Several former East Mississippi Lions sign with four-year schools to continue their football careers

SCOOBA – An additional six East Mississippi Community College football players officially signed National Letters of Intent during Wednesday's national signing day activities on the Scooba campus.  Joining EMCC's prior signees who inked during the mid-year signing period for junior college transfers, a total of 16 players from this past year's MACJC North Division championship team are set to continue their football careers at the four-year university level.

Highly touted running back prospect DJ Law (Haines City, FL) signed with the reinstated UAB football program on Wednesday and will join former EMCC teammates James Davis (OL, Jackson Murrah HS) and Joseph Willis (QB, Madison Central HS) in Birmingham.  Law, who totaled 1,158 career rushing yards in addition to his 45 career catches for 482 receiving yards during his two EMCC seasons, led the Lions' balanced rushing attack with 597 yards on the ground, including four 100-yard rushing games, as a sophomore.

Highlighting the defensive side of the ball for the Lions, lineman Gary McCrae (Cuthbert, GA) inked with the Cardinals of the University of Louisville.  Hattiesburg's Aikeem Coleman is headed to the University of Idaho after leading EMCC with 16.5 tackles for loss this past season as a transfer from the University of Central Arkansas.

Fellow defensive linemen Ronald Ollie (Wayne County HS) and Marcel Andry (New Orleans, LA) will remain teammates by jointly signing with Nicholls State University on Wednesday.

On the opposite side of the line for Coach Buddy Stephens' EMCC Lions, two-year starting offensive lineman Ethan Orr, out of Itawamba AHS, was welcomed by the University of North Alabama.

Wednesday's signees will join a group of former East Mississippi players who previously signed with four-year schools following December graduation from the Scooba campus.  That group includes quarterback John Franklin III, who is with the Auburn Tigers after beginning his collegiate career at Florida State University.  

Staying within the state of Mississippi to continue their collegiate careers are the Southern Miss wide receiver tandem of Allenzae Staggers (Wilkinson County HS) and Isaiah Jones (Milton, FL) as well as the Jackson State duo of Dario Robinson (Amory) and DeShawn Tillman (Bruce).  In addition, former EMCC defensive back Jalen Boney (Petal HS) signed in December with Delta State University.

Also for the Lions at the mid-year break, Warren Central High School product De'Arius Christmas, EMCC's leading tackler as a freshman this past fall, signed in December with Grambling State.  In addition, former Virginia Tech transfer defensive back C.J. Reavis (Chester, VA) inked with Marshall University.

2015 EMCC FOOTBALL PLAYERS MOVING ONTO FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITIES     

MARCEL ANDRY (6-2, 290, DL, New Orleans, LA/St. Augustine HS) – Nicholls State

JALEN BONEY (5-11, 195, DB, Hattiesburg, MS/Petal HS) – Delta State

DE'ARIUS CHRISTMAS (5-9, 205, LB, Vicksburg, MS/Warren Central HS) -- Grambling State

AIKEEM COLEMAN (6-2, 260, DL, Hattiesburg [MS] HS) -- Idaho

JAMES DAVIS (6-4, 315, OL, Jackson, MS/Murrah HS) – UAB

JOHN FRANKLIN III (6-2, 185, QB, Fort Lauderdale, FL/South Plantation HS) – Auburn

ISAIAH JONES (6-3, 200, WR, Milton [FL] HS) – Southern Miss

DJ LAW (5-11, 195, RB, Haines City [FL] HS) – UAB

GARY McCRAE (6-4, 235, DL, Cuthbert, GA/Randolph-Clay HS) – Louisville

RONALD OLLIE (6-2, 310, DL, Shubuta, MS/Wayne County HS) – Nicholls State

ETHAN ORR (6-6, 325, OL, Fairview, MS/Itawamba AHS) – North Alabama

C.J. REAVIS (6-1, 205, DB, Chester, VA/Thomas Dale HS) – Marshall

DARIO ROBINSON (5-10, 185, WR/DB, Amory [MS] HS) – Jackson State

ALLENZAE STAGGERS (6-1, 185, WR, Woodville, MS/Wilkinson County HS) – Southern Miss

DESHAWN TILLMAN (6-4, 240, DL, Bruce [MS] HS) – Jackson State

JOSEPH WILLIS (6-4, 225, QB, Philadelphia, MS/Madison Central HS) – UAB