Jacoby Stevens may only be a Junior in high school, but he already has ambitions of being one of the best two-way college football players of all time. “I want to stay healthy, leave my mark, become a household name, and become one of the greatest players to ever play college football,” said the Wide Receiver/Safety out of Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Those may be lofty goals for a teenager, but Stevens tries to take things one step at a time: “Once I reach one goal, I set another, so I’m never satisfied. Becoming a top prospect, I now look at becoming the top prospect in college football  I always keep myself motivated, so reaching that goal, I’m not just gonna sit there, I’m on to the next one.”

 

   Jacoby Stevens was originally committed to play college football at LSU, but with uncertainty surrounding LSU head coach, Les Miles, Stevens reopened his recruitment and began exploring other options. Despite decommitting, Stevens is still not ruling out the possibility of becoming an LSU Tiger. “I’m still considering LSU. I’m not necessarily ‘throwing LSU away.’ They are still a school that I’m going to look at and consider going to,” Stevens explained. Unlike his first decision, Stevens will take his time the second go-round. “I don’t have any official plans yet, but I was planning on visiting a lot of colleges over the summer,” he said. “I will make my decision on national signing day,” The 6’2”, 190-pound athlete has had an interesting journey through the recruiting process so far and still has a long way to go until making his decision, as he said: “It has been amazing. I’ve met people that I didn’t think I would ever meet. I’ve been places that I never thought that I would ever go. I’m loving it.”

 

   Whoever winds up with the standout athlete will be getting, quite possibly, the best two-way athlete in high school football. Because he plays both sides of the ball, teams will have to find a way not only to stop him on offense but also to beat him on defense and don’t expect Stevens to stick to one position once he gets to college. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play both sides and it’s a dream of mine to play both sides in college. That’s the goal that I have set for myself,” College coaches already know his potential and with one season left at Oakland High School, Stevens will continue to develop his incredible talent and superb work ethic. Something that has helped Stevens tremendously through his football career has been his support from his family:  “Throughout my career, they have just motivated me. There have been days where I’ve just wanted to give up, but they were there to tell me, ‘You just need one more step.’ They pushed me to a limit that I never thought I could reach.”

 

   Not only is Jacoby Stevens a standout on the football field, he is also thriving in the classroom. This is largely due to his knack for staying focused when it comes to school, saying, “I have my parents and my circle of friends around me to tell me what I need to do and what I don’t need to do. Making sure that I am focused throughout the day and that I have all my schoolwork done or study for a test. Then also, have enough time for me to work out and improve my skills,” Interestingly enough, Stevens already knows what he wants to major in, in college: “I’m looking for a college that will help me establish a solid career in sports marketing, because that is what I want to major in.”

   

Jacoby Stevens is clearly one of the most dynamic players in the Class of 2017, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him dominating on both ends of the ball in college. As his senior season approaches and the recruiting process gets more and more interesting, Jacoby Stevens will be a player to watch out for. As Stevens said best himself, “It has always been a dream of mine to have my name mean something. That’s what pushes me, leaving my mark.”