Jackson Huffman Takes Bold Steps in Football!

HILLSDALE — It's not unique to hear of basketball phenom recruits early in their middle school or AAU careers. Across the country, a polarizing phenomenon takes place where athletes who will not graduate from their respective high schools until 2030 are being talked about amongst the top recruits in the country. It won't be hard to find recruits scouted for even later classes in the 2030s.

However, it is rare to see such athletes gain varsity experience, let alone become one of the top players in the state at their level, before they even reach their freshman year of high school. When Hillsdale Academy tipped off its varsity boys basketball season this winter, one of its starters had not yet entered high school. Jackson Huffman, a 6-foot-7 eighth-grade center, bypassed the traditional junior varsity path and stepped directly into the Colts’ varsity lineup.

By the end of the season, the Class of 2030 standout had become one of Hillsdale Academy’s most productive players while helping guide the program to one of its best seasons in nearly a decade. Just the beginning The Colts — led by coach Dustin Scharer — finished 22-3 overall, capturing the MHSAA Division 4 District 119 championship before falling in the regional semifinals to Concord. Hillsdale Academy’s 16-game winning streak stretched from early January through the district tournament and marked the program’s longest surge since its 2017-18 state semifinal run.

For Huffman, the season was the culmination of years spent developing his game through youth and AAU basketball tournaments like the Storm Classic in Grand Rapids, where several scouts had already pointed out the future Class of 2030 recruit as an athlete to watch. More: How Hillsdale's Allison Kuzma of Zeeland won NCAA D-II title in 5K “I’ve been playing basketball since I was little,” Huffman said. “Middle school, AAU — I’ve played AAU all around the country.