MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones announced the signing of four junior college transfers, two of whom were named first-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-Americans this fall.
Tight end Braedon Bowman, defensive end/outside linebacker Jimmie Gipson III, safety Nigel Green and linebacker Demarius Rancifer signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. All four will enroll before the start of the spring semester and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Three of the four played for programs that finished in the final NJCAA top 10, including national champion East Mississippi Community College.
Jones on Team Needs
Jones said the signees address specific needs on the roster.
“As we neared the end of the season, we realized we needed some individuals to replace our outside linebacker/defensive line players,” Jones said. “We always need to recruit really good guys in the secondary, they are very hard to find, and we needed another tight end because Wes [Saxton] is going to be a senior and we wanted someone to come in and help with two tight-end sets who will also be back the following year.”
Braedon Bowman, Tight End
Bowman, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound tight end from Mesa, Ariz., was a first-team NJCAA All-American and earned first-team honors in the Western States Football League and the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
He led Scottsdale Community College with 66 receptions for 1,030 yards, 13 touchdowns and 78 points. After losing its season opener, Scottsdale finished 10-1, won the WSFL title and the Valley of the Sun Bowl, and was ranked fourth in the final NJCAA poll. Bowman had a season-high nine catches for 142 yards in the WSFL championship game against Mesa Community College and posted three other 100-yard receiving games.
Jimmie Gipson III, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Gipson, a 6-foot, 255-pound native of Coldwater, Miss., was a first-team All-American after leading the NJCAA with 17 sacks for East Mississippi. The Lions finished 12-0 and won the national title by beating previously top-ranked Georgia Military College 52-32 in the Mississippi Bowl.
Gipson was a first-team all-region pick with 65 tackles, 24 for loss. He was named East Mississippi’s defensive MVP of the national championship game after recording eight tackles, including four sacks, and was also named Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division Defensive Line MVP. As a high school senior, he helped his team to a 15-0 record and a Class 6A state championship.
Nigel Green, Safety, and Demarius Rancifer, Linebacker
Green, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound safety, made 83 tackles in two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, including 41 as a sophomore. Gulf Coast went 17-4 during his two years, finishing 8-2 and ninth in the final NJCAA poll this season after going 9-2 and finishing sixth in 2012.
Rancifer, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound inside linebacker from Pensacola, Fla., led his team with 66 tackles, including eight for loss, and earned All-State South Division honors. He previously spent two years at Kentucky, redshirting one season and playing in 11 games in 2012.
Coming Off Strong Season
South Alabama tied for third in the Sun Belt Conference standings this season. Ten Jaguars earned all-conference recognition, and Jones was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year.
