Aldridge commits to Jacksonville State

Sweet Water senior Jakoby Aldridge has his college plans wrapped up after verbally committing to Jacksonville State.

“It’s a good opportunity for me because I can go get a good education and play for a good football program,” Aldridge said of the opportunity.

The diminutive tailback attended summer camps at Auburn and Vanderbilt among others and said he began to feel some measure of discouragement at the lack of response from collegiate coaches.

“I did, but I just put God first and let him handle the rest of it,” Aldridge said of his approach to the process.

Aldridge’s opportunity finally came as the result of his performance at the Jacksonville State camp earlier this summer, a performance that earned him a scholarship offer before he made the trip back home to Marengo County.

“We’ve been telling him all along, ‘We need to find one person that loves you.’ I think he found that person,” Sweet Water head coach Stacy Luker said.

Aldridge said he was impressed with first-year Gamecock head coach Bill Clark and the staff’s rapport with players made a great impact on his decision to commit.

“I liked the relationship the coaches had with the players,” Aldridge said.

In Aldridge, the Gamecocks land a largely underrated runner who rushed for more than 1,600 yards on 200 carries in his first season on the field for Class 2A Sweet Water.

“Great kid. He’s a hard worker, a good team guy. I think he is a very unselfish player. He’s just a good guy, a good leader for us,” Luker said.

The veteran Sweet Water head coach pointed to Aldridge’s growth as a player as cause for optimism that Aldridge cannot only replicate his success from a season ago, but also that the elusive 5-6 back can earn his keep at the collegiate level.

“We had to teach him a good bit when he first got there, but by the end of the year, he was a go-to guy,” Luker said. “He’s so durable. He’s little, but he’s durable. He’s physical. He’s the kind of guy that his touches can be up every week.”

Aldridge’s opportunity may help to open the door for other Sweet Water standouts hoping for collegiate attention, including senior Demarcus Gamble and junior Deshawn Kilpatrick.

“I think it motivates them. Demarcus is hoping for (a football scholarship) and Deshawn Kilpatrick has another year, but he is hoping for one,” Luker said. “I definitely think it motivates them.”

Barring changes, Aldridge would become the third Marengo County player on the Jacksonville State roster as Demopolis tailback DaMarcus James and Sweet Water defensive end Chris Landrum are already on the squad.