Del Valle HS senior Coleman Patmon goes Division I, signs with Arizona Football

Del Valle HS senior football player Coleman Patmon officially signed his letter of intent to play football for the University of Arizona on Wednesday, marking a monumental step in his athletic career.

Surrounded by coaches, family, and friends, the defensive player signed with Arizona amid cheers, applause, and words of encouragement. During the signing, Coleman and his parents, DVHS Head Football Coach Todd Patmon and Mrs. Shaun Patmon, called Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina, who congratulated Coleman and welcomed him to the Wildcat family.

Del Valle ISD Athletics Director Dr. Silvia Salinas congratulated Coleman and the Patmon family, assuring Coach Akina that Arizona had picked a “gold star” to join the team.

“We're so proud and excited for Coleman and the Patmon family. You couldn't have picked a better person,” Dr. Salinas said. “You hit the nail on the head and got a gold star right here. He's going to add a lot to your program. We're excited to see where you go with it and take care of him.”

Playing in the highly competitive 26-6A district, Coleman and the Cardinals played teams including Westlake and Lake Travis, honing his skills on the field against strong athletes and attracting attention from college scouts.

“We're blessed to play in this district, 26-6A. We play Westlake, Lake Travis, and Dripping Springs. Even the schools that may not be Westlake or Lake Travis have ridiculous athletes on their team,” Mrs. Patmon said. “That helped Coleman’s growth to get out there and get the exposure as well. We’re right by the airport, we have beautiful facilities and great athletes, so all the college coaches are coming here. That definitely boosted things as well and kind of sped things up.”

Del Valle, TX ➡️ Tucson, AZ

Welcome Home, @ColemanPatmon 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QWFReRtbzp

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 4, 2024

Coleman will finish his senior year at DVHS in May, crossing the graduation stage on May 22 and flying out to Tuscon, Arizona, early the following week. He’s looking forward to connecting with his new teammates and getting right to work with the Division I program.

“It’s just amazing having transferred here to Del Valle and being here in this amazing community and school; it's a blessing and a dream come true,” Coleman said. “I’m really looking forward to just being coached by Coach Akina. He’s a goated DB so I'm ready to learn and get better in my technique.”

Wednesday saw Coleman reach the pinnacle of his high school student-athlete career, capping years of preparation and dedication to football and academics. Coleman played with DVHS for three years, growing close to the Cardinal squad and garnering attention from an extensive lineup of football programs nationwide.

Over the past several months, he visited many top football programs and received 18 offers from schools like Oklahoma State, Texas Christian University, Kansas State, and many others. Still, he said choosing Arizona was easy because he connected so easily with the coaching staff on day one.

His parents were unquestionably excited about this significant achievement. Mrs. Patmon said she’s already planning to attend as many home games in Tuscon as she can this fall. Coach and Mrs. Patmon credit Coleman’s hard work and the competitive football district with this success.

“Many years of training, focus, late nights, and, of course, being a great student,” Coach Patmon said. “Without being a strong student, none of this is possible. So just him being focused, working by himself at times, and being really single-minded on his goals.”

Coleman encouraged those who want to follow in his footsteps to always bet on themselves.

“Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do this or that. You can do anything through Christ. So, just keep on pushing. Just bear down,” he concluded.

Check out Coleman's 2025 Signing Day Roster at this link.