UPDATED WITH STORY: Patterson's Jennings signs with Mississippi College

Josiah Jennings did it all for Patterson High’s football team in 2022. Now Jennings will see what he can do for Mississippi College next year.

Jennings signed a letter of intent Friday to attend and play football for the Clinton, Mississippi, Baptist college.

“I’m really excited for him,” Patterson head coach Garrett Kreamer said. “He earned it. He’s been a playmaker on both sides of the ball. He’s been a leader for us.”

Patterson went 8-5 and reached the state Non-Select Division III quarterfinals in November. Jennings played a big role in the team’s success on both sides of the ball.

Jennings finished the year with 62 rushes for 339 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s as a running back.

As a tight end and occasionally a wide-out, he had 17 receptions for 200 yards and a TD.

Then there was his work at linebacker: 27 tackles, five for losses, 21 assists, two sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

“He was a tackling machine,” Kreamer said. “He made every tackle that came to him.

As much as for his stats, Jennings stood out for the intensity with which he plays.

That, Jennings said, was motivated by assistant coach Termaine Lightfoot.

“He told me, ‘Just be you, because I know you’ve got it,’” Jennings said.

“He’s definitely got that ‘it’ factor to him,” Kreamer said. “He’s just a dominant player out there on the field. We counted on him a lot.”

Jennings said he picked Mississippi College because of “how they treated my family and how they treated me.”

Mississippi College — the Chocktaws — relied heavily on the running game during a 4-7 2022 season in NCAA Division II’s Gulf South Conference.

Jennings appears likely to play at running back or H back, a receiver position similar to tight end but lining up in the backfield.

“He’s going to be a bruiser for them,” Kreamer said.

Jennings' mother and stepfather are Jarel Jones and Mark Jones Jr.. His grandparents are Johnel and Jennings Sr. and Etta Ruffin.