By Robert Wilson
Dakota Jordan, one of the most talented multisport athletes in Mississippi, is transferring from Canton Academy to Jackson Academy, JA athletic director and football coach Lance Pogue confirmed to Mississippi Scoreboard.
Jordan, who has verbally committed to Mississippi State plans to play both football and baseball for the Bulldogs, will be eligible to play his senior season at JA.
“Dakota has enrolled and we are looking forward to having him at JA,” Pogue said. “Dakota and him mom contacted our school and came and toured our campus and liked what we offered academically. We are excited to have him at JA.
“I haven’t seen Dakota play, but I know his reputation of being a very good athlete, both in football and baseball. Any athlete who is being recruited by SEC schools means he is a high caliber athlete. He can play any skill position on both sides of the ball in football and he has big time power in baseball.”
Jordan, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver-safety, is rated by 247 Sports as the 16th top recruit in Mississippi and third top recruit in the MAIS, behind MRA Under Armour All-American linebacker Stone Blanton and Greenville Christian cornerback Jaterrious Elam. Jordan is also rated the 50th top recruit in the athlete category in the country by 247 Sports. He caught 27 passes for 695 yards, 25.7 yards per catch, and nine touchdown passes on offense and had 25 tackles and seven interceptions on defense for 5-7 Canton Academy last season.
Jordan, who committed to MSU’s Top 10 baseball program first before football, is considered one of the top outfielders in Mississippi. He hit .435 with 18 runs, 27 runs batted in, three doubles, eight home runs (in only 46 at bats) with a .534 on base percentage and 1.021 slugging percentage this spring.
JA finished 10-4 and was runner-up to Madison-Ridgeland Academy in the MAIS Class 6A last season and made its first state championship appearance for JA since 2013. JA ended a 12-game losing streak to Jackson Prep with a 28-21 win in the semifinals.
Pogue will be entering his second season as head coach at JA after three years as defensive coordinator. He won five state titles and one national title in 10 years at South Panola.
Jordan joins 10 returning starters for JA, including Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro selections, senior running back Marcus Harris and senior kicker Scott Swalley.
