A trio of Leflore County football players reaped the recruiting benefits from the Tigers’ deepest playoff run in school history this past season by inking letters of intent on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.
Dekari “Turbo” Johnson is taking his talents to Holmes Community College, where he’ll reunite with former teammate Kerrick Ross in Goodman.
Defensive lineman Javorius Sherrod and fellow senior Dequarionne “DJ” Jones will continue wearing red together at Mississippi Delta Community College. Jones is set to switch from quarterback to tight end in Moorhead.
“I just wanted to be close to home,” said Sherrod, whose goal is to get a Power Five offer. “I didn’t want to leave my mama. The MDCC coaches made me feel like home.”
Both Johnson and Sherrod chose JUCOs over nearby Mississippi Valley State, following a wave of talent turning down Division I opportunities in favor of two-year tune-ups.
“It’s harder nowadays to get a Division I scholarship with the transfer portal going on,” Leflore County head coach Eric House said. “But I think these guys are extremely talented, and they wanted to put themselves in a situation where they can start right off and get better. They just want to be in a situation where they can continue to grow and get better. I think the sky is the limit for them.”
The trickle-down effect from a crowded transfer portal has had wide-reaching consequences. For one, the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) should be overloaded with talent next year.
Perhaps prospects feel more confident taking the JUCO route now after watching success stories such as Stetson Bennett and Gardner Minshew.
“I think that encourages a lot of people that no matter where you come from, no matter what college you go to, you can make it,” Johnson said.
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow @OverendOut on Twitter.
