A month away from the start of the 2026 HBCU football season, the Allen Yellow Jackets have made a significant acquisition from the transfer portal.
The SIAC contender fielded a commitment from former four-star wide receiver recruit Deion Smith, one of the highest-rated prospects in the school’s history.
Entering the college ranks in the 2021 high school class, Smith began his career at Louisiana State University (LSU), making an immediate first impression in his second game against Central Michigan.
He caught five passes for 135 yards, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter to help lead to a 49-21 win.
However, this would be the peak Smith’s one year in Baton Rouge, finishing the season with 11 receptions for 186 yards (along with his two touchdowns against Central Michigan), transferring at the end of the year.
The Mississippi native then made his way to Holmes Community College where he put his skills on display, leading the NJCAA with 1,063 receiving yards on 48 receptions, scoring 12 touchdowns (also led NJCAA).
He was named an NJCAA All-American and was ranked as the number one JUCO recruit in the 2024 cycle.
Although Smith would commit to the University of Mississippi, he would not appear in any games with the team due to being academically ineligible.
Smith joins an Allen team entering its third season under head coach Cedric Pearl. On a team headlined by SIAC Player of the Year Fabian Duncan, the Yellow Jackets finished with a 6-5 overall record, their second winning season since officially joining the SIAC in 2022.
