Jags Bag Another Running Back

Continuing their string of finding surprisingly talented 2008 players that are still available, the University of South Alabama coaching staff may have pulled in the best one yet: Florida High School running back Santuan McGee.

Santuan McGee is indeed a rare find. This explosive back has no academic troubles and was sporting offers from Middle Tennessee State, Ball State, and Indiana several months ago, but in the middle of May he was stranded until the South Alabama coaching staff threw him a lifeline. Apparently McGee had held out committing to a university until the bitter end in hopes of getting other offers. When those offers did not appear, McGee found that the others were no longer available as well.

"My staff has made it part of the questions that we ask coaches now," said USA Head Coach Joey Jones. "When we go to a school looking to recruit for 2009, we area asking if there are any 2008 kids that might have been overlooked and we're finding some really good ones."

McGee is noted for his explosiveness and tremendous balance. He rushed for 1752 yards and 19 touchdowns as senior and also added 20 catches for nearly 500 yards. The two-star back also played guard on his high school basketball team and was one of the fastest players in his region with his 10.95 100-meter time.

The original plan was for 15 junior college players to be signed in December as the only members of the 2008 recruiting class, but the abundance of talented, available 2008 high school players has led to the modification of that plan. Coach Jones hopes to sign five to seven more prep players in the near future and then fill the balance of the 15 scholarships with junior college players. These early additions should make a great nucleus that, when joined with the class of 2009 players that the staff is already in pursuit of, should form a fantastic nucleus for the first several Jag football teams.