Texas high school football typically has the most players move on to play Division I football in college. Not all of the best players see that level right out of high school, though.
The junior college (JUCO) route is nothing new, and sometimes the best gems come from the JUCO ranks. Like the time an Auburn assistant went to Blinn College to recruit one player but discovered Cam newton in the process.
Players go to junior college for a variety o reasons. Some players might have lass-than-gaudy stats in high school or they didn’t impress the right coach on the right day at a football camp. Some kids don’t develop physically until they get into college — making a scout whiff. And then some go to JUCO because grades may have prevented them from making it to a Division I NCAA school.
Texas has a strong JUCO system with Tyler Junior College, Blinn College, Kilgore, Navarro and Trinity Valley Community College.
Here are seven JUCO players to watch in 2017:
CB Dominique Harrison
Blinn College
Humble Atascocita
Harrison (6-0, 185) is the No. 28 overall JUCO player in the country and No. 2 cornerback in the nation. He’s the top-rated JUCO player in Texas. He has committed to Arizona State University.
S Greg Elsworth
Trinity Valley CC
South Grand Prairie
Eisworth (6-0, 195) is the No. 34 overall JUCO player in the nation. He holds offers from Colorado, Houston, Iowa State and Colorado State.
TE Bryce Wempa
Tyler Junior College
John Tyler
Wempa (6-5, 248) is the No. 2 JUCO tight end in the country who holds offers from Southern Miss and University of Central Florida.
CB Ben Sutton
Blinn College
Clear Creek
Sutton (5-10, 170) has committed to play at Tulsa.
DT Tyrell Thompson
Trinity Valley CC
Copperas Cove
Thompson (6-3, 300) is the No. 14 defensive tackle in the nation and has committed to UT-San Antonio.
S Brandon Johnson
Tyler Junior College
Dallas Skyline
Johnson (6-0, 185) has committed to play at Texas State University.
Shelton Eppler
Trinity Valley CC
Navasota
Eppler (6-3, 215) moved up the depth chart quickly last year and takes over as starter this fall. In Texas high school history for a career, he’s seventh in yards (12,248) and fourth in touchdowns (159).
Brought to you by:
