[insert_php]

if (is_single()) {

echo “By Donal Ware
boxtorow.com”;

}

[/insert_php]

This is the seventh year of BOXTOROW’s top five players to watch in HBCU football.  This isn’t necessarily a list of the best five players.

Not necessarily.

All of the players on this list either had or were having much better season’s than the previous year.  Not only that, each of their teams are legitimate contenders for respective conference championships and their play will determine that.

5.  Trey Green, Prairie View A&M, Quarterback (6-3, 220, r-Sr., Beaumont, Texas) Green was arguably the most consistent quarterback in the SWAC last year.  His touchdown-to-interception ratio – 21-3 – was second-best in FCS and his pass efficiency of 150.6 was 11th best.  Think about this, in 308 pass attempts, he only threw three interceptions.  Green completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,614 yards and led the SWAC in passing yards per game (261.4).  He also rushed for another 248 yards and seven touchdowns.  Green excelled in former Clemson quarterback Willie Simmons’ system in his first year as the fulltime quarterback in 2015.  More responsibility will befall Green without the services of running back/receiver Johnta’ Hebert, but his big play receivers KhaDarel Hodge and Demarquo LaStrappe, who combined for 47 receptions for 865 yards and six touchdowns, return.

4. LaMontiez Ivy, Jackson State, Quarterback (6-3, 215, Sr., East St. Louis, Ill.) Really intrigued by Ivy not only because of the numbers he has put up the last two years at JSU, but also because with Tony Hughes coming in as head coach and the talent that this team has the Tigers could compete for a SWAC championship.  Ivy will be the key.  Interestingly enough, Ivy has not been named the starter as of yet despite clearly outplaying his competition in the spring and so far in the summer and having much more experience than them.  This is likely to humble Ivy so that he plays at his highest potential.  Injuries have hampered Ivy throughout his career.  He was leading the SWAC and was one of the tops in FCS in passing yards per game (274.6) before going down with a high ankle sprain.  He played in only eight games, completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,197 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions.  The question is can Ivy stay healthy?  He was injured the first two years of his career at JSU.  He had a breakout sophomore season, completing a school-record 64 percent of his passes for a SWAC-best 3,209 yards, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.  He will have to cut down on the interceptions.  Having one of the top receivers in the SWAC in Dan Williams (54-800-7) will certainly help his cause.

3. Nyme Manns, Bowie State, Wide Receiver (6-4, 212, Sr., Baltimore, Md.) Mann’s 2015 season was one of the best in Division II football, tying for ninth in receptions (82), finishing 13th in receiving yards (1,104), averaging 13.5 yards per receptions and 13 touchdowns.  And if you think the numbers he put up were just against D2 opponents, his most dominating game was against FCS opponent Central Connecticut State where he had 12 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown.  Manns has the size to play at the next level, has good speed and as a former basketball player has tremendous jumping ability and can out jump the defender for the ball.  Watch his 2015 highlight tape.  The tape doesn’t lie.

2.  Javancy Jones, Jackson State, Defensive End/Linebacker (6-2, 245, Sr. Macon, Miss.) Jones has quietly been one of the best players in FCS over three season.  As a true freshman, he burst onto the scene as SWAC Freshman of the Year and first team All-SWAC after registering 54 tackles (26 solo), 14 tackles for loss and five sacks strictly as a defensive end.  A change in coaching staff saw Jones move from end to outside linebacker where he was all over the field recording 108 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and three sacks, yet despite the numbers was not named All-SWAC.  He had a breakout year last year, leading FCS in tackles for loss (25.5), was second in the SWAC in sacks (9) and recorded 91 tackles.  He did all of this while playing defensive end, outside linebacker and middle linebacker during the course of the season.  This will be Jones’ fourth head coach in four years, meaning another philosophical change in defense, but with Jones’ versatility he can play five different positions which means offenses will have to know where No. 29 is at all times.  He is on the preseason Buchanan Watch List for the top defensive player in FCS.

1.  Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T, Running Back (5-6, 173, Sr., Bunn, N.C.) There hasn’t been a bigger star in HBCU football perhaps since the late Steve McNair was dominating for Alcorn State.  That was 30 years ago and McNair’s career was legendary.  Cohen’s career is headed that way.  What made McNair’s accomplishments even more legendary is that there was a lot less media coverage.  Last year, Cohen was featured on ESPN and ESPN Top 10 plays for his one-handed grab of a football coming off the JUGGS Machine while doing a flip.  Even though the Aggies have a really good team part of the reason they will play three-straight weeks in Thursday night games on ESPNU is because of Cohen.  (They will also play on ESPN3 against Tulsa.)  A scintillating 295-yard, three-touchdown performance in the Celebration Bowl on ABC last year to kick off the bowl season certainly helped.  All three of his touchdown runs were for at least 70 yards.  By the way, his numbers last year: 264 carries for 1,543 yards and 15 touchdowns.  He needs just 641 yards to surpass South Carolina State’s Will Ford as the all-time leading rusher in MEAC history.  He needs 969 yards to become the first player in MEAC history to rush for over 5,000 yards in a career.  The Aggies offensive line improved and got some continuity as the season progressed and three of the five starters return.  Despite three-straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and improvement in each of his first three years, Cohen has the ability to have an even better senior season.