Robert Wilson spent 23 years at The Clarion-Ledger/Jackson Daily News as a sportswriter with more than half of those years covering high school sports, mostly in the Metro Jackson area. He helped choose the Dandy Dozen in various sports for more than a decade. Wilson rebirthed a similar team last year with Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Elite Eleven Preseason Football Team based on our All-Metro team selections from last season. This is the second annual team. Wilson selected the best players from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties from their performances last season. The players below are in alphabetical order.
Nate Blount, Brandon, Junior, Running Back
The 5-foot-9, 230-pound Blount – a member of the first team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Team last season – gained 1,442 yards on 246 carries, a 5.9-yard average, and scored 17 TDs despite missing the last three games with a collarbone injury. He helped Brandon to an 11-3 record and the MHSAA Class 6A state runner-up finish. Blount was one of three sophomores on the first team of the Metro Jackson Team. He is one of two juniors on the Preseason Elite 11 Team.
Brandon opens the season Aug. 26 against Oxford at home.
“Nate is one of the most talented backs in the state,” Brandon coach Sam Williams said. “He was our Region (Class 6A, Region 3) Player of the Year as a sophomore. Nate is the ‘thunder’ of our backfield. He has great vision, strength and burst for a 230-pound back.”
DeCoreyea Buchanan, Brandon, Senior, Tight End
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Buchanan – a member of the second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Team last season – caught 10 passes for 105 yards and helped Brandon to a 11-3 record and the MHSAA Class 6A state runner-up finish. One of the most versatile players in Mississippi, Buchanan played tight end, H-back, long snapper and all the special teams for the Bulldogs.
Brandon opens the season Aug. 26 against Oxford at home.
“Coreyea is the glue of our offense,” Brandon coach Sam Williams said. “He lines up all over the place and always seems to execute at a high level.”
Jakobe Calvin, Clinton, Senior, Running Back
The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Calvin – a member of the second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season – gained 902 yards on 172 carries and scored 15 TDs for the 6-5 Arrows. He also caught six passes for 152 yards and one TD.
Clinton opens the season Aug. 25 against Ocean Springs at home.
“Jakobe started at a true freshman his first game and had three TDs and ended up getting hurt the next week in practice,” Clinton coach Judd Boswell said. “He fought the injury bug for two years. Jakobe is a grinder in the weight room. He had a great junior year, and we are looking for big things this year.”
Montrayvious Carter, Canton, Senior, Defensive Lineman
The 6-foot-2, 295-pound Carter was on the second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season. He was also on the Mississippi Association of Coaches second-team All-MHSAA Class 5A team last season. Carter had 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks as a junior.
Canton opens the season Aug. 26 against Class 2A and Madison County rival Velma Jackson at home.
“Montrayvious is one of the kids who just has the instinct,” Canton coach Calvin Bolton said. “He has quick hands, speed, and quickness. Montrayvious can move for a defensive tackle. That’s what makes him special. His biggest improvement is in the weight room. Montrayvious has committed himself to be a better ball player and it’s going to show this season.”
Tommy Kelly Jr., Provine, Senior, Linebacker
The 6-foot, 225-pound Kelly – a member of the first team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season – had a team-high 134 tackles in nine games, an average of almost 15 tackles per game, with 14 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 1 interception for the 4-6 Rams. His 14.9 tackle average was the second highest in Mississippi last season, according to MaxPreps.
His father, Tommy Kelly Sr., played defensive tackle at Provine, Hinds Community College, MSU and 11 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2015. Kelly is now defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Provine.
Provine opens the season Aug. 26 against Gautier at North Jackson Field.
“Tommy is a good student athlete who gets the job done on the off the field,” Provine coach Tim Wilson said. “Tommy plays several positions for us: inside linebacker, quarterback, tight end and even punter. His best and most natural position is inside linebacker. He is a leader of the defense. Tommy is very strong and aggressive. He is also smart and instinctive at linebacker. I’m very proud of the player he has become along with being a great young man.”
Luke Rogers, Brandon, Senior, Offensive Lineman
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Rogers, a first team member on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season, started at left tackle for the past two seasons, but will be starting at center this season. He has verbally committed to Southern Miss. Rogers is the rated No. 33 player in Mississippi and No. 123 inside offensive lineman in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports.
Rogers is the brother of Brandon High alumnus and Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers and son of Brandon offensive coordinator Wyatt Rogers.
Brandon opens the season Aug. 26 against Oxford at home.
“Luke is the brains of our offense,” Brandon coach Sam Williams said. “He does a fantastic job of making the correct calls, getting us in the right spot, and finishing defenders with his power.”
Isaiah Spencer, Madison Central, Senior, Wide Receiver
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Spencer – a member of the second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season – caught 47 passes for 1,018 yards, an average of 21.7 yards per catch, and 12 TDs as a junior and helped Madison Central to a 13-1 record and the MHSAA Class 6A state championship. He also returned 10 kickoffs for 187 yards and punted three times for a 34.3-yard average. Spencer is a Southern Miss commit. He is rated the No. 12 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in Mississippi and No. 127 wide receiver in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports.
Madison Central opens the season Aug. 26 at Class 5A West Jones.
“Isaiah is a tremendous talent with great speed and wins a lot of 50/50 balls,” Madison Central coach Toby Collums said. “More importantly, he is a great teammate. It is going to be fun watching Isaiah this season.”
Vic Sutton, Madison Central, Senior, Quarterback
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Sutton – a member the second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season – completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,653 yards and 17 TDs with only three interceptions and ran for 334 yards and scored five TDs and helped Madison Central to a 13-1 record and the MHSAA Class 6A state championship. He suffered a knee injury and missed the last two playoff games but is fully recovered and ready for this season. Sutton, a Louisiana Tech commit, is rated the No. 22 overall player and No. 2 quarterback in Mississippi and No. 64 quarterback in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports.
Madison Central opens the season Aug. 26 at Class 5A West Jones.
“Vic is a leader on and off the field,” Madison Central coach Toby Collums said. “He can make every throw and has good speed. Vic has worked hard to bounce back from ACL surgery. It’s going to be fun watching him this season.”
Tanner Welch, Northwest Rankin, Senior, Offensive Lineman
The 6-foot-8, 325-pound Welch – a member of the first team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season – played at Hartfield Academy for the past two seasons before transferring to Northwest Rankin this spring. He is a Southern Miss commit. Welch helped Hartfield to a 9-3 record and a MAIS Class 6A runner-up finish last season. He is rated the No. 14 overall player and No. 2 offensive tackle in Mississippi and No. 81 offensive tackle in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports.
Northwest Rankin opens the season Aug. 26 at Class 5A Ridgeland.
“Tank (Welch’s nickname) is a hard-working young man,” Northwest Rankin coach Devin Cooper said. “He is very coachable and has really gained strength and added to his skill set since he has returned. Tank’s big frame gives him an advantage. He will be a great addition to our offensive line. We are ready to see Tank, and the rest of our offensive lineman go into battle together. His size and length make him tough for any defender to work around or through. If he gets that big frame crashing down on a defender, it is tough to escape. Tank does a good job of bending and moving to be a big young man. He will continue to get better as his strength builds.”
John White, MRA, Junior, Quarterback
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound White – a member of the first team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Team last season – completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,935 yards for 39 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions and led MRA to a 11-3 record and the MAIS Class 6A state championship. White, a Southern Miss commit, was one of three sophomores on the Metro Jackson first team last year and one of two juniors on this year’s Preseason Elite 11 team. White transferred from Winona Christian School after his freshman year.
MRA opens the season Aug. 11 against two-time defending MAIS Class 3A state champion Greenville Christian at home.
“John is one of our hardest working guys we have on the team,” MRA coach Herbert Davis said. “He is never satisfied and wants to get better. John is a great leader on and off the field. He has great accuracy and tremendous knowledge of the game. John makes great decisions on where we want to go with the ball. We are looking forward to him leading us again this season.”
Ayden Williams, Ridgeland, Senior, Wide Receiver
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams – selected to the Under Armour All-American Game and a member of the first team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Team – caught 73 passes for 1,169 yards and 18 TDs and helped Ridgeland to a 6-5 record. He also had 11 carries for 81 yards and 2 TDs and 6 kickoffs for 100 yards. Williams is rated the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 wide receiver in Mississippi and No. 24 wide receiver and No. 228 overall player in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports. He is rated the No. 154 overall player and No. 23 wide receiver in the country on the 2023 ESPN Top 300.
Williams has offers from 16 Division I teams, including eight in the SEC. Ole Miss, MSU, Southern Miss, Jackson State, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida State, Colorado, Oregon, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech and Central Florida have offered Williams.
Williams was the only junior on last year’s Preseason Elite 11 team. He caught 58 passes for 765 yards and six TDs on offense and had 20 tackles and one interception on defense and helped the Titans to a 10-3 record, the Class 5A semifinals and their best season since 2010 as a sophomore.
Ridgeland opens the season Aug. 26 against Class 6A Northwest Rankin at home.
“Ayden has had a great seven to eight months, and really changed his body,” Ridgeland coach Teddy Dyess said. “He’s also stepped it up into more of a leadership role. In my opinion, Ayden is the No. 1 player in the state.”
