Olive Branch’s Shead ready for LSU challenge
Olive Branch's Jalen Shead is a 6foot-4, 240-pound college football prospect at tight end.
“I like my position,” he said. “I feel like that's where I was meant to be on the football field. People were telling me that I looked like a tight end before I even started playing football.”
First-year Conquistador coach Darren Bowling agrees.
“Jalen definitely looks the part and plays the part,” he said. “At practice, several times, we could just see a dominant player out there. You could tell there was a difference between him and the other guys. When you have that kind of kid, you know, ‘OK, this guy is ready for big-time football.'”
Shead is No. 3 on The Commercial Appeal's 2020 Dandy Dozen, a collection of the top 12 college football prospects for the Class of 2021 from the Mid-south. He will take that next step by signing with LSU.
“I just want to get better,” said Shead, the No. 14 prospect in Mississippi in the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite. “I've got a lot of upside. Ready to surprise a lot of people.”
That group includes those who knew him in middle school.
“I played B-team — backup everything,” he said. “I was like really slow. I think I played center in eighth grade.”
Now, he's off to the Southeastern Conference with multiple of positions under his belt.
Shead made his commitment to the Tigers on Aug. 30. It came less than a week before the Conquistadors' 2020 season opener.
However, due to Shead's nagging, midsummer hamstring injury, the Olive Branch coaching staff held him out of action.
“He took several weeks off at that point,” Bowling said. “By the time he got back and got healthy, he played variable positions for us — tight end, middle linebacker and defensive end. We just used him as much as we could, and he did a really good job for us.”
He also played long snapper and punter.
“I already knew how most of the stuff worked, so whenever I filled in, I was comfortable,” said Shead. “I thought I was going to be nervous, like the first game, but it was just football. Overall, the season went pretty well. It was a new experience.”
And while the volume of opportunities at tight end were limited, Shead was still pleased.
“I went in for three plays at tight end,” he said. “I got two pancake (blocks). I also ran one route at receiver — and it was a touchdown.”
These days, Shead is continuing to produce on the basketball court.
“He's got enough grit in him. He's a tough kid,” Bowling said. “He's athletic enough to go straight from the football field to the basketball court and start on the basketball team. Throw down some dunks and stuff that big guys can do. He's an athlete that's built well — and that's what people are looking for.”