PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — PSJA North senior football player JoeDerek Vecchio announced on his Twitter page that he is committing to the UTRGV football program.

Vecchio, a center, helped the Raiders reach the fourth round of the playoffs in 2022.

The Vaqueros began showing interest in Vecchio and some of his teammates at PSJA North earlier this year.

We asked the offensive lineman about UTRGV’s interest in him when we visited him and his teammates in May.

“It’s awesome to set a standard for the Valley,” Vecchio said. “To let other kids know it’s possible and they can do it too. It’ll give the Valley more respect. Since they’re seeing kids from the Valley get recruited, they’ll look into more, other Valley kids.”

The UTRGV football program’s inaugural season kicks off in the fall of 2025.