It feels like every week T.C. Taylor and Jackson State football are announcing a new high-value transfer portal pick up and so far in the month of May the Tigers have added three heavy hitters to their football roster: Duke Miller, Syr Riley, and Joe Perkins. Let’s take a look at the newest batch of Tigers who are headed to Jackson.
DUKE MILLER
Seventeen days after committing to Alcorn State; former New Mexico wide receiver Duke Miller flipped his commitment to the Brave’s fiercest rival… the Jackson State Tigers. Decked out in an all-white JSU uniform, Duke Miller tweeted “I’m betting on me,” to announce his new placement.
Born in Raleigh, Miss., Miller started his collegiate career at East Mississippi Community College. For his two seasons he had an impressive 57 receptions; ranking him second in the JUCO ranks. Throughout his football career, Miller recorded 72 catches, 902 yards, and 10 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Miller had his best season, with 57 catches for 622 yards and six touchdowns.
Miller signed to the University of New Mexico in December of 2022. But he only lasted the spring season with the Lobos before entering the NCAA football transfer portal four months later.
SYR RILEY
The former three-star recruit is an offensive lineman transfer from Washington State University.
Hailing from Inglewood, Calif., Syr Riley attended Pacific Palisades High School where he received multiple accolades for his skills as an offensive lineman. As a junior, he was named the Western League Offensive Lineman of the Year and earned a spot on the third-team All-State Junior Team by Cal-Hi Sports. He also received All-City Section second-team honors.
Before his senior season, Riley was ranked the sixth-best guard prospect in the Top-10 Guards in the West. As a senior, he was named to the All-Western League First Team and recorded 55 blocks in 12 games, tying for the team lead. On defense, he even had a 63-yard interception return.
He was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247Sports and Rivals and was ranked the No. 71 offensive guard prospect in the country by 247Sports. Rivals also ranked him as the No. 100 overall prospect in California.
Riley was a part of the 2018 freshman class for Washington State. Unfortunately, the o-lineman didn’t see any action within his four seasons with the Cougars. Riley will start his Jackson State football career as a redshirt junior.
JOE PERKINS
Joe Perkins signed with Florida International University as a true freshman in 2020. In his three seasons with FIU, the defensive back played 22 games. Within those games, Perkins bagged 35 tackles. Breaking down those tackles, 19 were solo and 16 were assisted.
Perkins is a native of Jackson, Mississippi.
The defensive back was listed as a three-star prospect according to 247sports. He was recognized as the MAIS 6A Player of the Year and ranked as the 126th-best safety in the country. In high school, Perkins played on both sides of the ball, serving as a safety and wide receiver. He was productive on offense, piling up almost 500 yards receiving and scoring 11 touchdowns as a senior. Defensively, he logged 60 tackles, eight pass breakups, two blocked punts, and an interception return for a touchdown as a senior.
Jackson State football filling transfer portal gaps with serious talent
