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Home Football

From breakout freshman to super sophomores, here are the top returning players to watch in ’22

Jarrett Hoffman by Jarrett Hoffman
December 30, 2021
2
Jackson State Football

Photo: Jackson State Athletics

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As the 2022 campaign rapidly approaches, we take an early look at standout HBCU players who should be on everyone’s radar this fall.

While performances are not limited to freshmen, it should be noted that it was a tremendous year for the young guys, with many leading their respective conferences in major statistical categories.

 

Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State

Sanders is coming off a 2021 season where he led Jackson State to a SWAC championship and appearance in the Celebration Bowl.

He threw for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns in a true freshman season that earned him the Jerry Rice Award as best FCS freshman.

Kendrell Flowers, South Carolina State

In the first of four entries for running backs on this list, Kendrell Flowers kicked off his college career with a very good freshman season.

He was named to the All-MEAC Second Team after posting 73.7 rushing yards per game scoring 10 rushing touchdowns, which tied for the most in the conference.

kendrell flowers

In three of his final four games in the regular season, Flowers rushed for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown, including a game against Norfolk State in which he had a season-high 172 rushing yards.

Malachi Wideman, Jackson State

When speaking about Jackson State, Deion Sanders, its menacing defense, and Shedeur Sanders immediately come to mind.

Not enough, however, is said about Sanders’ top receiver Malachi Wideman, who had an impressive freshman season.

Jackson State Football
Photo: Jackson State Athletics

He was the team’s second-leading receiver, with 540 receiving yards while tallying a SWAC-high 12 touchdowns.

Shedeur Sanders and Wideman continuing to build chemistry together on offense along with fellow freshman receiver Trevonte Rucker is a scary concept for a team that already has an elite defense.

Sidney Gibbs, Shaw

In what was a disappointing season for the Shaw Bears, one of the bright spots was freshman running back Sidney Gibbs.

Gibbs led the CIAA with 94.8 rushing yards per game and scored six touchdowns. He rushed for at least 60 yards and averaged four yards per carry or more in all but one game this season.

Sidney Gibbs Shaw

While posting a season-high 152 rushing yards against Winston-Salem State, his performance against Central State was his most impressive, posting 150 rushing yards averaging 10.7 yards per rush.

In addition, Gibbs is the only running back that rushed for more yards than his quarterback passed with freshman Christian Peters only averaging 91.7 passing yards per game.

While Virginia Union freshman running back Jada Byers could have made this list leading the CIAA with 12 rushing touchdowns, Gibbs gets slightly more points for doing what he did without much help from his passing game.

Also read: HBCU Football Season in Review: Whose stock dropped and rose in the 2021 season?

Brandon Savage, Norfolk State

The Spartans are loaded on defense with playmakers in their secondary that will be returning next season.

The best of the bunch is arguably junior Brandon Savage who had 10 passes defended and three interceptions. He either had a pass breakup or interception in seven of 11 games in 2021.

Brandon Savage 2019 FAMU2

Kevin Johnson/Elijah Burris, Hampton

After announcing he would be entering the transfer portal after the 2021 season, former Norfolk State running back Kevin Johnson committed to Hampton.

In limited action, Johnson put together a solid season with 228 rushing yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and scored three touchdowns.

Joseph Murray Bowie State

He was also the team’s leading kick returner compiling 230 yards on 12 returns during the season.

The move to Hampton means that he will be part of a dynamic sophomore running back duo next season that also includes Burris.

Burris’ freshman campaign saw him be named Big South Freshman of the Year after recording 58.2 rushing yards per game scoring six touchdowns.

In addition to Burris, the Pirates have two additional backs (Keyondre White and Darran Butts) that combined for six touchdowns during the season.

Adding Johnson to the Pirates’ strong backfield is a recipe for disaster for opposing defenses.

Caleb Johnson, Mississippi Valley State

The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils were a pleasant surprise this year finishing with a 4-6 record in a season many expected them to be the worst team in the SWAC.

Sophomore running back Caleb Johnson was huge for the Delta Devils leading the conference with 1,018 rushing yards and scoring eight touchdowns on the ground.

Caleb Johnson1

Johnson became the first Delta Devil to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since 2000 and was named to the All-SWAC second team as well as the Hero Sports FCS Sophomore All-American team.

Jared Lewis, Delaware State

The Delaware State offense could be completely different going into next year with wide receiver Trey Gross entering the NFL Draft and running back Sy’Veon Wilkerson now at Jackson State.

One player who does not get much attention is quarterback Jared Lewis. After all, he didn’t begin the season as the team’s starter.

Lewis v Howard

He threw 20 touchdown passes (second-most in the MEAC) to just four interceptions with a pass efficiency rating of 136.0 — the second-best in the conference.

The aspect that will be interesting to see next year is how he adjusts to the loss of Gross and others.

Daniel Norman/Armani Maddox, Morehouse

A big reason for Morehouse’s late-season success was due to an improving defense led by Daniel Norman and Armani Maddox.

Over the last five games, the Maroon Tigers allowed 245.4 yards and just 12.6 points.

One of the players that led the charge for Morehouse in their dominant second half was  Norman.

In just the last five games of the season, the defensive back recorded 14.5 of his total 16.5 tackles for loss, all 9.0 of his sacks, and all four of his forced fumbles.

Along with Norman in the secondary, Morehouse also had Maddox who had a SIAC-leading 14 passes defended and five interceptions.

The fact that fellow freshman defensive back Darien Pittman, who had four picks this season isn’t included, just shows how loaded Morehouse’s secondary is.

J’Rell Joseph, Bluefield State

It’s only right that we end with Bluefield State as they were without a doubt the best feel-good story from this season.

Returning to the gridiron for the first time in 41 years, the Big Blue went on to have a tremendous season that no one could have possibly seen coming.

A catalyst for Bluefield State’s success was their quarterback J’Rell Joseph. In seven games, he threw 11 touchdowns without an interception while putting up a spectacular 132.3 pass efficiency rating.

In four of his six games, Joseph threw at least two touchdowns and posted a 232-yard four-touchdown performance against Elizabeth City State.

This Bluefield State roster is filled with young talent that has a lot of room to grow. Although they are currently independent, the Big Blue has the potential to be considered among the best HBCU Division II football teams.

Tags: Bluefield StateHamptonJackson StateMorehouseShaw
Jarrett Hoffman

Jarrett Hoffman

Jarrett Hoffman is an HBCU Sports contributor and a graduate of Bowie State University.

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Comments 2

  1. Jalen Powell says:
    4 years ago

    Kevin Johnson transferred, JJ Davis is still at Norfolk State

    Reply
    • Jarrett Hoffman says:
      4 years ago

      Thank you very much for spotting the mistake and informing us. We have made the necessary changes.

      Reply

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