HBCU Football: Darius Anderson transfers to Alabama A&M

Darius Anderson looks legit coming off of the bus. When you are a 6-foot-5 and 230-pound wide receiver, it is hard to go incognito. So when pundits throw around the cliche “large catch radius”, receivers like Anderson are precisely who they are talking about.

In the world of HBCU football, this is a case of the rich getting richer. Bulldogs’ head coach Connell Maynor has to be excited about having a big physical receiver for FCS All-American and SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Aqeel Class to throw to.

Coming to Alabama A&M as a graduate transfer, Anderson began his career at LSU. While with the Tigers, he caught 27 passes for 392 yards and one touchdown in three seasons on the bayou. While at Oklahoma State, Anderson had just one reception for 14 yards.

What Anderson brings to Alabama A&M, HBCU football

Beyond the obvious (Anderson is now the largest receiver on the Bulldogs’ roster), the man they call “Dee” becomes a dangerous red-zone target for Glass. Anderson is not the speed guy but has some wiggle to him.

The De Soto, Texas, native, has excellent hands and tracks the ball well in the air. Anderson uses his body to get between the ball and defenders since he does not separate well against faster defensive backs.

Anderson played all three receiver spots (x, y, and slot) in high school so that coach Maynor can use him in different ways. For example, Anderson can patrol the seams like a flex tight end because of his size, or he can catch the back-shoulder fade in the boundary.

If there is one concern Coach Maynor and offensive Duane Taylor have is there is only one football. The Bulldogs have the deepest receiver room in HBCU football and possibly all of FCS. Zabrian Moore, Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Odieu Hilare, and Brian Jenkins Jr. come back this fall.

Adding Anderson makes them more dangerous because they do not have a receiver like him in the room. For sure, defensive coordinators are not going to sleep much trying to defend this group.

The SWAC might go through Huntsville again this fall.