Lowell senior Nathen Raison commits to Alma College football

Another football commitment for the LHS Class of 2026! This time it’s Nathen Raison who has committed to play college football at Alma College. Raison made his commitment official in an announcement in late January, becoming one of a number of Red Arrows to put on the maroon and white over the two decades.

Raison said he started playing football at a young age, beginning with flag football before moving to tackle football in third grade. He said his dad often helped coach during his youth years and encouraged him to keep playing.

Football was not always the sport Raison expected to pursue in college. He said baseball was his first love growing up, and for a long time he thought baseball would be the sport he would play at the next level.

That changed after an injury during his freshman year kept him from playing football during both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Raison returned to the field as a junior and said that was when he fell back in love with the sport and decided he wanted to play football in college. It was Raison’s first year back at Lowell after a stint at NorthPointe Christian, and from there Raison became a star play for both the Lowell Football and Baseball programs.

Raison is a two-time first team all-conference football player, also earning academic all-state honors while leading the Red Arrows to a semifinal. An injury cut Raison’s playing career short this season and he cheered on his teammates from the sideline as Lowell had their longest postseason run since 2016.

Nathen Raison hauls in a catch against Coopersville.

Raison said the recruiting process started slowly because he did not have sophomore film, but interest picked up after his junior season. He said he began hearing from a number of colleges, then received several Division III and NAIA offers during the summer before his senior year. During his senior season, he also picked up a couple of preferred walk-on opportunities from Division II programs.

In the end, Raison said Alma was the right choice.

“I ultimately chose Alma for many reasons,” Raison said. “Every time I was on campus it just felt like home and I could see myself going there.”

The Lowell senior who average 8.8 yards per carry on the ground this year, also said the coaching staff played a major role in his decision.

“A big part of why I committed to Alma was the coaches,” Raison said. “The coaches at Alma are some of the best people I have ever met and I know I can trust them to take care of me. I know that committing to Alma is the best fit for both me and my family and it will help me to be successful later in life.”

Raison said his favorite high school football memory came in Week 1 of his senior season, when Lowell defeated East Grand Rapids on its home field.

“To go out there with the kids you have grown up with and beat your rivals at their own home stadium is one of the best feelings ever,” he said.