ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High defensive back Jacobi Oliphant is No. 10 on the 2023 Post-Dispatch Super 30 preseason football recruiting countdown. The 6-foot-5 Oliphant, who has scholarship offers from several colleges, had 51 tackles and two interceptions last season. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High School defensive back Jacobi Oliphant catches his breath before the start of another drill at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2023. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High senior Jacobi Oliphant finished second in the 300-meter hurdles in 2023 in the Class 5 boys track and field state meet. Oliphant has signed to play football at Oklahoma State.
Paul Halfacre
Jacobi Oliphant of SLUH wraps up Malique Flenoid of Marquette at the Class 6 District 1 semifinal football game at Marquette High School in Clarkson Valley, Missouri on Friday, November 5, 2021. Paul Baillargeon/ Special to
“In football, you always want to be bigger,†the ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High safety said.
Yet Oliphant’s growth spurt came too quickly. And it got in the way of his progress.
The speedster stood 5-foot-8 when he entered his freshman season at Trinity Catholic. A little more than a year later, he stood 6-5.
The nine-inch outburst came with some serious baggage.
“My knees started hurting, my hips were killing me,†Oliphant recalled.
Explained SLUH coach Adam Cruz, “He simply had trouble growing into his body.â€
The No. 10 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior football prospects, Oliphant suffered through a painful sophomore season at SLUH after Trinity shut its doors in 2021.
“I had to stretch all the time so my legs wouldn’t lock up on me,†Oliphant said. “It was just a different kind of situation.â€
In just over 14 months, Oliphant went from a size 10 shoe to a size 14. It seemed like he had to get new clothes almost every other week.
The lightning-quick transformation forced him to battle through some growing pains — literally. He spent most of 2021 fighting hip flexor problems.
Yet he finally found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow last season.
Oliphant, once his new body became fully developed, turned in a strong junior campaign that helped him draw interest from more than a dozen NCAA Division I colleges. He has scholarship offers from Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Arkansas State, Ball State, Boston College, Connecticut, Lindenwood, Miami (Ohio), Morgan State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Ohio, Prairie View A&M, Wyoming.
Now, Oliphant is one of the top safeties in the area and heads into his second full season with plenty of confidence.
“I think I’m getting better every time I go out there,†Oliphant said.
Oliphant saw the difference already during preseason workouts.
“Normally, at this time of the year, I’d feel achy,†Oliphant said. “But now, it’s like the best I’ve ever felt.â€
Oliphant was third on the team in tackles last season with 51. He led the Jr. Billikens with two interceptions despite missing the better part of two games with a concussion.
“His strides are so big and he’s done a great job in the weight room,†said Cruz, who is beginning his second year at the helm. “He’s worked so hard to fill out his body.â€
Oliphant has become a beast in the weight room, which has helped with his speed as well.
Despite the new body shape, he remains one of the fastest players on the team.
Oliphant, who weighs 190 pounds, is a standout on the track and field team as well. He finished second in the 300-meter hurdles at the state meet in May, missing the top spot by .68 of a second while reeling off a personal best clocking of 38.32 seconds.
The Florissant resident also plays wide receiver and scored a three offensive touchdowns in the first scrimmage of the year earlier this month.
Oliphant was part of the SLUH middle school football program before enrolling at Trinity. He found a host of familiar faces when he returned two-plus years ago, including 5-star standout Ryan Wingo, who helped assure Oliphant he would be a perfect fit on Oakland Avenue.
“Ryan and a lot of the guys texted me when they found out Trinity was closing and told me how much fun I’d have if I came back to where I kind of started,†Oliphant said. “They were right.â€
Top high school football players: The Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown 2023-24
Eureka senior left tackle Jack Lange is the No. 5 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown. The 6-foot-9, 295-pound Lange has verbally …
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High defensive back Jacobi Oliphant is No. 10 on the 2023 Post-Dispatch Super 30 preseason football recruiting countdown. The 6-foot-5 Oliphant, who has scholarship offers from several colleges, had 51 tackles and two interceptions last season. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High School defensive back Jacobi Oliphant carries the ball at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2023. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High School defensive back Jacobi Oliphant catches his breath before the start of another drill at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2023. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High School defensive back Jacobi Oliphant runs through a drill at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2023. David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University High senior Jacobi Oliphant finished second in the 300-meter hurdles in 2023 in the Class 5 boys track and field state meet. Oliphant has signed to play football at Oklahoma State.
Jacobi Oliphant of SLUH wraps up Malique Flenoid of Marquette at the Class 6 District 1 semifinal football game at Marquette High School in Clarkson Valley, Missouri on Friday, November 5, 2021. Paul Baillargeon/ Special to