Plenty of attention is paid each year to high school recruits and their school decisions. Sometimes those recruits, for whatever reason, eventually end up leaving those universities for the friendly confines of junior colleges, refining their skills (or sometimes behavior,) before giving it another go at a Division I school, where they are able to become major impact players almost immediately.
These four players are poised to do just that.
RB – Jovon Robinson – Auburn
Robinson was originally committed to Auburn out of high school, enrolling early and participating in spring and fall camp, but was ruled ineligible after a guidance counselor at Wooddale High School changed one his grades to help him qualify back in 2012. Robinson went on to enroll at Georgia Military College, where he was named the NJCAA player of the year in 2013 after rushing for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns. Injuries hindered Robinson’s production in 2014, but he still managed to rush for 811 yards and nine touchdowns before departing as the nation’s No. 1 JUCO recruit.
With the departure of 2014’s leading SEC rusher Cameron Artis-Payne, Robinson is expected to takeover the starting job, sharing carries with Roc Thomas and Peyton Barber, racking up yards behind the Tigers’ line with his punishing running style.
DE – Devonte Fields – Louisville
Fields is another standout player getting a second chance at a Division I school, and possesses the best resume on this list. The Texas native had a more than impressive freshman season at TCU in 2012, earning AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the year honors after recording 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for a loss.
Fields appeared in just three games in 2013 due to suspensions and injury, and was dismissed from TCU last August, enrolling at Trinity Valley Community College after technicalities prevented him from transferring to Stephen F. Austin. Fields appeared in 12 games last season at TVCC, recording 6.5 sacks despite joining the team just before the season started. Louisville will look to Fields to head their pass rush after losing Lorenzo Mauldin B.J. Dubose, and he should pick up where he left off at TCU. Don’t be surprised to see Fields with All-ACC honors by the time the season is over.
RB – Chris Carson – Oklahoma State
Carson, a Georgia native who averaged 5.6 yards per carry with Butler Community College in 2014, flipped his commitment to OSU late after originally committing to the Georgia Bulldogs, and is entering a favorable situation with the Cowboys.
2014 was a transition year for Oklahoma State’s offense, and their usual potent rushing attack was limited behind shaky quarterback play and a depleted offensive line. 2014 leading rusher Desmond Roland (770 yards) has exhausted his eligibility, and Tyreek Hill (534 yards), himself a top JUCO transfer last season, was dismissed from the team shortly after the season ended. Junior tailback Rennie Childs (294 yards) is the team’s top returning rusher, but has failed to show any reason to be a primary back in his first two seasons. Carson, with his 6-foot-2 frame, provides a different dynamic than the 5-foot-10 Childs, and should thrive behind the Cowboys’ re-tooled offensive line and emergence of sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph, who sparked life for OSU in late 2014 after burning his redshirt to take over as quarterback with two regular season games remaining.
QB – Chad Kelly – Ole Miss
With the departure of Bo Wallace, Rebels coach Hugh Freeze finds himself in great need of a quarterback after a surprising 2014 campaign that ended with disappointment. Enter dual-threat quarterback Chad Kelly. Kelly, the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, began his Division I career at Clemson in 2012, where he redshirted during his freshman season, and appeared in five games in 2013. Kelly was dismissed in the spring of 2014, and later enrolled at East Mississippi Community College, where he threw for 3,906 yards and 47 touchdowns, leading his team to the NJCAA championship. Kelly was involved in an incident at a bar in Buffalo, NY shortly after, but it has not affected his status with the team.
Freeze told the media that redshirt sophomore Ryan Buchanan has a “minute” lead for the startig job after the recent spring game, but Kelly is expected to eventually win the job over by the time fall rolls around, as he gets more comfortable with the offense.
