South Pointe has three athletes who participated in early signing day
South Pointe High School had three players who participated in early signing day on Dec. 21.
DJ Barksdale, who played everywhere on the field for the Stallions, committed to James Madison University. He played defensive back, wide receiver, returner and quarterback. Barksdale was a First-Team All-State selection and played in the Shrine Bowl. He tallied 100 tackles and led the state with 857 total return yards this season.
Offensive lineman AC McMoore committed to North Carolina Central University. McMoore was a Second Team All-State selection and was chosen to play in the North/South Game. The team captain graded out at 92% as an offensive lineman and recorded 34 pancake blocks this season.
Defensive end AJ Miller committed to Kennesaw State University. Miller also was a First Team All-State and Shrine Bowl selection. He had 114 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks this season.
South Pointe athletic director Carlos Richardson said players like the three, who can hold each other accountable and make the program better as a whole, give him fewer things to worry about.
“Having quality players helps keep things in line,” Richardson said. “You want your athletes to be student-athletes. And we do have leaders like that in the classroom, in the building and in the locker room. They keep things straight. You don’t have to worry about the kids veering too far to the left because they’ve got a great example in front of them on what to do and what not to do.”
Head coach Bobby Collins said players like Barksdale, McMoore and Miller make his job as a coach easier.
“The standard is the standard, and those guys made that clear,” Collins said. “All three guys signed football scholarships... That’s the expectation. More importantly, that’s the standard.
“Everybody in that locker room wants to win the state championship, and everyone in that locker room wants to play on Saturdays. The guys know that’s what required of them, so I’m excited to see the group come back. We got a lot of good football players coming back, so we’re excited about that group.”
Richardson said the biggest thing for him was the academic achievements of all three players to go along with their athletic achievements. Barksdale, McMoore and Miller each earned at least a 3.0 GPA during their high school careers.