SCOOBA – Eight more East Mississippi Community College football standouts put their names on National Letters of Intent during Wednesday’s national signing day activities. Joining EMCC’s 13 prior signees who inked during the mid-year signing period in December, a total of 21 players from the Lions’ 2012 squad are slated to continue their football careers at the four-year level.

Four EMCC players officially signed their scholarship papers during a signing event held Wednesday on the Scooba campus. Defensive lineman Jarran Reed, of Goldsboro, N.C., inked with the University of Florida and will join former EMCC defensive linemen Damien Jacobs and Darious Cummings in Gainesville. Wide receiver Corey Smith will be returning to his home state of Ohio after signing with Ohio State University. Following his transfer from Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, the Akron native led the EMCC Lions with 51 pass receptions for 733 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches this past season.

Also benefitting from his one season in Scooba was defensive back/wide receiver Martay Mattox, who transferred to EMCC after originally signing with the University of South Carolina out of high school. The Athens, Ga., native is headed to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to be a part of the 49ers’ inaugural football team this coming season.

Locally, linebacker Corey Williams will be joining his former Noxubee County High School and EMCC teammate Antonio Wells at Alcorn State University. Former Lion wide receiver Billy Shed, of Starkville, also signed with the Braves in December.

Former Meridian High School and East Mississippi teammates Shaquille Fluker and Jason Yarbor returned to their high school alma mater to sign their official papers on Wednesday. As expected, Fluker, an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American for the Lions this past year, inked with the University of Georgia to give EMCC six players from its 2012 squad headed to the Southeastern Conference ranks. Yarbor will join former EMCC offensive lineman Warren Jones at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, where he is expected to have an opportunity to play both football and baseball for the Demons.

From the Golden Triangle region, EMCC offensive lineman Earnest Lang, of Columbus’ New Hope High School, signed an NLI with Texas Southern University.

In addition, wide receiver Rodney Davis, EMCC’s third-leading receiver from the Lions’ 2011 NJCAA National Championship squad, signed Wednesday with Jacksonville State University. The Millbrook, Ala., native had 49 catches for 1,007 yards and 11 touchdowns during EMCC’s 12-0 campaign in 2011.

Under sixth-year head football coach Buddy Stephens, East Mississippi Community College has averaged sending 22 players per year to the four-year level to continue their football and academic careers.

2012 EAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS SIGNING WITH FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS

JARROD ATTERBERRY (6-2, 320, OL, Starkville [MS] HS) – Mississippi Valley State University

MAURICE BENNETT (6-3, 290, DL, Madison, MS/Madison Central HS) – Western Kentucky University

NICK BRASSELL (6-1, 180, WR/DB, Batesville, MS/South Panola HS) – University of Mississippi

JUSTIN COX (6-3, 190, DB, West Point [MS] HS) – Mississippi State University

DARIOUS CUMMINGS (6-3, 310, DL, Oak Hill, FL/Astronaut HS) – University of Florida

RODNEY DAVIS* (6-1, 200, WR, Millbrook, AL/Stanhope Elmore HS) – Jacksonville State University

SHAQUILLE FLUKER (6-2, 205, DB, Meridian [MS] HS) – University of Georgia

MARTAVIUS FOSTER (6-5, 260, DL, Starkville [MS] HS) – Colorado State University

QUEZ JOHNSON (6-1, 225, QB, Starkville [MS] HS) – Florida Atlantic University

D.J. JORDAN (6-1, 225, LB, Starkville [MS] HS) – University of Tennessee at Martin

EARNEST LANG (6-4, 320, OL, Columbus, MS/New Hope HS) – Texas Southern University

MARTAY MATTOX (6-2, 190, WR/DB, Athens, GA/Clarke Central HS) – University of North Carolina at Charlotte

RODRIGUEZ MOORE (5-10, 185, RB, Bastrop [LA] HS) – University of Cincinnati

JARRAN REED (6-4, 310, DL, Goldsboro [NC] HS) – University of Florida

FRANK RICHARDSON (5-10, 180, DB, Columbus, MS/New Hope HS) – University of West Alabama

BILLY SHED (5-10, 170, WR, Starkville [MS] HS) – Alcorn State University

COREY SMITH (6-1, 180, WR, Akron, OH/Buchtel HS) – Ohio State University

ZA’DARIUS SMITH (6-6, 255, DL, Greenville [AL] HS) – University of Kentucky

ANTONIO WELLS (6-2, 295, DL, Brooksville, MS/Noxubee County HS) – Alcorn State University

COREY WILLIAMS (6-1, 235, LB, Macon, MS/Noxubee County HS) – Alcorn State University

JASON YARBOR (5-11, 185, DB, Belzoni, MS/Meridian HS) – Northwestern State (LA) University

Note: *Rodney Davis was a sophomore on EMCC’s 2011 NJCAA National Championship team.