JRK wrote:
Below is list of signees this week out of Memphis area...Austin Peay and A-State got 3....some obvious schools missing.......
2/3/21 - Wednesday’s signing day list- Memphis area signees
*Andrew Agapos, LB, ECS (Arkansas State)
*Cameron Blaylock, OL, White Station (University of Memphis)
Dallas Brown, DE/LB, Lausanne (Davidson)
Eddie Buxton, WR, Lausanne (Austin Peay)
Ashton Carson, RB, Kingsbury (Missouri Valley College)
Reed Chipman, OL, Covington (Bethel)
Cole Cocroft, DL, Germantown (Henderson State)
Ethan Dabbs, LB, Lausanne (Central Missouri)
Calvin Dockery, WR, Center Hill (Itawamba CC)
Christian Dowell, DL, CBHS (Tennessee-Martin)
*Alston Elam, DB, Collierville (Arkansas State)
*Reid Flanagan, WR, Hernando (University of Memphis)
DaVinci Floyd, OL, Collierville (Coffeyville CC)
Khamron Ford, LB, Olive Branch (Northwest Mississippi CC)
Robert Giaimo, RB, Bartlett (Lindenwood)
Carson Goold, WR, Houston (Samford)
Jamal Graham, OL Whitehaven (Tuskegee)
*Jack Greer, TE, Houston (Ole Miss)
Kendall Guess, RB, Harding (Bethel)
Daniel Gwin, LB, White Station (Millikin)
Jacob Hamer, OL, Lausanne (Bethel)
Ethan Hassler, DE/OLB, Collierville (Arkansas State)
Jacob Hatcher, QB, ECS (Pikeville)
Traveon Hawkins, ATH, Munford (Campbellsville)
Jordan Helton, DB, MUS (Tennessee State)
*Hunter Higdon, FB, CBHS (University of Memphis)
Darryen Hobbs, LB, Center Hill (Itawamba CC)
Landon Howard, OL, Olive Branch (Holmes CC)
Jamar Hudson, DE, Kingsbury (Fort Scott CC)
Jalen Hurt, WR, Tipton-Rosemark (Livingston College)
A.J. Johnson, DB, Olive Branch (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Thomas Jones, DB, Bartlett (Bethel)
Roderic Lewis, DB, MUS (Navy)
Malik McDaniel, OL, Bartlett (Davidson)
Orlando Moore, DB, Bartlett (Peru State)
Josh Pack, LB/TE, Lewisburg (Itawamba CC)
Jaylen Powell, ATH, St. Benedict (Northwest Mississippi JC)
*Tre’ Phillips, WR/DB, Olive Branch (Mississippi State)
Darren Robinson, DL, MUS (Central Arkansas)
Hunter Rodgers, DL, Collierville (Lyon College)
Kevin Ruiz, K, Lake Cormorant (Northwest Mississippi CC)
Rico Smith, Bartlett, DB, (Bethel)
Hadem Sow, QB, Mitchell (Fort Scott CC)
Blake Speed, RB, Lewisburg (Miles College)
Scott St. Aubin, OL, Lewisburg (East Mississippi CC)
Jack Stephens, DB, ECS (Ouachita Baptist)
Eric Stevenson, WR, Whitehaven (Westminster College)
Damon Swing, OL, MAHS (North Alabama)
T.J. Tate, DB, Germantown (Pittbsurg State)
*Noah Upchurch, OL, Collierville (University of Memphis)
Shawn Wade, LB, Hernando (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Jay Ware, WR, Hernando (Coahoma CC)
*Braunson White, LB, Whitehaven (University of Memphis)
Alexander Whitmore, DL, Whitehaven (Austin Peay)
Harrison Wilkes, OL, Houston (Austin Peay)
Jelani Willis, DB, Bartlett, (Western Michigan)
Tylyn Young, DB, MUS (Alcorn State)
* — indicates walk-on or preferred walk-on
After residing in Bartlett TN from 01`-18` and being the BHS Football booster club president for a bit I can tell you with total confidence and factual information that 90% of the players in west TN (specifically the Memphis area) barely give a look west of the MS river. Its almost as if the MS river is a damn wall. It was BEYOND frustrating for me. There are obvious exceptions, but the general consensus is there is not much available (wrongly) in AR. Most of this is due to a combination of former ties the area high school coaches have in the state of TN--BUT-- some of it is also ignorance. TN Tech, UT Martin, UT, Ole Miss, MS State, Vanderbilt, Cumberland and Carson Newman is where most of these players are steered to (depending on talent level). Luckily once they actually do get a chance to see what the D2 schools and the few D1`s in AR have to offer they will jump, but that is only if they take that chance to do the camps etc. that are offered. (I have heard a lot of good comments about Harding from the west TN parents once they camp there). I brought our HC at the time, its been a few years, to see the Cabot HS facilities, the Conway facilities and also the Bentonville facilities and he just about sh** his pants. He thought the AR schools were behind the TN schools in facilities but was proven totally wrong. The Memphis area suburbs High schools have also been way behind on facilities investment, etc. and since the local suburbs have finally gone to their own systems things are finally improving some for them. Bartlett is a prime example. I was proven right. The parents of a lot of these kids still think AR is full of hillbilly hicks. Unfortunately if west Memphis is as far as you ever get into the state that perception doesn`t have a big chance of changing.
(Shelby County TN-Memphis is considered a contiguous county to AR so out of state tuition is waved) or at least it was back then for most AR colleges/universities, but like I mentioned a lot of TN HS coaches don`t even consider AR to be a state. LOL
Just FYI CBHS (Memphis) found out this year at least one AR High School can play ball.
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