• Columbus, OH
  • Tuesday, April 23, 2024
   
Our Lives. Our Stories. Our Voices.
Our Lives. Our Stories. Our Voices.
Close
 

 

Coach Prime’s Steal Of The Century “discombobulates” All Of College Football

by Gordon Jackson

December 17, 2021 467 views
 

Will Other HBCU Teams Up Their Game?

 

This season, the Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders era has stunned HBCU football. On Dec. 15, National Signing Day, Coach Prime and Jackson State shocked the world. It appears that more is to come.

Jackson State University confirming the signing of Travis Hunter, the No. 1 overall prospect in the high school football Class of 2022, in result, pulling an all-time upset perhaps in the history of football recruiting, represents another trailblazing chapter in how Sanders’ impact as Jackson State’s head football coach is turning the college football world upside down.

If that isn’t enough, Sanders and the Tigers are still a day away from playing in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta against MEAC champion South Carolina State. A victory will give JSU a National Black College championship and set the stage for several potential intense battles within SWAC in 2022.

Before Jackson State’s grabbing of Hunter, coaching changes within traditional SWAC schools sparked an even higher and fiery competitive spirit, which demonstrates that the other SWAC teams are not just laying down and letting Sanders “take it all.” They’re determined to rise on the occasion in their own right.

Just two days after the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Conference championship game, Southern University raised eyebrows in the SWAC community when they announced the hiring of Eric Dooley as their new head football coach, pulling him away from the same position at Prairie View A&M University. Dooley had led PVU to that SWAC title game, losing to Jackson State 27-10.

“(Dooley) will need to surround himself with good assistant coaches and then he will start recruiting,” said former Southern head coach Pete Richardson who had Dooley as an assistant coach for nine seasons, emphasizing that “Southern University is about winning championships.”

Four days later, Grambling State took the limelight when they announced former NFL head coach Hue Jackson as their new mentor. Jackson will bring his extensive NFL-coaching experience to Tigerland.

Not to be outdone in the recruiting phase, Grambling State also announced the signing of quarterback Kajiya Hollawayne, a UCLA transfer. He’s projected to be the Tigers’ next starting QB.

Jackson State successfully tractor-beamed Hunter away from several NCAA Division I schools, including Florida State, where he had verbally committed in March 2020 and which is also – ironically – Sanders’ alma mater. Georgia and Florida also thought they had their hooks on Hunter.

"This is the biggest signing day moment in the history of college football," said Steve Wiltfong, director of national recruiting for 247Sports,

Hunter, 6 ft. 1 in., 180 pounds, was projected to play cornerback if he had gone to Florida State but going to Jackson State may change some things. In another strong irony, Hunter excelled playing both offense and defense, something Sanders achieved while playing in the NFL.

It may be a case of the fruit falling not far from the tree.

"I feel like I'm the best guy in the class," Hunter said after announcing his decision. "I feel like I can do anything you need me to do. I can impact a team in multiple ways, by playing offense and defense.

"I think I'll be the best to ever do it, the best to play two ways." Hunter just last weekend led his high school, Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill High School, to a state championship.

It’s Sanders and Jackson State that continues to have the lead in breakthroughs, at least for now. Coach Prime was selected the winner of the Eddie Robinson Award, recognized as the top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA). Sanders’ quarterback and son, Shedeur Sanders, was bestowed with the Jerry Rice Award, given to the most outstanding freshman player in the FCS.

What's highly ironic is, even though the awards are named after two HBCU icons in coaching and playing, only one other HBCU coach (Henry Frazier III, Prairie View A&M, 2009) has taken the Eddie Robinson Award. Shedeur Sanders is the very first HBCU player to capture the Jerry Rice Award.

Looking at all the shakeups in coaching and recruiting in 2021, in another irony, if Coach Prime’s unselfish vision about HBCUs and college football comes true, more breakthroughs will come, not only from Jackson State but as many of the other SWAC teams as possible, along with the other HBCU schools and leagues.

Look out for a crazy 2022 in HBCU football.

 
  • Share:  
  •    
  •    
  •    
  •    
Gordon Jackson
NOIRE Contributor

  • Follow Gordon:
  •    
  •    
 

 

 

Please wait..!