Three Jets sign scholarships on National Signing Day
Ryan Parris, Dylan Hampton and Logan Stenberg, with their respective families, at the James Clemens signing ceremony Feb. 4. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – For the first time ever, James Clemens High School was in the mix for the nationwide phenomenon that is National Signing Day.
On Wednesday morning, Feb. 4, Logan Stenberg, Dylan Hampton and Ryan Parris affirmed their commitments to play football at the college level. Stenberg, who played left and right tackle in his high school career with the Jets, made things official with the Kentucky Wildcats, a commitment he had made in April 2014.
“It’s always been a dream to play college football, especially in the SEC,” Stenberg said. “I’m just happy to do it at Kentucky.”
Stenberg said he was told he would most likely fit in at guard with Kentucky. He is listed at 6-6, 327 pounds and was Kentucky’s 13th signee Wednesday.
“It’s a huge relief to finally sign the papers and be done with the whole thing,” Stenberg admitted.
Sitting to Stenberg’s right was outside linebacker/defensive end Dylan Hampton, who recently committed to Harding University over the weekend. The 6-3, 220-pound Hampton is listed as a defensive end on the Bisons’ athletics page.
“They’re a Christian school and I have a lot of family friends that go there, so I went there and they really just treated me well,” Hampton said. “They have a great program there. “They’re a huge family there, so it’s a great place to be.”
Hampton said he will most likely redshirt his freshman year but will compete for a starting spot his sophomore year.
Though not officially signing a scholarship on Wednesday, Ryan Parris took his biggest step yet towards his “lifelong dream” of playing at the University of Alabama.
“Every time I went on the field to visit when I was a little kid, my heart just started beating a little faster,” Parris said. “Just to stand on the field at Bryant-Denny, I can only imagine what it’s like coming through the tunnel.”
Parris, who played center for the Jets and was selected for the Alabama – Mississippi All-Star Game for the position, will walk-on with the team as a long snapper and attempt to earn a scholarship with the team sometime during his career.
“I know they did with Carson Tinker [before] his senior year, so it’s a long shot, but it’s a possibility,” Parris said.
He said he’ll be behind the Tide’s current starter Cole Mazza, who is a rising junior, and that he’ll have a chance to earn the starting job when Mazza graduates.
“Whether I get a scholarship or not it doesn’t matter as much,” Parris said. “I’ll just be happy playing there.”
