Season Preview

RETURNERS AT KEY POSITIONS HELP TIGERS OFFSET LARGE BATCH OF ROOKIES

A mixture of youth and experience will blend together at Northeast Mississippi Community College during the 63rd all-time football campaign in school history.

A total of 39 newcomers between transfers and true freshmen are set to make their debuts in a black-and-gold uniform during the fall of 2022. However, the Tigers also boast a talented core of sophomores at vital positions across the field.

That includes nine players that are utilizing an extra season of eligibility due to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. They are Gary Banks, II, Deonta Barnes, Javian Gipson-Holmes, Willie Latham, III, Triston Newson, Tam Patterson, Brantley Prescott, Carter Putt and Kris Sides.

They are the last group that will benefit from legislation in regards to pandemic relief. The entire 2020-21 academic year did not count towards participation for any student-athlete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Putt headlines Northeast’s third-year standouts after starting six games at quarterback one season ago. He is trying to become the first Tiger to throw for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive campaigns since at least 2004.

The Columbus native has completed 54 percent of his pass attempts at Northeast and has only committed one turnover over his last four appearances. Putt has earned the trust of Greg Davis, who is beginning his eighth year as the Tigers’ headman.

“Carter does a really great job of managing the offense,” he said. “He can full-field read so it makes a huge difference when you’re talking about being able to adjust off coverages and blitzes. His awareness is off the charts.”

Cameron Dill (West Point), who participated in the 2021 Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class 4A-6A All-Star Game, and John Daniel Deaton (Booneville) are Putt’s primary backups.

Running back may be one of Northeast’s deepest spots on the depth chart with three returners, including Goldman Butler, VI (Biggersville), Banks, II (Olive Branch) and Patterson (Corinth).

Butler is a returning all-conference performer that checked in at tight end from time-to-time. He accounted for four touchdowns between rushing and receiving during his inaugural season with the Tigers.

Banks, II and Patterson have combined for 885 yards on the ground during their careers at Northeast. Add Jayden Robinson (Nashville, Tenn.), who was a Tennessee Football Coaches Association (TnFCA) Class 4A All-State selection as a senior, into the fray and the Tigers have four top-notch runners.

“It’s probably the best we’ve ever been at running back,” said Davis. “We’ve got two bruiser backs with Gary and Goldman and two guys that are more slasher backs, so to speak, with Tam and Jayden. It’s been exciting to see those four work.”

Northeast brings back just two wideouts that caught at least one pass last year in Kylan Garrett (Independence) and Jay Wortham (Oxford). Garrett topped the Tigers as a freshman with 410 receiving yards and finished tied for second with 22 catches.

Among the batch of fresh faces that have joined

Northeast’s receiving corps are KT Hicks (Petal), Tykwon Wade (Madison), Tyrell Randall (Ocala, Fla.) and Mitchell Woodard (Columbus).

“We feel like the ability of our receivers is going to be as good as it’s been in a long time,” Davis said. “I don’t think that there’s any one guy that’s just a ball hog. They give a lot of great effort out there.”

The Tigers have three starters back that are charged with protecting the skill positions as offensive linemen. Jaquan Toney (Huntsville, Ala.) was an all-conference tackle last autumn while Billy Johnson (Booneville) stands tall at one of the two guards.

Prescott (Columbus) is moving from a guard slot to center. Jacob Brannon (Winona), Bryce Harley (Horn Lake), D.J. King (Byhalia), Ben Mauney (Booneville) and RJ Whitehead (Horn Lake) are all sophomores as well that will rotate along the line for Northeast.

“We worked extremely hard in the offseason from January all the way to now trying to get them better from the technical aspect to the mental aspect,” said Davis. “I’m really proud of their dedication and hard work. I think they gelled as a unit.”

Latham, III (Madison) is the Tigers’ only returning starter on the defensive side of the equation at linebacker. He racked up the third most tackles for Northeast during the 2021 campaign with 51.

Do not expect a drop in production from the Tigers, though. Several key transfers such as Kenny Byrd from Coastal Carolina (S.C.) University, Juwon Gaston of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College and Taleeq Robbins from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) will help Northeast fill the open gaps.

Byrd (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) joins Latham, III and the rest of Northeast’s linebackers. Gaston (Montgomery, Ala.), who originally signed with Auburn (Ala.) University, and Robbins (Philadelphia, Pa.) are both consensus three-star recruits.

Newson (Independence) is attracting attention from multiple NCAA Division I institutions ahead of his final campaign in the City of Hospitality. He accumulated 37 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery one year ago.

“The two leaders in the middle are Triston and Kenny. Both of those guys right now are anchoring our defense,” Davis said. “Overall, I think that our linebacking corps is really solid. They’re right where they need to be. The one thing that we do have is some guys that can run.”

The Tigers have showcased several phenoms on the defensive front over the last several years. Three former Northeast linemen are currently playing in the National Football League (NFL), including Mario Addison with the Houston Texans, Anthony Rush with the Atlanta Falcons and Sam Williams of the Dallas Cowboys.

Robbins highlights a defensive line for the Tigers this season that is almost entirely full of rookies. The lone exceptions to that are John Jackson (Columbus) and D.Q. Watkins (Oxford), who served in reserve roles during the previous campaign.

“We’re not overly big, but we’re active,” said Davis. “I think we’re going to cause some havoc and issues because we’re fast and explosive. In this league, when you can plug gaps and create seams, you can make plays.”

Steven Edwards (Sardis), Barnes (Lexington) and Gipson-Holmes (Oxford) give Northeast some maturity in the backfield. Edwards and Gipson-Holmes had a hand in three of the 24 takeaways forced by the Tigers’ defense last season.

Valdosta State (Ga.) University transfer Dorrian Smith (Fort Valley, Ga.) should make an instant impact at corner. The safety rotation also includes Jacoby McQuiller (West Point), Quae Shorty (Independence) and Gaston.

“All of those guys are free range and they can hit,” Davis said. “The corners are a solid group of guys. They’re smart football players. We’re probably as versatile as you can get in the safety spot.”

Guy Gillespie (Booneville) and Deaton will handle all the kicking duties for Northeast. Deaton averaged 37 yards per punt with a season-best 45-yard boot for the Tigers during his freshman campaign.

Kortlen Wilfawn (Oxford), who will also see time at tight end, is Northeast’s long snapper for the second straight year. A number of Tigers could be in the mix as a kick or punt returner, including Gaston, Hicks and Wade.

Northeast’s staff features defensive coordinator Jonathan Webster, offensive coordinator A.J. Erdely, defensive line coach Parrish Huddleston, linebackers coach Cedric Shell, running backs coach Turner Rotenberry and wide receivers coach Cole Rotenberry.

The Tigers travel to Hinds Community College for the season opener on Thursday, September 1. Northeast welcomes Pearl River Community College for its initial home contest one week later.