MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell and his staff signed 19 players to national letters of intent Wednesday, the first day of college football’s early signing period.
The class includes eight junior college transfers, each with two years of eligibility remaining, and 11 high school seniors. Thirteen signees are rated three-star prospects, and three of the junior college players have won national championships at that level.
Filling Immediate Needs
Campbell said the staff targeted players who can contribute right away at positions of need, including the defensive line, where the Jaguars lost players to graduation. The class also adds experience in the secondary.
South Alabama expects to return three quarterbacks and signed two more: a junior college passer with championship experience at both the high school and junior college levels, and a high school quarterback to develop.
All eight junior college signees will join the team in January. Long Beach (Miss.) offensive lineman Andrew McMillan will also enroll for the spring semester as an early graduate. The high school signees will have four years of eligibility.
Junior College Signees
- Dewayne Betts Jr., S, 6-2, 200, Coahoma (Miss.) CC, Memphis, Tenn. — Rated a two-star junior college prospect by 247Sports and Rivals; 247Sports ranked him the No. 2 junior college athlete in the country. Held offers from Massachusetts and Liberty.
- Hayden Burton, OL, 6-5, 325, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Bogue Chitto, Miss. — Three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports and a member of the 2019 NJCAA national championship team. Held offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana-Monroe and Marshall and was recruited by Tulane, Ohio and Liberty.
- Zeke Chapman, DL, 6-0, 305, Pearl River CC, Lake, Miss. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked among the top 20 junior college defensive tackles. Had 35 tackles, six for loss, and a fumble recovery as a sophomore. Also recruited by Troy and Southern Miss.
- Chance Lovertich, QB, 5-11, 195, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Brandon, Miss. — Completed 236 of 366 passes for 2,794 yards and 24 touchdowns. Also recruited by Ole Miss and UAB.
- Darrell Luter Jr., CB, 6-0, 180, Pearl River CC, Hattiesburg, Miss. — Two-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked among the top 30 junior college cornerbacks nationally. Held an offer from Houston and was recruited by Southern Miss and Coastal Carolina.
- Jamie Sheriff, DL, 6-1, 260, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Terry, Miss. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports. Held offers from North Texas and Toledo.
- CJ Thompson, S, 6-1, 195, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Tulsa, Okla. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports, the top junior college recruit in Oklahoma and the No. 13-rated junior college safety nationally.
- Quentin Wilfawn, LB, 6-1, 245, Northwest Mississippi CC, Oxford, Miss. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked the No. 8 inside linebacker. Recruited out of high school by Memphis, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Charlotte; held junior college offers from Georgia Southern, Louisiana-Monroe and Liberty.
High School Signees
- Yamarus Banks, CB, 5-11, 200, Ridgeland HS, Ridgeland, Miss. — Two-star athlete by 247Sports. Recorded 52 tackles and four interceptions on defense and caught 37 passes for 788 yards and three touchdowns on offense.
- Latarius “Kado” Carr, LB, 5-10, 225, Olive Branch HS, Olive Branch, Miss. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and an Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game selection. Totaled 248 tackles, 37 for loss, over three seasons as Olive Branch went 33-8 with three playoff appearances.
- Nae’Saan Dickerson, WR, 6-2, 180, Hapeville Charter HS, Ellenwood, Ga. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and two-star by Rivals. Won a state championship as a sophomore. Held offers from Illinois, Boston College, Tulane, UNLV, Troy, Toledo, Kent State and Bowling Green.
- Elijah Gainey, QB, 6-3, 215, Flowery Branch HS, Flowery Branch, Ga. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and two-star by Rivals. Started two seasons before missing his senior year with a knee injury; threw for 2,005 yards and 20 touchdowns in eight games. Held an offer from Troy and was recruited by Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
- Jacob Hopper, TE, 6-6, 230, Sardis HS, Boaz, Ala. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and a three-year letterwinner who helped Sardis reach the state playoffs as a senior. Recruited by Arkansas, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic and Charlotte.
- Carlos Johnson, DL, 6-0, 310, Spanish Fort HS, Spanish Fort, Ala. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and two-star by Rivals. Four-year letterwinner who played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game; Spanish Fort went 41-12 with four playoff appearances during his career. Also held an offer from Troy.
- Caullin Lacy, WR, 5-10, 175, Faith Academy, Mobile, Ala. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and two-star by Rivals. Helped Faith Academy to back-to-back playoff appearances and a 17-6 record over two seasons.
- Andrew McMillan, OL, 6-4, Long Beach HS, Long Beach, Miss. — Three-star prospect by 247Sports and the No. 5 offensive tackle in Mississippi.
- Christian Sapp, OL, 6-2, 310, Hancock HS, Kiln, Miss. — Two-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked among the top 10 guards in Mississippi.
- Zyon Walker, DL, 6-0, 305, Whitehaven HS, Memphis, Tenn. — Two-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals. Had 27 tackles, 14 for loss, and two fumble recoveries in eight games as a senior. Also recruited by Southern Miss.
- Christian Wortham, WR, 6-1, 185, Grenada HS, Grenada, Miss. — Three-star athlete by 247Sports and two-star by Rivals. Recruited by Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Wake Forest. His father played at Alabama from 2000 to 2004 and for the Seattle Seahawks in 2005.
Regional Focus
Mississippi provided the largest share of the class, with 11 signees from hometowns in the state. The Jaguars also signed two players from Alabama’s Mobile Bay area, Lacy of Faith Academy and Johnson of Spanish Fort, along with signees from Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
South Alabama competes in the Sun Belt Conference and plays its home games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.
