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Where do the JUCO players entering the SEC come from? Mississippi schools, mostly
By Keith Farner
Published:
A former Baylor quarterback and a former Georgia safety are just two of a slew of junior college players who recently signed with SEC teams.
Recent Auburn signee Jarrett Stidham, a quarterback, and Mississippi State signee Johnathan Abram, a safety, will be in the mix to play early after transferring from McLennan Community College in Texas and Jones County Junior College in Mississippi, respectively.
No SEC team signed more junior college talent during this recruiting cycle than Mississippi State, which inked eight players from four schools. Abram was one of four players signed to SEC schools from Jones County. Two of his former teammates signed with Ole Miss, while another inked a pledge to South Carolina.
During the most recent recruiting cycle, Jones County and Mississippi Gulf Coast, each with four, had the most players sign with SEC schools, though Arizona Western College and Eastern Arizona College each had at least two players sign, and Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi had three signees.
Combined, 16 out of 30 JUCO signees entering the SEC came from junior colleges in Mississippi. And 12 of the top 20 JUCO recruits nationally, as ranked by 247Sports, signed with SEC schools, including nine of the top 15.
After Mississippi State, South Carolina and Arkansas were tied for second in the SEC with four JUCO signees each. Overall, 11 teams across the league signed at least one JUCO player.
Programs have used this recruiting strategy for years to plug holes in depth charts or buy time for a more raw recruit to develop.
Chauncey Rivers at Mississippi State, for example, is a 4-star defensive end and former Georgia player who will be expected to contribute early for Todd Grantham’s defense. And look for new Arkansas receivers Brandon Martin and Jonathan Nance, listed at 6-foot-4 and 6-2, to be key contributors in the passing game after they were teammates at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Jeremy Patton, a former Arizona Western College player, is a tight end who, along with the other additions, could make the Razorbacks’ passing game especially JUCO heavy.
Meanwhile, one former teammate of Martin’s and Nance’s from Mississippi Gulf Coast is Isaiah Buggs, the top-ranked JUCO defensive lineman expected to join the pass rush at Alabama.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
