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AREA ALUMS
from Gridiron 2021
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WANYA MORRIS Alcorn State University
Morris and the Braves didn’t play in the SWAC spring season of 2021, but they’ll be one of the favorites to win the league this year. Morris played for Tommy Clopton at BHS before continuing his career at Southwest Mississippi C.C. for current Ole Brook head coach Tucker Peavey. Morris graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. Alcorn opens the season on Aug. 28 in Atlanta at the MEAC/ SWAC Challenge. ESP College Gameday will be there as the Braves take on North Carolina Central. Alcorn hosts Northwestern State in the home opener Sep. 11 in Lorman and closes the season at Jackson State on Nov. 20.
J.J. JONES University of Charlotte
Coming out of BHS, Jones signed with the University of Southern Miss along with his high school teammate Trace Clopton. They along with Johnson were part of a loaded senior class for then head coach Tommy Clopton. Johnson played in six games for USM and then transferred back to Co-Lin. He initially signed with Louisiana Tech, but then came back to Wesson to play another season for the Wolves. Charlotte opens their season on Sept. 3 when they host Duke. On Nov. 13 the 49ers will visit Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech.
CHARL’TEZ NUNNERY
Lakeland University
Lakeland University was only able to play three games in its Spring 2021 season, but the Muskies finished 3-0 and Nunnery was a huge reason why. In a 62-14 rout of Wisconsin, Lutheran Nunnery threw four touchdowns and finished with 336-passing yards and 102-rushing yards. After playing at LC for then head coach Jaymie Palmer, Nunnery has gotten better every season for the NCAA Division III Muskies. He’s a long way from Monticello, as Lakeland is located in Plymouth, Wisconsin. In the three games played earlier this year Nunnery averaged 110 rushing yards per game and threw for 700 yards and scored a combined 13 touchdowns via the air and ground.
COKER WRIGHT University of Southern Mississippi
The 2020 season didn’t go well for the Southern Miss program as a whole and specifically for Wright. An ankle injury cut his season short as surgery was needed. The renewed energy around the program that’s come with first year head coach Will Hall has everyone in Hattiesburg expecting more for the Eagles in 2021. Wright has showed great versatility in his freshman season of 2019 as he can play any spot along the line. Southern Miss opens the season on Sept. 4 at South Alabama and plays the home opener the following week on Sept. 11 against Grambling State. On Sept. 25 the Golden Eagles will play the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
JEFFERY JOHNSON
Tulane University
Johnson has trimmed down and is looking to again anchor the middle of the Green Wave defensive line. In 2020 he started every game for Tulane and finished with 33 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Several publications have tabbed Johnson as a preseason AllAAC selection. Tulane has made bowl appearances in all three seasons that Johnson has been part of the team. Johnson and the Green Wave open the season with a marquee matchup as the host the University of Oklahoma on Sept. 4 in New Orleans. On Sept., Tulane will travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss.
GRANT JACKSON Mississippi State University
The big former West Lincoln Bear made his MSU debut last season as a true freshman, playing in three games for the Bulldogs. Jackson picked the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Missouri, Southern Miss, Tulane, UL-Monroe, UL-Lafayette, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, South Alabama and others. He committed in June before his senior season to former MSU coach Joe Moorhead and stuck with the Bulldogs after Moorhead was released and Mike Leach was hired. The first Division I signee in WL history, Jackson and MSU host Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4 in the season opener and LSU on Sept. 25 in their SEC opener.
ERIC BIRCH Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Loyd Star, Freshman Running Back 5-foot-9, 208-pounds
Birch will look to make the same type of impact in Goodwell, Oklahoma as he did in Hornetville during his high school career. A determined runner who can block and catch as well, Birch now finds himself in the panhandle of Oklahoma which puts him a short drive from New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Kansas. He is, however, about a 14-hour drive away from Caseyville. Birch and the Aggies open the season on Aug. 28 hosting Ottowa University (Kan.).
DEDRIC SMITH Mississippi College
Lewis played at Pearl River C.C. before signing with West Alabama. The Tigers play in the ultra-competitive Gulf South Conference with the likes of Delta State, Valdosta State and the 2019 national champion West Florida Argonauts.
CORBIN LEWIS University of West Alabama
Smith signed after playing for the Southwest Mississippi C.C. Bears as a freshman and sophomore. The Choctaws are scheduled to host Albany State in their opener on Sept. 2 in Clinton. MC played one game in the spring, losing to Tarleton State on the road. Smith started that game at right tackle for MC.
KADARIUS WELLS
Alcorn State University
Wells begins what one should expect to be a long and fruitful career at Alcorn State after a year delay due to the pandemic. A defensive end and tight end at Brookhaven High, Wells was also a standout basketball player for Ole Brook.
JEREMIAH SUMRALL Miles College
Miles College is a private, HBCU located in Fairfield, Alabama that plays on the Division II level. Sumrall and the Bears open the season on Sept. 4 at Alabama State. Miles finished 9-3 in 2019 as the school did not play last season due to the pandemic. Sumrall is a transfer from Southwest Mississippi C.C.
AREA ALUMS IN THE MACCC
•Davis Hart (Bogue Chitto), MS Gulf Coast CC •John Hilbert (Brookhaven High), East Central CC •Avousier Kelly (Lawrence County), Southwest Mississippi CC •Antrelle Sims (Wesson), MS Gulf Coast CC •Chris Freeman (West Lincoln), Co-Lin CC
CLOPTON GOES FROM PUPIL TO TEACHER AT SOUTHERN MISS
Trace Clopton will still be on the sidelines of M.M. Roberts Stadium this fall in Hattiesburg. His role will be different though as Clopton is making the transition to coaching after suiting up for the Eagles during the previous three seasons.
High school was mostly injury free as Clopton played offensive line for his dad Tommy at Brookhaven High.
Once he stepped foot on campus, he was the starting center for the Eagles — a feat not easily achieved. On the opening day of the 2018 football season, Clopton was one of just two true freshmen centers in all of FBS football that were starting that day.
He ended the season as a FWAA Freshmen All-American. Clopton started every game his sophomore year, but the 2020 season and all that COVID-19 brought along with it was a battle.
The Southern Miss football team went through three coaches during the year as Trace’s parents both had a serious bout with the virus.
Injuries were something Clopton also had to deal with during his playing career. Two shoulder surgeries, an ankle surgery, a concussion via a headbutt from a UAB player on the sideline and an emergency appendectomy.
His 2020 season ended with his arm in a sling after shoulder surgery. Clopton knew it was time to call it a career
The plan was to originally pursue a career in the military, however an audible had to be called after he was medically declined.
Clopton has been bought in since USM hired new coach Will Hall in early December. The culture that Hall is building is one based on hard work and positive energy.
Clopton now finds himself working as an assistant for offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau. He’s now helping to coach up his brothers in black and gold that he just recently lined up beside.
Like his grandfather and father, Clopton has been called to be a coach.
Expect him to attack the career with the same passion that made him a nightmare for Conference-USA nose tackles during his playing career. GRIDIRON 2021 15
