As the semester approaches, GA athletes Xavier Stearn ‘26 and Brandon Truszkowski ‘26 get ready to take a unique route as they both plan on graduating early to pursue their college careers. The two athletes both plan on attending Division I schools to play football, Stearn at Rutgers, and Truszkowski at Delaware.
Touching on his decision to start college ahead of schedule, Stearn shared that there isn’t a choice if he wants to be prepared mentally and physically for his first season of college football.
“They take all of the quarterbacks in during January so they can start their development earlier,” Stearn said. “I can learn the playbook, do the winter workouts and just get bigger, faster [and] stronger in the early spring as I work into spring ball practice in March.”
While he is now focused on preparing for his rookie season, before this choice Stearn spent a lot of time deciding what college program he wanted to dedicate his time to. Stearn’s decision to attend Rutgers was very difficult and required a long process for him.
“My thought process really started after my junior year—I was talking to a bunch of different schools and I visited a few places,” Stearn said. “What went into me choosing Rutgers was my official visit, which was in June, and it was really cool to see all of the facilities and watch film with their quarterback coach to see how I would fit in their offense.”
Stearn also noted in his reflection on his decision to graduate early that despite gaining an advantage over other college athletes in his preparation in the weight room and the playbook, he will miss out on some important senior class moments.
“I would say I don’t get to enjoy the second half of my senior year, so I’ll miss a bunch of stuff,” Stearn told us. “Hopefully I’ll be back for prom, and I’ll definitely be back for graduation.”
Soon, Truszkowski will also leave GA to start his Division I Football journey at the University of Delaware. He is excited to start this new chapter of his life, regarding both football and college.
“I’m ready to get down there early to be a step ahead of the other 2026 kids,” said Truszkowski. “But I will be the new kid down there. It’s nerve-racking, and I’m also gonna be leaving my friends and missing a part of my senior year.”
Regardless of this difficult new role, Truszkowski is ready for the challenge he is approaching.
As both Stearn and Truszkowski are set to graduate early, head football coach Mr. Kyle Donahue ‘14 prepares to watch them both leave Germantown Academy to begin their Division I football careers. Donahue has spent years guiding their development and making sure they understand the demand to play at the next level.
“The goal is to get them on campus in January of their senior year so they can start their development,” Donahue said. “When you’re working with guys like Xavier and Brandon, their goal is to play Division I football, you push them as hard as college coaches will. I’m not there, so it’s survival of the fittest.”
Stearn and Truszkowski are set to be the first in GA history to graduate early. Even in their absence, their impact on the GA football program remains.