The last time Justin Baylor played defense on a regular basis, he was a sophomore at Meridian High School.



But it’s defense the 6-foot 175-pounder is expected to play at the next level, and after two years of leading the Wildcats as the MHS starting quarterback – Baylor made those intentions clear over the weekend when he committed to Jackson State University.



“They’re signing me as an athlete, but I plan on playing (defensive back),” Baylor said after pledging to play his college ball for the Tigers. He picked JSU over Division 1-A teams like Rice and Georgia Tech and a host of two-year schools including Pearl River, East Central, Itawamba and East Mississippi community colleges.



“It really came down to Jackson State, Georgia Tech and Pearl River,” Baylor said. “But I really like the new coach at Jackson State … really just all of their coaches are pretty cool.”



Rick Comegy is the man the Jackson State faithful hope can revive the once-proud Tiger football tradition; and as Baylor put it, Comegy “just wins.” He comes to JSU after a highly-successful career at Tuskegee, where he won a black college national championship.



Baylor has already qualified academically, making a 20 on his ACT test.



He’s the fourth Meridian High player to commit to a four-year school thus far. Running backs Cordera Eason and Derrick Davis plan to sign with Ole Miss, while linebacker Roshaad Byrd has pledged his duties to Southern Mississippi.



National signing day is Wednesday.