Without question, one of if not the most exciting and prolific prep players in the state of Michigan this season has been Muskegon quarterback La'Darius Jefferson.
The senior is fresh off a state title in which his Big Reds ran the table to a perfect 14-0 season and hoisted the Division 3 trophy at Ford Field last weekend. And already with multiple ‘Player of the Year' honors (MLive and Associated Press) in his back pocket, Jefferson added another similar honor on Wednesday.
Congratulations to Muskegon’s La’Darius Jefferson (@LaDariusJ2) – 2017 STATE CHAMPS! Mr. Football! pic.twitter.com/D5tWKjDfws
— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) November 29, 2017
Blessed to be The Hungry Howie https://t.co/o9q9j4EnpO ????????✊???????? pic.twitter.com/iGBuQEVvm8
— L J ???? (@LaDariusJ2) November 29, 2017
Jefferson pulled out all the stops this season. After moving up to the state of Michigan for his junior year from Mississippi, his role was reduced to a platoon of sorts before becoming “the guy” at Muskegon HS this season.
Just how good was he for the Big Reds?
La'Darius Jefferson broke the school record for both rushing yards and rushing TDs in a single season.
Jefferson finished the season with 2,097 rushing yards and 33 rushing TDs, surpassing Big Red great Ashton Leggett (2,031 yards, 32 TDs in '06) in both categories. #GoBigReds pic.twitter.com/umgd1tjkrI
— On Muskegon (@OnMuskegon) November 27, 2017
La’darius Jefferson had 32 carries, 245 yards and 4 TDs on his 18th birthday leading Muskegon to the State Championship! pic.twitter.com/Zfifdrv2rD
— FOX 17 Blitz (@FOX17Blitz) November 26, 2017
Now despite being a quarterback, Jefferson was not much of a thrower throughout the season. He had just a little over 1,200 entering the state championship game against Farmington Hills Harrison last week. It's also why he's not necessarily the most heralded quarterback in the Class of 2018.
The 3-star prospect Jefferson recently decommitted from Central Florida earlier this month after pledging to the Golden Knights back in May earlier this year. The decommitment from UCF came just days after Jefferson received a scholarship offer from Michigan State, who is reportedly his front-runner. He's currently scheduled to visit the Spartans some time in early December.
There are a number of schools in the general Great Lakes region vying for his services come next fall. According to 247Sports, Purdue and Indiana are also honing in on Jefferson, as are MAC powers Toledo and Western Michigan. Jefferson also has an offer from the Air Force and Naval Academies.
What does the future hold for Jefferson? Well it's all going to depend on what he wants to do at the next level. Some schools, like Michigan State, might seem him better fit as a running back, given his success on the ground each of the past two seasons. He has expressed his openness to play any position on the field, so long as he can contribute in a big way and continue to improve.
