What to expect for Jackson State football, Deion Sanders on early national signing day

Deion Sanders assembled the highest-rated recruiting class in HBCU history during the last cycle.

And that was before he won Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, the Eddie Robinson Award for top coach in the FCS, a SWAC championship and clinched an appearance in the Celebration Bowl.

The Deion Sanders effect injected new life into the Jackson State football program.

Here's what to watch as the Tigers get set to bring in their second class under Sanders:

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Working the transfer portal

Sanders' first recruiting class stood out because of the veteran defensive pieces he was able to add.

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The Tigers added defensive end James Houston, linebacker Aubrey Miller, and defensive lineman Antwan Owens through the transfer portal from Power Five schools. All three were first-team All-SWAC selections on defense.

JSU also signed four-star cornerback De'Jahn Warren and later added four-star defensive lineman KaTron Evans, who initially signed with Tennessee before transferring to JSU in May.

The Tigers' success with bringing in talented transfers and having them contribute right away suggests they could take a similar approach with the 2022 class. Sanders has tweeted multiple times telling transfer portal candidates that he "ain't hard to find."

More offensive firepower

Jackson State enters early signing day with four commitments, three of whom are receivers.

Tennessee transfer Malachi Wideman, who had a breakout season, is set to return, as is Trevonte Rucker, another former four-star prospect.

But outside of them, the Tigers are set to graduate three of their top-five receiving targets and have shown that there's a focus on adding some new options for Shedeur Sanders to work with.

The Tigers have struggled running the ball, so upgrading the offensive line and running back spots will be key. A Power Five transfer at running back to fill in as an every down workhorse could be a nice addition to the team and add some more balance to the offense.

The waiting game

With just four commitments, and the transfer portal being a huge part of Jackson State's strategy, it's possible that the Tigers' recruiting class could be much bigger in February than it is now.

Most FBS schools have at least a dozen or so commitments at this point. Jackson State is an FCS school, but it should have one of the top FCS recruiting classes again and might even rank higher than some FBS schools again.

It may take a while for the Tigers to wait and see what some of these transfers are doing. And perhaps to convince some players still on the fence about picking an FCS school over FBS offers.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Deion Sanders and Jackson State football on signing day: What to expect