Jackson State Football: Can the Tigers compete for a SWAC title?

Is Shedeur Sanders ready to take the helm of the offense?

It is hard for newcomers to come in and make an impact, especially at quarterback. There are very few Trevor Lawrence types. Sanders does have the pedigree, and not just because of the bloodlines. The younger of the Sanders brothers at JSU (Shiloh transferred from South Carolina) has two state titles.

There is a quantum leap from high school to college but coming from a winning culture counts. Sanders can make all of the throws and is a plus in the running game, though he’s more comfortable throwing from the pocket. The kid can play.

The offensive staff has done an outstanding job via the transfer portal and recruiting, bringing talented skill players around Sanders. Losing Daylen Baldwin to the portal is a significant blow to the offense, but Keith Corbin is a toolsy receiver who adds some explosion.

JD Martin can flat fly at running back and adds to the passing game and special teams. None of that matters, however, if the offensive line does not improve from the spring. When Jackson State football played better teams, the offensive line struggled.

It struggled with both run and pass blocking. The Tigers did bring in some talent via the portal, and it needs to work out if JSU wants to compete in the SWAC this fall.