One of Purdue football's incoming freshmen picked up some hardware on Thursday, as Jaron Tibbs was named the Indianapolis City Male Athlete of the Year.
The award is handed out by the Marion County Athletic Association each year and was started in 1950. Tibbs beat out fellow future Boilermaker Myles Colvin (Heritage Christian) and Tony Flatt (Covenant Christian) for the honors.
Tibbs was a two-sport star for Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, earning an All-City selection twice on the gridiron and the hardwood.
The 6'5 receiver broke school records with 154 receptions, 2,479 receiving yards, and finished second in receiving touchdowns during his standout career for the Irish. As a senior, he racked up 61 receptions for 910 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Indiana high school football powerhouse. He was an integral part of two state championships as a sophomore and junior.
Tibbs also won a state championship in basketball as a junior, starring alongside 2023 five-star Michigan State signee Xavier Booker and 2022 Eastern Kentucky signee Tayshawn Comer. He finished with 1,012 points and 480 rebounds while being a 53% shooter for his career.
As part of the 2023 recruiting class for Ryan Walters and company, Tibbs will join the wide receiver room in West Lafayette ahead of his true freshman campaign.