Hilton Head’s Jaylen Sneed, a Notre Dame commit, named SC’s Mr. Football for 2021
South Carolina’s top high school football prospect earned one of the state’s top honors Saturday.
Hilton Head Island High School linebacker Jaylen Sneed was named 2021 S.C. Mr. Football. The award, handed out at halftime of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, is given to the top senior football player in the state based on accomplishments on and off the field.
Sneed is the first Hilton Head Island player to win the award and first in school history to be nominated. He also is the first linebacker to win the award.
“I just know it is a great honor,” Sneed said Saturday. “Growing up in South Carolina and knowing players that have won it and gone on to the NFL, I have a chance to be the best player I can be. This is special to bring it home to my school and family.”
Sneed said he was a little surprised to win the award because Gray Collegiate running back KZ Adams was a popular pick among fans and won an online poll for the award this week. Adams set a state record with 3,344 rushing yards this season and finished his career with more than 8,100 yards.
“I didn’t know if I was going to win it or not, I was just hoping and praying I could,” Sneed said. “It was just an honor I did.”
Sneed was joined at the game by his mother and head coach BJ Payne, who remembered meeting him as player in the area’s youth program in the fourth or fifth grade.
“He was different then,” Payne said. “When he hit someone, he was different. He was incredibly unselfish player, great kid.
“I have said it for three years that he was the best player in the state. He has worked for us and had a great year, a four-year starter. So it was well-earned.”
In eight games this season, Sneed had 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a sack, two blocked punts and two interceptions. On offense, he saw time at quarterback and threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 760 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Sneed is the No. 1-ranked prospect in South Carolina by 247Sports Composite and committed to play at Notre Dame. He was selected to play the Touchstone Energy Bowl but missed because of injury, and he was picked for the Under Armour All-American game next month.
Sneed plans to play in that game and enroll at Notre Dame on Jan. 8. The Fighting Irish just went through a coaching change with Brian Kelly leaving for LSU. Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was promoted to head coach. Freeman offered Sneed his first scholarship as a freshman when Freeman was at Cincinnati.
Freeman had his in-home visit with Sneed this week
“We talked about defensive schemes and stuff like that and how is he going to make Notre Dame a great place to be,” Sneed said. “.... Coach Freeman is a down-to-earth guy and never tells you the glitz and glamour. He tells you how it is. He is like family already.”
Other Mr. Football finalists for 2021
▪ KZ Adams, RB, Gray Collegiate: Four-year starter at running back for the War Eagles set the state’s single-season rushing record this year.. Adams finished with 3,344 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns, 40 of them on the ground, in helping Gray to its first state championship. For his career, Adams has 8,117 rushing yards and 117 total TDs. Adams, the school’s first Mr. Football finalist, is committed to Georgia State for college.
▪ Will Mattison, QB Northwestern: Mattison threw for 3,085 yards and had 50 total TDs (41 passing) in helping the Trojans to the third round of the Class 5A playoffs. In two years as a starter, he threw for 4,611 yards and had 64 total touchdowns. He is committed to Gardner-Webb.
▪ Trent Pearman, QB, Daniel: South Carolina’s 2020 and 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year went 24-0 in two years as a starter in helping Daniel to back-to-back Class 3A state championships. This season, Pearman threw for 3,759 yards and had 53 total touchdowns (45 passing). For his career, he has passed for 6,555 yards and has 89 total touchdowns. Pearman, the son of Clemson director of scouting Danny Pearman, is uncommitted for college.
▪ Adam Randall, WR, Myrtle Beach: Randall is the No. 3 prospect in South Carolina, according to 247Sports Composite, is committed to Clemson and will play in the Under Armour All-American game. This season, Randall caught 65 passes for 1,267 yards, rushed for 325 and accounted for 24 total touchdowns. In three seasons on varsity, Randall had 126 catches for 2,493 yards and 37 total touchdowns.
HISTORICAL WINNERS OF SC MR. FOOTBALL
Year, Name, Position, School, College
1995 — Jermale Kelley, WR, Berea, South Carolina
1996 — Kyle Young, OL, Daniel, Clemson
1997 — Chris Hope, DB, Rock Hill, Florida State
1998 — Derek Watson, RB, Palmetto, South Carolina
1999 — Mark Logan, QB, Greenwood, Georgia Tech
2000 — Roscoe Crosby, WR, Union, Clemson
2001 — Moe Thompson, DE, Stratford, South Carolina
2002 — Eric McCollom, QB, Camden, Iowa
2003 — Trey Elder, QB, Byrnes, Appalachian State
2004 — J.D. Melton, QB, Myrtle Beach, Navy
2005 — Prince Miller, DB, Byrnes, Georgia
2006 — Malcolm Long, QB, Gaffney, South Carolina State
2007 — Richard Mounce, QB, Blythewood, Charleston Southern
2008 — Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Pointe, South Carolina
2009 — Marcus Lattimore, RB, Byrnes, South Carolina
2010 — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Pointe, South Carolina
2011 —Shaq Roland, WR, Lexington, South Carolina
2012 —Tramel Terry, WR, Goose Creek, Georgia
2013 —Jacob Park, QB, Stratford, Georgia
2014 — Matthew Colburn, RB, Dutch Fork, Wake Forest
2015 — Tavien Feaster, RB, Spartanburg, Clemson
2016 — Gage Moloney, QB, Northwestern, James Madison
2017 — Dakereon Joyner, QB, Fort Dorchester, South Carolina
2018 — Zacch Pickens, DE, T.L. Hanna, South Carolina
2019 — Luke Doty, QB, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2020 — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Gaffney, Georgia
2021 — Jaylen Sneed, LB, Hilton Head, Notre Dame
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
