Hilton Head’s Sneed Dominating In New Ways

Ian Guerin October 16, 2020 @ 03:17 PM

Like most of the athletes who were sequestered into home-based workouts during the school and summertime lockdowns, Hilton Head’s [player_tooltip player_id="59462" first="Jaylen" last="Sneed"] found himself struggling a bit when the team was finally allowed to assemble in mid-August. Then, following the initial lengthy layoff, nearly all of the Seahawks’s varsity roster spent parts of September under a quarantine due to COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> So when the season finally opened on October 9, Sneed needed a few extra breathers.</span> “It’s hard coming from no offseason to go straight into football,” Sneed said. “You’re out of shape. You had to work out by yourself just to get into [football shape].” Most players would be lucky to struggle like he did. Despite the hiatus and a position change from linebacker to a hybrid end spot, the No. 4 junior in South Carolina began the year with a huge game in a 35-12 victory over Bluffton. Sneed had two sacks and six quarterback hurries while playing about 85 percent of the defensive snaps. If that wasn’t enough, he also took another 15 snaps on offense in a wildcat roll and rushed for three touchdowns. You know who wasn’t surprised by that? Any of the first 30-plus colleges who have already offered him a full scholarship. Beginning with Iowa State midway through his sophomore season, Sneed has been getting a steady diet of Power-5 interest. The latest of the bunch was Louisville, which joined the fray mere days after that game against Bluffton. It took Sneed a bit to recognize what some of them - like the one from Nick Saban - meant in the grand scheme of his future. “I wasn’t interested in recruiting. I was just playing football. That’s what I was taught to do,” Sneed said. “When the Alabama offer came in, I was a little scared. Coach [B.J. Payne] told me ‘Many more were on the way.’ It’s nerve-racking; all these colleges are looking at you. There are no slip ups.” On the contrary, thanks to that position change, the 6-foot-2, 218-pounder is now diversifying his film to back up all those offers and likely keep expanding his college options. They’re now seeing him fighting off offensive tackles after putting his hand in the dirt instead of from an upright start. Sneed intends to cut his list to a top-20 by the end of the year and a top-five by the beginning of his senior season. By then, he believes he’ll finally be in football shape.