uab recruiting update: blazers target four defenders from youngstown state
Photo by Ken Shepherd
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - April 19, 2024
UAB football’s transfer portal targets including four players from Youngstown State. All four – defensive linemen Anthony Johnson and Deamonte Diggs, cornerback Troy Jakubec and safety Tyjon Jones – posted on social media that they received scholarship offers from UAB.
*Johnson is 6-foot-2, 289-pound tackle with one year of eligibility remaining. He originally attended Bowling Green University, where he played 3 games, before transferring to Youngstown. He played in 33 games with 27 starts over three seasons with the Penguins. His career numbers including 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks. Johnson signed with Illinois out of the transfer portal in December and went through spring practice with the Illini. He re-entered the transfer portal recently.
*Jakubec is a 6-foot-1, 186-pound cornerback with career numbers that include 109 tackles, seven interceptions and 31 pass breakups. He played in 44 games with 33 starts during his time at Youngstown State. Jakubec was an all-conference selection last season.
*Jones is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety with four years of experience. He played in 35 games with 15 starts. His career numbers include 98 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups.
*Diggs is a 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end, who will be a redshirt junior in the fall. He played in 24 games the past two seasons with 26 tackles, five sacks and eight tackles for loss.
Other players from the transfer portal recently reporting an offer from UAB:
*Donald Lee is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound cornerback from Grambling with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He played in 23 games at Grambling with 36 tackles, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
*Ivan Yates is a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Furman with one year of eligibility left. In four seasons, he’s played 37 games with 93 tackles and an interception .
*Anthony Dunn Jr. is a 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end from Florida A&M. He was an All-SWAC selection in 2023 after compiling 46 tackes, 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He had 12 tackles against South Florida. Dunn has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
*Tariq Waston is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound cornerback from Minnesota. The Gretna, Louisiana native, who has three years left, played in 13 games with 10 tackles this past season. He’s also reported offers from Temple and UTSA.