Another SEC West flip: LSU signs No. 1 JUCO linebacker Navonteque Strong

Flipping recruits is a way of life in the SEC West, and LSU landed the No. 1 JUCO linebacker, who just decommitted from Mississippi State earlier this week.

Navonteque Strong of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College announced his decision away from the Bulldogs on Tuesday. He’d been committed to Mississippi State since June 8. Arkansas was believed to be the other program in the running for Strong.

The Forest, Mississippi native is rated as a 4-star prospect, the No. 20 overall junior college prospect and the No. 1 inside linebacker recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. He had a reported 15 offers.

In a video he posted to Twitter, Strong said he fell in love with football from the first snap.

“I love to hit on other people for 60 minutes and not get in trouble,” he said.

Strong took home MACCC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice in six games as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College landed in the MACCC title game, Geaux247 reported.

On the season, Strong led the team with 59 tackles in six games, including five sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles.

In his freshman season at Mississippi Gulf Coast, Strong helped lead the Bulldogs to the NJCAA national championship and a perfect record. Strong totaled 104 tackles with 17.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks last season. He also had three PBUs, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Death Valley, I’m on the way..✍🏾🐅 @CoachOsborneLSU @Coach_EdOrgeron #Geauxtigers pic.twitter.com/xiTn3V4Fwj

— Navonteque🐐 (@navonteque1) December 16, 2020

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.