Ever since the first inaugural season in 1950, the NC Warrior football program turned into more than just a football team. Traditions and reputations built a legacy that most schools fail to replicate, creating a prideful campus for families to send their children. Over the course of the last two decades, one family continuously shines. The Singleton family name adorns the top of recruitment lists across Georgia, with former NC alum and current Western Michigan running back Christain Singleton playing for the Warriors from 2015-2019. The Warriors closed out their 2020 season, which included a region championship, with notable performances from senior safety Cobe Singleton and sophomore dual threat quarterback Malachi Singleton under center. Malachi climbed the ranks in his recruitment rather quickly and continues to impress scouts from all over the nation, bringing national attention to the NC campus. Recently, Singleton received a plethora of power five collegiate offers, opening a whole new world of possibilities for his young football career. Singleton credits much of this recent success to his family roots and upbringing, narrowing his vision towards a bright future. 

“My brothers push me the most to be great. I’ve looked up to my older brothers my whole life and they’ve done nothing but help me get better and they never let me get off track of what I’m supposed to be doing. I know I can go to them about anything. My family and parents are so important. They’re my backbone and keep me up,” Singleton said. 

At the tailend of the 2019 season, NC head coach Shane Queen gave the nod to Singleton, promoting him to the team’s starting quarterback. This new position change carried over to the 2020 season, and did not disappoint. Singleton passed for 1,619 yards and 15 touchdowns on 193 pass attempts, while also adding 1,091 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. These impressive stats mixed with a 10-2 team record, earned Singleton the 3-AAAAAA Offensive Player of the Year award, along with all state honors. He also recently competed in the NFA 7v7, as well as received an invite to the Under Armour All-America Camp series in Atlanta. Despite receiving his first offer from Georgia Tech in December of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic halted Singleton’s recruitment. Since the conclusion of this past season, the 6’2 210 pound phenomenon restored his offer sheet, building an impressive catalogue of schools to choose from. Singleton received offers in 2020 and 2021 from Virginia Tech, the University of Georgia, and most recently the University of Miami. 

“Not having spring ball was big. I was expecting to pick up a lot of offers this spring because coaches had told my high school coaches they were coming to watch. I did end up getting Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech though,” Singleton said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. 

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Courtesy of Malachi Singleton

Malachi enjoys many aspects of the game, his teammates and coaches, the dedication involved, and mostly the competitiveness. “The competitiveness of it is my favorite part of the game. Just going out to practices and games everyday with my teammates that I grew up with and just leaving it all out there on the field and giving it my all no matter what,” Singleton said.

Singleton’s massive success obviously arrived paired with an increase in responsibility. People look up to him on and off the field, and this pressure could hurt some athletes, but Malachi has navigated it with grace and intelligence. 

“Malachi has many strengths, but I admire his competitiveness and the respect he has for the game of football. He’s a great leader and gives honor where honor is due. Malachi knows he’s been given a platform through football to help change the world in some facet, and he accepts that responsibility, and that leadership strength is the most admirable,” Singleton’s mother, Margaret Singleton said. 

Despite the attention and success surrounding him, Singleton does not let the limelight blind him. The Warriors last game of the 2020 season featured a 21-13 loss to the Lowndes Vikings in the remaining seconds of the 7A State second round, leaving the entire NC program looking for revenge. The entire NC program received upgrades to their amenities, equipment, and playbook schemes in order to reach the team’s goals next season. Singleton views this offseason as a great time for improvement, especially regarding his physical skills, mental toughness, and character development.

“My daily offseason routine consists of school and then an hour and a half of weight training, go home, get a little snack and then go to my speed trainer or my QB coach for another workout. After that I come home, relax, and get some ab work in and then sleep,” Singleton said. 

A large part of Singleton’s development as a player revolves around his leadership. Entering as a highly touted freshman, Singleton assumed numerous responsibilities but still needed to prove himself. Now entering his junior season in the 2021-2022 school year, Singleton’s leadership status heavily increases. 

“I’ve been becoming more of a leader everyday by being more vocal and trying to bring everybody up with me instead of bringing people down. Also leading by example in the classroom, weight room, and on the field. I’ve been doing a lot of film study and trying to improve on the mental side of the game as well as working on my throwing,” Singleton said. 

As a new season approaches on the horizon, the NC football team turns to one player for direction. Malachi Singleton plans to redirect the exposure he receives into motivation for the future, all while being backed by his family and close friends. Members of the NC community and people from around the nation must learn the name before Singleton advances his game and takes his football career to new heights.

“My reaction to all of the success is just excitement because a lot of my hard work has been paying off and it just makes me want to work harder. Offers and rankings do motivate me, each time I get an offer or ranking it makes me want to work harder because I know there’s always someone trying to outwork you,” Singleton said.