Usually when someone celebrates a birthday, they’re the ones receiving a gift. When Shahn Alston celebrates his birthday on Dec. 28, he’ll be giving five lucky college programs a gift. That’s the day the four-star running back from Harvey will be announcing his five finalists for where he will play college football after his 2026 graduation. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound junior gave everyone a heads-up on his intentions on Sunday, Oct. 20 on X (formerly Twitter) when he posted “Dec. 28…” with a clock emoji. Dec 28th… pic.twitter.com/ksnSKaezch — Shahn Alston (@shahnalston3) October 20, 2024 “I’ll be making a top-five announcement on Dec. 28,” Alston told The News-Herald. Then a commitment should come around March. Dec. 28 is my birthday. I talked with my family and we decided that was a good date to make an announcement.” Alston said he has more visits to take in the coming months, including potential stops at Michigan or Indiana this coming weekend. He has 24 offers so far, and though he said it’s not an indication of his final five yet, he said he’s been impressed with Penn State, Wisconsin, USC and Florida. Alston is the sixth-ranked running back in the nation for the Class of 2026 per 247sports. He went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season in Harvey’s game against Hawken last week, a mark he hit despite missing the first three games of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Alston said the recruiting wars have been fun to experience, a process that most recently gleaned offers from Michigan State and Florida. “It can be a lot sometimes with all the calls and texts, but I don’t take any of it for granted,” Alston said. “It’s been fun.” Related Articles News-Herald players of the week for Oct. 17 Harvey vs. Wooster boys soccer: Red Raiders stunned by clearly underseeded Generals, 4-1 Perry at Harvey football: Preview capsule for Oct. 11 game News-Herald players of the week for Oct. 10 Harvey football: 5-foot-5 Markese Wise comes up big in win over West Geauga