Jackson State University Football Season Preview
If you asked around four months ago about what came to people’s minds when they heard the name “Jackson State University”, many would bring up their illustrious band, The Sonic Boom of the South. If you asked what came to mind pertaining to football, many would bring up their hall of fame alumni Robert Brazile, Lem Barney, Jackie Slater, and Walter Payton. Now all the buzz surrounding Jackson State University (JSU) is centered around the hiring of Deion Sanders as their new football coach.
via Jackson State University
Sanders is a College and NFL Hall of Famer, and he is renowned as one of the greatest two-sport athletes of all time. His hiring was unexpected, but it was well needed. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football has been falling off for years. HBCUs used to be the home of NFL prospects, but they have been increasingly overshadowed by bigger and richer programs as years have gone by. Sanders has set out to level the playing field by reviving HBCU football. It is going to be a difficult task, but Sanders has already been making the right moves.
Sanders being named the new head coach benefited Jackson State University in a lot of ways. More money was donated to the school, enrollment spiked, and many television companies were looking to do deals with the Tigers football team. The university also received around $12 million in media exposure. Deion is creating a new culture at JSU, and he is hoping that what he does with the football team will create a ripple effect and make everything in Jackson, Mississippi better.
Deion has a little bit of coaching experience under his belt. He served as the Offensive Coordinator at Trinity Christian School where he was a great mentor on and off the field. Sanders was also a head coach at Prime Prep Academy, which he co-founded. The school had a lot of issues and was ultimately shut down. JSU will be a clean slate for him though, and he has surrounded himself with a solid coaching staff. His coaching staff has a combination of high school, college and NFL experience. That combination of experience will help shape the players into well-rounded individuals.
Deion Sanders’ Coaching Staff
Michael Pollack - Offensive coordinator; Quarterback coach
Dennis Thurman - Defensive coordinator
Mike Markuson - Offensive Line coach
Alan Ricard - Special Teams Coach
Gary Harrell - Running Back Coach
Kevin Mathis - Defensive Backs Coach
Andre Hart - Linebackers Coach
Jeff Weeks - Defensive Line Coach
TC Taylor - Tight Ends Coach
Otis Riddley - Recruiting Coordinator
Deion also made a big splash in recruitment, which is not surprising. Sanders is one of the most exciting football players ever and that alone will get him meetings with prospects that other college coaches wouldn’t be able to reach. Aside from his fame, Sanders has to be a heck of a persuader. One and two-star recruits would usually go to a school like JSU and he was able to get three and four-star prospects to flip and transfer from schools with elite and established football programs. Sanders also broke a lot of records on National Signing Day, and it will not be surprising if he breaks many more as he continues his journey at JSU.
Tigers Historic Recruiting Class
Isaiah Bolden - Florida State
Dylan Spencer - University of Missouri
Javorrius Selmon - Mississippi State
James Reddick II - Peach County High School
De’Jahn Warren - Lackawanna College
Abdul-Malik - McClain - University of South California
Tony Gray - University of Central Florida
Shilo Sanders - University of South Carolina
Shedeur Sanders - Trinity Christian School
Daelyn Dunn - Southwestern Junior College
Maljon Joor - Florida Atlantic University
Aubrey Miller - University of Missouri
Tredarius Carr - East Mississippi Community College
Nyles Gaddy - University of Tennessee
Braezhon Ross - Desert Pines High School
Herman Smith III - Lincoln High School
Javonte Gardner - Jones High School
Joshua Okechukwu - Nassau Community College
Aalah Brown - Valdosta High School
Baron Hopson - Lee County High School
Cj Nunnally - South Paulding High School
Trevonte Rucker - Vanguard High School
Jency Riley - St. Helena College and Career Academy
Charles Armstrong - Manatee High School
Jeremiah Williams - Holmes Central High School
Cam’Ron Silmon - Trinity Christian School
Corey Reed Jr. - University of Louisville
Coynis Miller Jr. - Auburn University
Shane Hooks - Ohio University
Keith Corbin II - University of Houston
National Signing Day Records
Best Class for an HBCU Ever
Best Class at the FCS Level
Best Class in the SWAC
Highest Ranked Recruit to Sign with an HBCU out of High School
No. 1 Ranked JUCO Prospect in the Nation
Jackson State University’s football season is set to start on February 21, 2021, with a home game against Edward Water College. Many former JSU alumni and fans are excited to see the team in action, and they’re buying into Sanders' vision for the University. He not only has a desire to transform the football team, but he also wants to transform the players into great men and improve their academic performance. Whether you are against Sanders’ moves at Jackson State or not, JSU’s football team will be exciting to watch this season.
Whether Deion Sanders and JSU’s football team are successful this season, the hype around the union alone will be enough for other former NFL players to follow in Sander’s footsteps. Other former NFL players tried coaching HBCU football teams in the past, but Sanders’ hiring can motivate a new wave of former NFL players to give HBCU coaching a try. A lot of HBCU football programs are struggling right now and hopefully, Sanders has begun a shift in their restorations.
