A couple weeks later Clark went up to the University of South Dakota for a visit.
He is grateful for the opportunities North coaches have given him.
“North coaches put me on the map, funneling college coaches my way and they really pushed me all the time to be better, “said Clark
Clark has developed over the last four years as a person and as an athlete. He has been able to grow his leadership and athletic abilities.
One of the final commits is Jaron Cannon, 12, a player on the Omaha North football team. He is the Omaha North Running Back and is also one of the captains. He finished last year with 24 touchdowns and 1447 yards.
Cannon has been playing football since he was six years old. He has loved every moment of playing football and could not imagine not playing. From a young age, he was set on playing football in college.
Cannon committed on his birthday, August 11, to Northwest Missouri State a Division II program to play college football.
“I picked Northwest Missouri State because it felt like home, they have a dedicated coaching staff and great facilities. I also feel like they have a network of alumni and career paths that will assist me with reaching my future goals,” said Cannon.
Cannon had a fun recruiting process and is confident and excited about the decision he made.
“My parents and I went down for a few visits to tour the facilities and meet with coaches and players. We also had phone calls with coaches to ask questions and talk about the experience and focus of the academic and football programs, “ said Cannon
He was able to get a feel for every part of the school and see what it would be like to go there.
Cannon has learned and grown so much at North as a student and athlete.
“The North coaches pushed me to be the best version of myself all four years. They have focused on my leadership abilities and continued to push me in the classroom. They put me in front of coaches to get my name out there and Northwest came and offered,” said Cannon.
Cannon is grateful for this time at North and cannot wait to further his career.
These four athletes are the first to sign for the class from 2026. The National Signing Day for High School Students is the first Wednesday of February. These athletes are ready for their new journey and new experiences.
