HEPPNER — If you are good, they will find you. That’s how college recruiting typically works.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, college coaches have had to get creative. Campus visits were not an option, so coaches were asking players to send them videos and statistics.

Heppner’s Jayden Wilson sent his information to dozens of coaches across the country, and his tenacity has paid off.

The 6-foot-5½, 200-pound quarterback has a stack of college offers, including one from Valparaiso, a Div. I school in Indiana.

He’s also been to quarterback camps and showcases throughout the Northwest, drawing even more interest.

“I haven’t been home for a whole week the past two or three months,” Wilson said. “The offers have been nice. I didn’t even know where Valparaiso was, but it’s still a pretty cool offer.”

When it comes to Wilson, there’s not much coaches don’t like.

The versatile quarterback helped the Mustangs to the 2A state title last fall. That came with a 13-0 record and a pocket full of accolades.

He was a first team quarterback and defensive back in the Blue Mountain Conference, and he earned first-team all-state honors on both sides of the ball. He also was the East Oregonian Player of the Year.

“I don’t know what else a kid could do to have colleges sit up and take notice,” Heppner football coach Greg Grant said. “He has worked very hard and deserves this. He’s facilitating it. He’s driving the ship.”

The state title and awards that came with it, were earned on the field.

Wilson threw for 1,282 yards and 23 touchdowns, and ran for 797 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Defensively, he had 32 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

As a team, the Mustangs averaged 41 points a game, while limiting opponents to just 7.5.

Wilson also makes the grade in the classroom with a 3.82 GPA.

Among the schools that have made offers to Wilson are Valparaiso, Carrol College, Pacific University, Lewis and Clark, Linfield, and Presentation College in South Dakota.

“He’s a hidden quantity,” Grant said. “He has been to numerous camps, had the opportunity to work with specialty coaches, and has taken the time to go to showcases to see how he compares. Then he comes back and goes to work. Someone is going to be pleasantly surprised when he decides.”

After beating Kennedy 12-7 in the state title game, Wilson jumped from football to basketball, where the Mustangs finished 14-10.

A loss to Pilot Rock in the district tournament denied them a trip to state.

Track was up next for Wilson, or so he thought.

As a sophomore, Wilson was part of the winning mile relay team at the 2A state championships. He also placed fifth in the 400 meters. He was looking for more track gold this spring, but COVID-19 had other plans for thousands of Oregon athletes.

“It was definitely hard,” Wilson said. “The only way I got through it was making the most of it.”

Wilson and running back Blake Wolters created their own workouts — most of which would make a grown man cry.

“Blake and I set up our own gym in his uncle’s shop,” Wilson said. “That kept us sane. My work ethic is something the coaches like and talk to me about. I tried to reach out to college coaches because all my recruiting visits got canceled.”

All of their hard work will pay off when football rolls around in the spring. A regular season is promised — for now — but winning another state title may not be in the cards.

“We wanted to go out there and win it again,” Wilson said. “That is something to strive for. Right now, I will play it game by game and enjoy every minute of it.”

Favorite sport to play and why?

Football. I like how it is more of a team sport and others. It takes 11 guys to be successful, and I like the contact.

Favorite sport to watch and why?

Basketball and football. I’m a diehard (Portland) Blazers fan.

Favorite activity when not playing sports?

Hanging out with friends, going fishing and horn hunting, hiking and riding 4-wheelers.

What is your favorite moment in high school athletics so far?

Winning state for football. The whole town was watching, and it was retribution because it was Kennedy. Winning the state 4×400 relay (as a sophomore) was amazing because we broke the school record.

A fun fact about you that few people know?

I have never failed a class. My lowest grade was a B in Spanish II.