SWAC Football

Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders has an issue with the way college football is trending in the new name, image and likeness era.

"When you start paying athletes like they're professionals, you get athletes acting like they're professionals," Sanders said in a video he directed at the NCAA and posted on Twitter. "And you don't have staffs large enough and equipped enough to handle a young man with money. Let me go deeper. Handle a young man that's making more money than some of the coaches on staff."

He also said smaller programs cannot compete with larger ones when it comes to paying athletes and suggested schools should be allowed to hire more coaches.

"I suggest to you to allow college teams to hire more qualified men," he said. "Qualified. That can handle these young men that's getting this money."

Sanders is not the first coach to raise concerns after the NCAA instituted an interim policy that went into effect on July 1 and allowed athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports shared concerns from a number of coaches and athletic directors, many of whom were in favor of student-athletes having the opportunity to get paid but saw potential issues with boosters, tampering and the amount of money that can be involved.

"Different creates uncertainty, and uncertainty creates doubt," Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self said. "I don't see a lot of positives right now with the [transfer] portal and NIL stuff."

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said he is "all for players making money off their name, image and likeness" but highlighted "a lot of unrest because we all feel like there's no rules—or the rules that are there are not being enforced."

The NCAA attempted to add more clarity Monday when the Division I Board of Directors released guidelines intended to prevent boosters and booster-led collectives from being involved in recruiting.

While the new guidelines can be retroactive and open up schools to punishments for their actions during the period the interim policy was in place, they are intended to provide more stability in the future.

"The NCAA is reminding people to enforce rules regarding NIL and recruiting, but anything before today likely won't be pursued unless it's really blatant," Chris Vannini of The Athletic wrote.

Despite the guidelines in place, Sanders—who is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion who made $33.6 million in earnings during his NFL career—is worried about student-athletes acting like professionals with the opportunity to make money during their collegiate careers.         

Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders is unhappy with those NFL scouts who didn't attend a pro day in Mississippi for HBCU football players. 

Speaking to NFL Network after Monday's event (h/t Khari Thompson of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger), Sanders called out the 10 teams that didn't have scouts present.

"You 10 that's missing, if I catch you at Mississippi State or Ole Miss it's going to be a problem, that's all I'm going to say. That's all I'm saying, it's going to be a problem. Our kids are that good, you should have shown up too," he said. 

Sanders announced last month that Jackson State was going to be hosting a pro day for players from several HBCU programs, including the Tigers, Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State. 

"I've heard from the NFL," Sanders said. "Not only are they sending a plethora of scouts, but they're sending the NFL cameras as well, because our kids deserve the same thing as the Power Fives."

Thompson noted Jackson State linebacker James Houston IV, who finished second in FCS with 16.5 sacks last season, gained valuable exposure from Monday's pro day after not being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month. 

There has been a significant push to get draft-eligible players from HBCU schools more access to NFL scouts leading up to the 2022.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame adopted the HBCU Legacy Bowl that was played Feb. 19 in Mobile, Alabama. The Legacy Bowl is an all-star game in the same vein as the Senior Bowl except it only features athletes from HBCUs.

These efforts came after no HBCU players were selected in the 2021 NFL draft. For comparison, there were four HBCU players selected in the 2019 draft, including Tytus Howard in the first round (No. 23 overall) by the Houston Texans.     

When Hue Jackson was head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2016, he invited Art Briles to training camp, saying he would "learn from anybody if they can help us," according to the Monroe News-Star's Ethan Sands.

Briles had just been fired as head coach of the Baylor Bears for mishandling reports of sexual assault against members of the football team.

"I've gotten to know Coach Briles," Jackson said two years ago, according to Sands. "I'm always looking for different ways of doing things. What happened at Baylor's at Baylor."

Jackson added:

I respect what you're saying [about character] and understand that trail, but, at the same time, everybody deserves an opportunity to do what they do. I respect everybody's feeling and I don't condone anything ... but that's not for me to judge. Again, the opportunity to pick his brain ... and get to know him outside of all of that in a different capacity is what was important to me.

Jackson's tenure with the Browns ended in 2018, and in December he was hired as head coach of the Grambling State Tigers.

Briles is set to join the program as offensive coordinator, but, according to Koki Riley of the Monroe News-Star, Grambling State hasn't told the University of Louisiana System that it plans to hire Briles. A majority of the 16-person board must approve the hiring.

Briles has not coached since he was fired by Baylor.

Former Baylor coach Art Briles will be the next offensive coordinator at Grambling State, a school spokesperson confirmed to Chris Vannini of The Athletic. 

It will be Briles' first job in collegiate athletics since he was fired by Baylor in 2016 after an independent investigation found he failed to report accusations of sexual violence and intimate partner violence by football players. Investigators from the Pepper Hamilton law firm said there was a "fundamental failure" by the university in its handling of the allegations.

In August 2021, the NCAA announced light penalties for recruiting violations but said it "could not conclude that Baylor violated NCAA rules when it failed to report allegations of and address sexual and interpersonal violence committed on its campus."

Briles' attorney, Scott Tompsett, said in a statement at the time the NCAA's decision "completely exonerated" the coach and "clears the way" for him to return to the sidelines.

It still came after the school "admitted to moral and ethical failings" with its handling of cases during the NCAA investigation. 

Since ending his tenure at Baylor, Briles spent two years as a head coach at Mount Vernon High School in Texas before stepping down in December 2020.

The 66-year-old was a candidate to become an offensive coordinator at Southern Miss in 2019 and had the backing of head coach Jay Hopson, but school officials took him out of the running. In 2017, Briles was briefly hired by the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats until widespread backlash led to the team reversing its decision.

Briles will now join the staff at Grambling State, a team that finished 4-7 in 2021, including a 3-5 record in the SWAC. Former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson was hired as head coach in December.    

Deion Sanders was at risk of losing his leg because of complications from a foot injury that required surgery. 

In the trailer for his Coach Prime documentary series (starts at :07 mark), a person who appears to be a doctor is seen talking to Sanders and telling him that he could lose his leg:

In an Instagram video he posted on Sept. 22, Sanders is shown speaking with his doctor before surgery about the issues going on with his foot related to an injury from his playing days. 

Dr. Jim Hurt said in the video that Sanders has an "old claw toe, and your second toe is dislocated" in one of his feet. He had surgery that day to alleviate the pain. 

Sanders was hospitalized following complications from the procedure. The Pro Football Hall of Famer announced on Nov. 10 that he had been released from the hospital. 

He was back on the sideline for Jackson State, where he has been the head football coach since September 2020, for the rivalry game against Alcorn State on Nov. 20. 

Sanders missed four Tigers games because of his recovery and complications. Jackson State finished the season 11-2, including a victory over Prairie View A&M in the SWAC Championship Game on Dec. 4. 

That victory marked the Tigers' first conference title since 2007. They lost to South Carolina State 31-10 in the Celebration Bowl. 

The six-episode season of Coach Prime will drop on Feb. 22. 

Grambling State is planning to announce a new name, image and likeness deal that will compensate each of the school's scholarship athletes, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Thamel described the agreement as "believed to be the first of its kind." He added that the amount of money that will be paid out to the athletes is unknown.

Proponents of NIL reform have argued that allowing students to receive monetary compensation could be a great equalizer in college sports. One sports economist told Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel that "it’s impossible for the competitive balance to get worse" than the gulf between the haves and have-nots that grew under the longtime model for college athletics.

Now, schools outside a major conference—or an entire division below, in the case of some Grambling programs—can flex their financial muscle to help bridge the gap.

Grambling State's NIL deal also comes as it's gaining traction for elite high school athletes to commit to historically Black colleges and universities. The Atlantic's Jemele Hill made the case in October 2019 that HBCUs would gain benefits beyond the playing field if they once again became landing spots for top talent.

Deion Sanders is making waves at Jackson State. He signed five 4-star recruits in his 2021 class and will add Travis Hunter, the No. 1 player in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022, this coming season.

Under the tenure of legendary head coach Eddie Robinson, Grambling State was one of the most decorated HBCUs on the gridiron, but the Tigers' decline dovetailed with that of HBCU football as a whole.

Between hiring former NFL head coach Hue Jackson and its historic NIL deal, Grambling State clearly envisions taking a step up in the coming years.

The Jackson State Tigers added a weapon to their future passing attack Saturday when wide receiver Kevin Coleman joined their 2022 recruiting class.

Coleman made his surprising announcement during the 2022 Army All-American Bowl. He cited Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders as the main reason behind his commitment to the Tigers. The Miami Hurricanes had been considered the heavy favorite to land Coleman entering Saturday.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Coleman, who checks in at 5'11" and 170 pounds, is a 4-star prospect and the No. 44 overall player, No. 4 wide receiver and No. 1 player from the state of Missouri in the class of 2022.

He drew interest from some of the biggest powerhouses in all of college football throughout the recruiting process, underscoring just how much of a difference-maker he can be if he lives up to expectations.

The 247Sports list of interested schools included Miami, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State and Texas at one point before he ultimately chose Jackson State.

Allen Trieu of 247Sports projected Coleman as a future first-round NFL draft pick and pointed to Emmanuel Sanders as a player comparison.

He also provided a scouting report for the wide receiver, pointing to Coleman's "sudden" speed and ability to create "a lot of separation with his explosiveness out of his breaks." Coleman is also known for his hands and is someone who can make defenders miss in the open field and turn short passes into long gains.

In 2019 alone, he tallied 76 catches for 1,512 yards and 21 touchdowns, per 247Sports, and brings the potential to develop into a No. 1 receiver during the course of his collegiate career.

If he does that, he will be one of the biggest wins of the entire 2022 recruiting class for Jackson State.

Travis Hunter's commitment to Jackson State took the college football world by surprise. Shedeur Sanders, on the other hand, was convinced well before that that Hunter would join the Tigers.

Sanders, the son of JSU head coach Deion Sanders, told Khari Thompson of the Clarion Ledger a TikTok that Hunter posted in November led him to believe his commitment was in the bag.

"I made my own stuff. I don't do dances," Sanders said of the video. "I'm not a dancer like that. So I was like, 'Hey, man.' He wanted to make a TikTok. So I was like, 'Alright, if I make this TikTok, you're going to commit, right?' And then we made it. So right then and there I knew he was coming to Jackson State."

Some have argued that star high school athletes should join historically Black colleges and universities to help address the inequities that have emerged between HBCUs and other schools.

Perhaps Hunter will be a trend-setter in that regard. The Georgia native was the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022.

His commitment was also a testament to what Deion Sanders is building at Jackson State.

Despite rumors about top recruit Travis Hunter getting a $1.5 million name, image and likeness contract to go to Jackson State, head coach Deion Sanders denied the reports Thursday on ESPN's KJM (3:21):

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard," Sanders said. "You know what that is, that means we kicked your butt, we took what was ours and now you gotta make up an excuse why. Ain't nobody got no million and a half. I wouldn't pay my son a million and a half."

The quote comes after Hunter announced Wednesday he would attend Jackson State after previously being committed to Florida State.

Hunter is considered the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. The 6'1" athlete plays both cornerback and receiver with the potential to excel at either at the next level.

The Georgia native earned scholarship offers from nearly every top program in the country, including Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and more, but he shocked the world by choosing to play for an HBCU.

The surprising move led to immediate speculation about a payoff, but Sanders denied the rumors.

As Sanders explained, it was a normal recruiting situation, and Hunter especially enjoyed going to Jackson State's homecoming game.

The Tigers have also been thriving under Sanders, who took over as head coach in 2020. The squad went 11-1 this year, winning its first SWAC title since 2007.

Hunter is the first 5-star prospect to sign with an FCS school since ESPN began its rankings in 2006, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren.   

Travis Hunter, the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 college football recruiting class, pulled an early national signing day stunner Wednesday by flipping his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports first reported that FSU was informed of Hunter's decision Wednesday.

To make his decision official, Hunter tossed aside Florida State, Georgia and Auburn hats before donning a Jackson State hat:

Hunter is the top player in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and while he is listed as a cornerback, he plays wide receiver on the offensive side as well.

Former Florida State star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is Jackson State's head coach, and he pulled off one of the biggest coups for an FCS school in recent memory by landing a player of Hunter's caliber.

The electric Hunter is a 6'1", 165-pound athlete from Suwanee, Georgia, who has starred as a two-way player at Collins Hill High School.

Hunter committed to FSU in March 2020, but Jackson State has become a significantly more desirable option than it was nearly two years ago.

Sanders became Jackson State's head coach in September 2020, and after posting a 4-3 record in his debut season, he led the Tigers to an 11-1 mark, a SWAC title and a berth in the Celebration Bowl.

In many ways, Hunter is a similar player to Sanders, as Sanders was not only a shutdown corner but also an elite return man capable of playing snaps at wide receiver as well.

Andrew Ivins, the Southeast recruiting analyst for 247Sports, has compared Hunter to Charles Woodson, who won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan before starring in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers and becoming a Hall of Famer.

Woodson was primarily a cornerback in college, but he also starred as a receiver and punt returner, which could be similar to the role Hunter will have at Jackson State.

Per 247Sports, Hunter had 19 interceptions combined over the past three seasons in high school, and he is coming off a 2021 campaign that saw him finish with 76 receptions for 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns after making 137 grabs for 1,746 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2020.

While FBS will continue to be the standard for most recruits, since it provides the opportunity to play for the top national title and draws more eyes in terms of NFL scouts, that a player like Hunter would choose Jackson State could go a long way toward making FCS schools, especially historically black colleges and universities, more competitive in recruiting.