The Golden Triangle was packed full of National Signing Day participants, with more than a half-dozen schools in the area having players sign their National Letters of Intent.

Among Columbus High School, Starkville Academy and Starkville High School, 10 players committed to playing at the next level, signing with some of the best junior-college programs in the country.

Columbus got things started on Tuesday afternoon as defensive end Tyrese Erby officially signed with Itawamba Community College.

He won’t be the only player to head to ICC from the Golden Triangle, with New Hope’s Alex McCarter and Alex Dawkins being among those who also signed with the school, but it was the coaching staff who sold him on signing with the program above all.

“They didn’t really have an impact at all,” Erby said. “I just liked the coaches. I liked that environment.

“I’m really excited. I feel like that coaching staff is going to get me to where I want to be at, really help develop me.”

Erby was one of the leaders on a Columbus defense that allowed 20 points or less in each of its five district wins this season.

The Falcons went 5-2 in district play, clinching a berth in the playoffs for the first time in more than five years, and Erby is a perfect example of where the program is now and where it can get to moving forward.

“They established the footprint and I’m excited to see the future, what we have coming up for years to come,” Columbus head coach Josh Pulphus said. “The sky is the limit.”

Starkville Academy also had one player signing this week: offensive lineman Jacob Hemphill, who signed his NLI to play at Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Hemphill made the transition from defense to offense as a senior, one of the major leaders on the defensive side of the ball for two years turning into a big offensive leader for the Volunteers, who reached the MAIS Class 5A playoffs again this season.

“It felt like home,” Hemphill said. “It felt like a place I could fit in … I played everywhere, played a bunch of different positions, so I got used to being flexible and playing anywhere.”

Being able to be as flexible of a player as he was made things much easier for head coach Chase Nicholson, who was able to best utilize a player of his size and stature to open up holes for Starkville Academy’s running game.

Coming into Northeast, Hemphill has a great opportunity to compete for a starting position, and the door is wide open for him to do so.

“I can’t be more proud of him,” Nicholson said. “I’m excited for him, and I think he’ll go in there and compete for a starting spot. He’s got that personality. He’s a competitor, and he’s got a passion for it.”

Starkville has eight players participate in National Signing Day

Coming off a state championship and with three seniors already committed to play Division I football, Starkville’s commitment list for this year’s senior class grew to 11 on Wednesday morning as eight players signed their NLIs.

Six of them decided to continue their careers at East Mississippi Community College as the Starkville to Scooba connection grows in force.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what they were going to do,” Starkville head coach Chris Jones said. “I’m just happy they’re going to school … They’re a big part of the reason why we had a successful season. You have a good group of kids like that who bought into the process of doing things the right way.”

Those who decided to head to EMCC were wide receiver/cornerback Jaylon York, running back CJ Willis, defensive lineman Tony Lucious, cornerback Jejuan Davis, safety Brandon Short and linebacker Ny’jadus Holloway.

York was one of the top receivers for Starkville this season, giving quarterback Trey Petty a great option down the field. 

He was also one of the better options in the secondary for the Yellow Jackets, even making a strip fumble in the state championship game that he returned for a touchdown. 

York is excited to join the Starkville to EMCC pipeline.

“It feels good to still have another season with my brothers, keep competing against each other,” York said. “I’m going to love it.”

Willis moved over to the offensive side of the ball toward the middle of the season and became the featured running back for the Yellow Jackets, totaling over 800 rushing yards for the season.

After being a multi-year leader in the secondary, Willis’ versatility on the field gave Starkville the offensive jolt it needed to finish the season on an eight-game winning streak.

“I feel like we’re going to be something great together,” Willis said. “We have a chance of doing a lot of good things, going a lot of great places.”

Lucious was one of the anchors of Starkville’s defensive line, one that was able to penetrate through and get pressure on quarterbacks.

He was one of four Yellow Jackets to receive an invitation to the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game, a well-deserved honor for a top-end lineman in the district and the region.

Davis and Short were two key senior leaders in the secondary for the Yellow Jackets, a team that allowed 19.3 points a game and allowed 15 points or less in eight games, including a four-game stretch during the last two weeks of the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs.

Holloway was the man in the middle, the leader of the linebacker corps, who had 174 total tackles and 30 tackles for loss in his senior season, including the interception that flipped Starkville’s season around in the semifinals against Tupelo.

“I know (EMCC) is a good, winning program and it just fit me the best,” Holloway said. “I’m ready to put in some work and hopefully go to a four-year school.”

Along with the six signees to EMCC, two Yellow Jackets will be headed to play at Itawamba Community College after Wednesday’s announcements.

Defensive lineman J.D. Methvin and offensive lineman Terry Clayborn will head down to Fulton, hoping to shape their own careers to follow in the path of a number of ICC players who have transferred to four-year colleges, some of whom continued on to play in the NFL.

Clayborn shored up the offensive line for the Yellow Jackets, one of the interior linemen this season for Starkville, and he did a fantastic job at preventing sacks and tackles for loss.

Methvin had a big part to play on the defensive line, and as one of the bigger players on the roster — standing at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds — he used his size to his advantage when it came to quarterback pressures and bringing down players at or behind the line of scrimmage.

“To have somebody that I know I’m good friends with going there with me, to go through workouts and practice, that’s going to be a good thing,” Methvin said.