Morgan Beard
Staff Writer
Jackson State University football coach Tony Hughes had several goals to achieve this off-season. On National Signing Day, he achieved some of those goals with the recruitment of 34 new players.
Every player that Hughes and his staff signed are from high schools within an eight-hour drive of Jackson, Miss.: 15 players from Mississippi, five from Louisiana, four from Texas, and one from Florida.
The Tigers had only three running backs on the roster headed into spring football. However, four were signed, including Deandre Williams from Wetumpka, Ala., a bigger back who can break tackles and has the ability to explode through holes.
Running back Quitten Brown from Lawrence County, Miss., missed more than half of his senior year of high school ball due to an injury but still managed 852 yards and 11 touchdowns on 117 carries. During his junior year, he rushed for 2,012 yards and 32 touchdowns. Also signed was running back Josh Little from Picayune, Miss., who rush for 2,399 yards and 25 touchdowns in 13 games as a senior
After losing last year’s top recruit in quarterback Juwan Adams, who transferred to Southwest Miss. Community College, Hughes signed two new freshman quarterbacks. Jeff Toney is a 6-foot-6, 230 point from Niceville, Fla. who completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games as a senior. Travis Williams from Harrison Central, Miss., is a 6-foot-2 dual-treat quarterback with solid speed and started all 11 games as a senior at Harrison Central.
The Tigers needed wide receivers who can make big explosive plays and score in the end zone and tight ends that could block and run routes. JSU signed wide receiver D.J. Clayton from Kemper County high school, who caught 93 passes for 1,931 yards, 30 touchdowns and rushed six times for 236 yard as a senior for 3A state champion Kemper County.
The Tigers singed four tight ends, including 247sports 3-star recruit Kyland Richie, who until Wednesday morning, was committed to Alcorn State. The Tigers staff identified a need on the offensive line, and signed tree high school offensive linemen and brought in two junior college guys they think can contribute right away. One of those players is Valanez Hopson from Callaway High School, who is a late bloomer that helped pave the way for 2,969 rushing yards in 12 games as a senior.
JSU also improves the defense that ranked right at the top of SWAC rankings last year with several players who will compete for a starting spot this fall. Their best recruit is three-star safety Kendrick Paul from Livonia, La.
According to JSU Blitz, an excited coach Hughes spoke about his 2017 recruiting class, and said, “We’re extremely excited about the class and the potential of the class. But we also realize the recruiting process doesn’t end until the kids are enrolled, on campus and lining up in uniform for the Tigers.”
The Tigers also picked up a pair of linebackers, including Robert Green who transferred from the Army. He recorded 14 sacks as a sophomore, nine as a junior and 17 as a senior. Also linebacker Keontae Hampton from West Point, Miss., who finished third in tackles for the 5A state champion Green Wave with 83 total tackles, including three for a loss, with two sacks and a fumble recovery in his senior year.
JSU signed many defensive linemen to beef up the line up front. Key players are early-enrollee defensive end/outside linebacker John Curtis and Brandon Frazier who are two-star prospects. These players are probably the first freshman in school history that will go through spring practice with the team.
Hughes and his coaching staff have laid out the blueprint for future classes. They signed a complete football team, aside from special teams. The Tigers still hope to improve on last year’s 3-8 season.
