After wearing the red, white, and blue for the past four years, the new color of choice for Noah Rosahac is now orange.

On Wednesday morning, the All State offensive and defensive tackle from Jim Thorpe signed a letter of intent to play for the Syracuse Orange. Rosahac is the first recruit in Olympian head coach Mark Rosenberger’s two-and-a-half decades guiding the program to earn a Division 1 FBS football scholarship.

Rosahac’s decision to attend Syracuse was not a simple matter, as he was coveted by several colleges and was given scholarship offers by Virginia Tech, James Madison, Coastal Carolina, Lehigh, Lafayette, Temple, Massachusetts, and Penn.

But, it was the Orange that had excited him the most.

After two official visits, and five more family trips just to confirm where he wanted to spend the next four years, Rosahac finalized the decision Wednesday.

“The campus and academics just felt right for me.” Rosahac said,

Rosahac stuck with his verbal commitment and signed despite a recent coaching change for the Orange.

Fran Brown, who was hired as the new coach earlier this month, comes to the upstate New York school from Georgia where he had been the defensive backs coach. One of his major achievements in his first weeks on the job has been bringing in former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord into his fold.

“I met with coach Brown and several members of the team,” said Rosahac. “I’m really excited about his goals and vision for the program.”

Rosahac will leave Jim Thorpe with many fond memories.

One of those was a victory over perennial power Notre Dame of Green Pond in a district semifinal game his sophomore season.

As far as his best game individually, he said that came earlier this season against Lehighton.

“It’s a big rivalry game that we won, and I had a few sacks and tackles for a loss on defense,” said the current president of his senior class.

Another big moment was when he blocked a punt against Northern Lehigh, one of several during his career. Nik Schwartz recovered the ball and returned it for a 55-yard touchdown.

Rosahac, who began playing football when he was in seventh grade, has been a mainstay at offensive left tackle for the Olympians the last couple years.

“It’s an important position because you have to protect the blind side of the quarterback, and that’s why I like it,” said Rosahac about the position.

Rosenberger expressed his gratitude for his two-way starter.

“Noah is at the top of the list for players I’ve coached through the years,” he said. “His work ethic was second to none. He would train off season with us, and then go to workouts with a personal trainer.

“He led by example, and was a role model for our younger players. When we struggled in some games, he always kept a positive attitude, and he stayed competitive which was motivating for the whole team.”

Rosahac, who stands 6-5 and weighs 290 pounds, is expected to play offensive tackle. Most offensive lineman redshirt their freshman year, and Rosahac said that is Syracuse’s early plan for him.

Redhsirting will allow him to retain four years of football eligibility. He will also be allowed to play in four games next season and still maintain that redshirt status.

“They want me to be at 315 pounds by the time I play,” said Rosahac, who is undecided about what academic major to pursue. His skill set includes quick feet and sound technical footwork, which are both essential to playing the tackle position effectively.

His father, Tom, spoke about his son with a sparkle in his eyes.

“I’m very proud of Noah’s resilience and determination,” said Tom. “He sustained a stress fracture in his foot when he was a junior, but he worked very hard over the next six months to get healthy so he could play again.”

Noah’s mom, Marie, added, “I am so very proud of Noah. His determination to get to where he got was incredible. There is something special about him.”

Rosenberger also spoke highly of his standout player.

“He is an outstanding young man in the classroom and on the football field,” he said.

Noah was asked what he wants to leave behind as his legacy to Jim Thorpe football.

“I would like to bring recognition to my high school, to my hometown, and to the coal region from where football has been such a big thing in my life,” he said.

The next step in his promising future begins now for Rosahac as he steps out of the red, white and blue and into the orange and blue where he hopes to help a once storied program at Syracuse University return to the pinnacle of NCAA college football.