The 6-foot-3 safety met his goal with time to spare.
After careful consideration and with a heavy emphasis on academics, Vogel recently provided coach Bob Surace his verbal commitment to compete for Princeton University of the Ivy League.
Vogel, the 2025 Times Union large school Defensive Player of the Year after registering 67 tackles and three interceptions during his junior season, plans to major in business.
“Academically, it is the No. 1 school in the country,” Vogel said of Princeton. “Football is giving me a chance to go to a school like that. It is a no-brainer. The area there is beautiful. When I went on my visit, a bunch of the kids on the visit were already committed as future teammates. I really bonded with them and I can see myself going to school together with them for four years.”
“I am super proud of him because he has not only worked his tail off on the field, but also in the classroom to get to the point where he is going to an elite academic institution,” CBA football coach Bobby Burns said. “He is a special kid. He had a goal in mind and he was good enough to get to it.”
Since the end of his 25-0 basketball season with the Brothers, Vogel also visited Dartmouth, Columbia, Yale, Cornell, UConn, Lehigh, New Hampshire, Davidson and the University at Albany.
When it came time to make his selection, Vogel decided on Princeton over Dartmouth, another Ivy League school.
Vogel, who also plays wide receiver, played this past fall in his third straight Section 2 Class AA Super Bowl. Unlike wins in 2023 and 2024, the Brothers dropped a 14-13 verdict against Saratoga Springs to deny the program a fifth consecutive sectional championship. The senior says the 2026 team is on a mission to return to the top of the classification.
“Without a doubt, this is the most motivated and hard-working group we’ve had,” Vogel said. “I think if you asked any coaches or players on the team, they would say the same thing — especially with the work in the weight room. We’re making crazy gains and getting after it with each other.”
Vogel, who lives in Bethlehem, is thrilled to have the recruiting process completed.
“It feels really nice,” Vogel said. “The last few weeks were pretty stressful making my decision. I was going back and forth every day. One day, I wanted to go here — and, the next day, I wanted to go there. It is a good problem to have. Everything is good to go and a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
