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Every now and then, a story comes across my desk that makes me think, “Now, this is something our folks need to know about!”
Jaydee Lane is a senior at Simpson Academy, and this young man has quite a future ahead of him.
Jaydee has committed to play football for the University of Florida and will graduate from SCA early so he can head to Gainesville and participate in spring practice with the Gators.
But here’s what really caught my attention — Jaydee is ranked the No. 2 long snapper in the country!
Long snapping isn’t something Jaydee just decided to try one day. Football—and particularly long snapping—runs in the family. His father, Drew Lane, was a long snapper at the University of Alabama and later played semi-professional football in Birmingham. Jaydee has been working at the position practically his entire life.
And the excitement isn’t stopping with Florida.
Jaydee has been selected to play in the All-American Bowl, and Simpson Academy will celebrate him with a special jersey reveal during Friday morning’s pep rally.
He’s already getting a taste of Gator Nation, appearing on several podcasts as Florida fans begin getting to know one of their future players.
I love seeing young people from our area work hard, set big goals and then get the opportunity to see that work pay off. From Simpson Academy to Gainesville, Florida—that’s quite a journey!
And something tells me we’re going to be hearing the name Jaydee Lane quite a bit in the years ahead.
Below is the official press release with more about Jaydee, his accomplishments and what’s ahead.
Congratulations, Jaydee! Enjoy every minute of this exciting time—you’ve certainly earned it.
Nationally Ranked Class of 2027 Long Snapper to Be Recognized at October 2 Pep Rally
MENDENHALL, MISSISSIPPI — Simpson Academy is proud to announce that Jaydee Lane, a member of the Class of 2027 and one of the nation’s top-ranked high school long snappers, has earned Navy All-American honors. He will be honored during the school’s upcoming pep rally. Jaydee will receive his Navy All-American commemorative sweatshirt.
EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Time: 8:10 a.m.
Location: Simpson Academy High School Gymnasium
Jaydee Lane is currently one of the top-ranked longsnappers in the Class of 2027, rated #2 by Rubio Longsnapping and #1 by Prokicker.com among available prospects. Earning Mississippi Gridiron’s title of #1 Special Teams Player to Watch, he is a 2nd Team Rubio All-American and a 1st Team Prokicker.com All-American. Jaydee also has the rare distinction of earning both 2027 Navy All-American and 2024 FBU Freshman All-American honors. Jaydee holds a 6-star rating from Rubio Longsnapping and a 5 star rating from Prokicker.com, placing him among the elite specialists in his class. Jaydee holds a 3 star overall rating through Rivals and 247. Jaydee has received numerous full scholarship offers and is committed to play for the Florida Gators next season.
Jaydee has won multiple Rubio Dallas Regional Camps, captured the Underclassman Invitational National Championship in Los Angeles, and won the Rubio National Championship in Vegas 47, competing against some of the top longsnappers in the country. Jaydee was selected as a member of Rubio Longsnapping’s elite Top 12 two years in a row, including winning the overall Top 12 competition in 2026. In addition, he has won several Hammer Kicking Camps and earned Top 40 Top Performer recognition twice.
A multi-sport athlete, Jaydee was the starting first baseman on his varsity baseball team, where he helped lead his team to their first state championship in 20 years. During their playoff run, Jaydee batted an incredible .542 average. Jaydee also led the team in home runs, slugging and RBIs. Jaydee has been named Capital Sports Top Performer of the week four times as well as Simpson County News Athlete of the week.
Jaydee, a Mendenhall native, is the son of Amber Lane and former Alabama longsnapper Drew Lane, and he has a younger brother, Jackson. Outside of athletics, Jaydee enjoys golfing, fishing, and skeet shooting, and is a member of Beulah Baptist Church.
Jaydee Lane will play in the Navy All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 9, 2027, at 12:30 pm. CT inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
The Navy All American Bowl is an annual all–star football game showcasing the Nation’s elite prospects. Seventeen All-Americans have been Heisman Trophy finalists, with over 450 later playing in the National Football League. Notable alumni include Andrew Luck, Adrian Peterson, Odell Beckham Jr., Eric Berry, Tim Tebow, Joe Thomas, Tyron Smith, Robert Quinn, C. J. Mosley, DeMarco Murray, and Chase Young Jaydee is currently the only Mississippi athlete to play in this prestigious bowl game.
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