Experience at the quarterback position isn’t an issue of concern for the Greyhounds entering the summer with rising senior Devin Edmonds firmly entrenched as Jones County’s signal caller.
One difference for Edmonds going forward, however, is who he’ll be looking to connect with when dropping back or rolling out of the pocket.
With the graduation of Tyler Stewart and Zion Ragins, more than 2,000 receiving yards from last fall and all but eight touchdowns through the air are gone. Add in the graduation of Noah Barnes, and JCHS is tasked with needing to break in an additional receiving target.
“Those are big shoes to fill. These guys know they have to step up,” said Greyhounds receivers coach Jake Chastain.
But the cupboard is hardly bare. That was shown in the early-May spring game against Perry when Jones County’s top returning receiver from last season, Jaivon Solomon, hauled in multiple touchdowns.
That hardly came as a surprise as Solomon, part of the Greyhounds track and field 4x100 relay team, caught 671 yards worth last season, third on the team with his seven touchdowns tying for second on the team.
Solomon has drawn multiple collegiate offers from ACC programs, such as Duke and Pittsburgh, as well as Georgia Southern, Georgia State, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Memphis, Temple and Arkansas State.
Solomon was able to keep team’s honest last season in an offense with Ragins and Stewart.
That’s why the Greyhounds finding new faces to provide multiple receiving options is key.
According to Chastain, that’s already well ongoing as JR Clark, KJ Johnson, Junior Holloway and Zach Hurt have stepped up.
“It’s big-time to have some other guys stepping up and take some of the pressure off of him,” Chastain said. “They’ve been a huge part of the growth for our program.
They’ve really stepped up. That helps us be more dynamic on offense.”
Beyond those receivers is another that showed some downfield playmaking ability in the spring game – Cason Taylor, an infielder and pitcher from the Greyhounds baseball team who is also Jones County’s backup quarterback.
“He helps us at tight end and backup quarterback,” Chastain said.
“With him doing that, it helps us be efficient in the passing game.”
