Jackson State football signs Al Young and JD Martin

The way Deion Sanders is recruiting this summer, it seems as if the first-year Jackson State football coach used the spring to assess his roster to flesh out what this team will look like this fall and move forward.

Quarterbacks Jalon Jones and Quincy Casey have already transferred out, making room for four-star freshman Shedeur Sanders to start this fall. Suffice it to say; the Tigers will not look the same this fall.

Sanders’ most recent signees confirm this idea.

Although offers from SWAC Champion Alabama A&M, Missouri State, and other FCS schools, defensive back Al Young is on his way to Jackson, Mississippi, to bolster a secondary that struggled giving up big plays in the passing game.

The Tigers’ secondary had its issues this spring. Opponents completed 60 percent of their passes and averaged 220 yards per game this spring against the Tigers. Signing Young gives JSU another ball-hawking corner and legitimate NFL prospect in its secondary.

Young joins De’Jahn Warren, Javorrious Selmon, Shilo Sanders, and Isaiah Bolden in what should instantly be a competitive, deep and improved secondary.

JD Martin brings explosive playmaking to the offense

Coach Prime and the Jackson State offensive staff have to like some of the pieces they have offensively. JSU did lack some explosion offensively this spring. All-Purpose running back JD Martin will help with that.

Martin is fast. At Wetumpka High School, Martin played quarterback mostly. However, using an athlete like Martin is limited only by the imaginations of offensive coordinators Michael Pollack and Jason Phillips.

Martin is the type of explosive athlete you find ways to get the ball to until he finds a position where he’s most comfortable. Martin is dangerous with the ball in his hands and can score from anywhere on the field. So expect him to get the ball on some option reads, jet sweeps, bubble screens or any other way the offensive staff figures out how to get him the ball.