VALDOSTA — Several Lowndes and Valdosta football players signed Dec. 20 on National Signing Day with colleges all around the country.
Wildcats taking advantage of the early signing day were Eric Brantley Jr., Jaylen Bentley and Jalen Burgess. Brantley is headed to Colorado while Bentley and Burgess are going to Statesboro to play for Georgia Southern.
Lowndes announced six signees: Weston Edwards (Florida State), Jacarre’ Fleming (Eastern Illinois), Daniel Jones (Coastal Carolina), Grant Laskey (UNC Charlotte) and Romeo Hampton and Marlon Evans Jr. will both head to Georgia Military College.
Brantley was Region 1-6A’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 for his part in helping lead Valdosta to the Sweet 16 of the Class 6A state tournament.
Bentley and Burgess will give the Eagles a boost on both sides of the ball. Burgess played offensive line while Bentley is a safety for Valdosta.
Edwards heads to the Seminoles to play one of the most important, but unheralded position in football: long snapper.
Laskey is a tight end, with solid size, listed as 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. That’s the same height as Jones, who is going to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers as an offensive lineman. Fleming was outstanding as a running back for the Vikings with more than 1,000 all-purpose yards this year.
Like the two Wildcats going to the same school, Evans and Hampton have very different roles. Evans is a defensive back and Hampton is on the offensive line.