The junior college ranks are always a great place to recruit prospects at positions that a school needs immediate help at. The players already have some college playing time under their belt (even if it’s just at a junior college), and they are generally more mature athletically.
Jeremy Pruitt and his staff recruited and signed several JUCO players in the Vols’ 2018 class, and I would expect several of them to get immediate playing time. And the staff is looking for some JUCO prospects to sign in the 2019 class as well.
Cornerback is a position that lacks a lot of competitive depth for the Vols. Thursday, Tennessee offered Jamar Richardson, a JUCO corner from Aliceville, Alabama that plays for Jones County Junior College in Mississippi.
Blessed to receive an offer from The University of Tennessee @Vol_Football #Vols pic.twitter.com/rr9jVWhcH5
— Jamar Richardson (@d1_richardson3) March 2, 2018
Richardson is currently committed to Ole Miss — the only other school to offer him — and has been part of the Rebels’ class since February 7th. The 247Sports Composite rankings have him listed as the No. 2 cornerback in junior college. He is getting ready to play his sophomore season and would still have two years of eligibility whenever he signs on for the 2019 season.
At 6 feet tall and 167 pounds, Richardson has decent size for a corner. He is a very fast player, and has reportedly run a 4.39 second 40. His vertical is 38 inches.
A look at Richardson’s film shows off a defensive play-maker. He flies all over the field and makes very quick reads. He is very physical for his size, and he can go toe to toe with much bigger receivers. Richardson has the speed to run with anybody, and he knows how to play the ball. He has the ability to play off coverage too. He can close down space quickly. His tackling is very fundamental, as he wraps up instead of leading with his shoulder.
Overall, Richardson is a good prospect. With the right coaching at whatever school he chooses, he will have the chance to contribute sooner rather than later.
Coming out of high school, Richardson was a three-star and signed with Ole Miss. But he ultimately didn’t go and play for the Rebels and ended up in junior college instead. Louisville, Missouri, and Wake Forest were the other schools to offer him out of high school.
He may be committed to Ole Miss, but they were the only school that had offered him at the time. Now that his recruitment is beginning to heat up, I would imagine it could be easy to flip his commitment. And Pruitt and his staff will do what they can to try and accomplish that.
