SENATOBIA – It has often been said that good things come to those who wait.

This past weekend, the wait finally came to an end for two Northwest football student-athletes as quarterback Jack Walker and defensive back Cam White publicly announced their commitments to Southern Miss and Texas Tech, respectively. Both players will join their new programs this summer in time for the 2020 season.

"I'm excited to stay closer to home," Walker said over the weekend to WAPT-TV in Jackson. "One of my buddies plays there and I have played against several guys in high school and I think staying closer to home and closer to family is the biggest decision for me."

After commanding the Rangers to an 8-3 overall record and the MACJC North Division title last season, Walker left Northwest with 147 completions on 269 attempts and 20 passing touchdowns. The Georgia State bounceback and Madison native joined an elite group of 2,000-yard passers, including record-holder Will Hall (2000), Jacksonville Jaguars rookie sensation Gardner Minshew (2015) and current USM starter Jack Abraham (2017).

Additionally, Walker fielded several solid performances for the Rangers last season, his most notable coming in a shootout loss at Holmes on Sept. 26, as Walker passed for six touchdowns to tie Bobby Robison (2002) for second most passing touchdowns in a game. He also passed for a career-high 398 yards in that contest with no interceptions.

Northwest advanced all the way to the MACJC Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons, falling by three points to top-ranked and eventual national champion Mississippi Gulf Coast. For his efforts all season, Walker was given second team All-MACJC honors while also earning a nod to the Fall 2019 Vice President's list.

Cam White, Walker's former high school teammate at Madison Central, also made a big splash over the weekend as the former Ole Miss signee revealed his Texas Tech commitment to RedRaiderSports.com. White chose the Red Raiders over several smaller offers, including Northern Arizona, Delta State and others.

"I chose Texas Tech because the whole staff is based on family," White told RedRaiderSports.com. "They were on me from day one when they realized I didn't sign and realized my potential right off the top. Coach Wells, he's a really good coach. I did my research and he knows his stuff and he's someone I want to be coached by."

In two seasons with the Rangers, White totaled 82 tackles with six pass breakups and three interceptions. Like Walker, White also posted a career effort in the loss to Holmes last season, notching 14 total tackles, including 10 solo stops.

Many of White's counterparts in the secondary have gone on to the Division I level over the previous two seasons, including Brandin Echols (Kentucky), Malik Sanders (Mississippi State), Jayce Rogers (Houston), Jerrick Reed II (New Mexico), Verenzo Holmes, Jr. (UTEP), Devin Rockette (South Alabama) and Christian Cain (Central Arkansas).

With both weekend commits, Northwest has now seen 90 former players sign or walk-on with Division I programs and 126 total advance to other four-year level programs (Division II, Division III, NAIA) since 2014.