Reed, Goldsboro alum, headed to U of Florida

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on February 7, 2013 1:47 PM

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Although his recruitment process may have required a road map that included a couple of detours, Jarran Reed is proof that dreams really do come true.

After stops at Hargrave Military Academy and East Mississippi Junior College, Reed, who starred as a defensive lineman at Goldsboro High School, signed a national letter-of-intent with the University of Florida on Wednesday.

He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

The Gators finished 11-2 this past season and lost to Louisville in the Sugar Bowl.

"I've always dreamed of playing in the SEC," Reid said. "It came down to where I feel most comfortable. I really like coach (Will) Muschamp and his personality. He has made that team better. They don't rebuild, they reload.

"Hopefully we can continue that tradition and win an SEC championship and a national championship."

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Reed verbally committed to the University of North Carolina last June, but recently chose to re-open his recruiting process. He was offered scholarships by a number of different schools, but Reed's decision ultimately came down to Florida and Alabama.

"With Carolina, it was a great experience for me and having that chance to possibly play close to home," Reed said. "Then I thought about the chance to play in the SEC and I opened my recruiting back up. I kept playing well and I had the chance to get offers from SEC schools.

"I'm just thankful for the chance to play in the SEC."

Reed tallied 118 tackles, including 59 solo tackles and one fumble recovery during his senior season at Goldsboro. He was the 2010 News-Argus All-Area Defensive Player-of-the-Year and was also named to the NCpreps.com All-State 1-A team for his efforts.

Reed was part of back-to-back Carolina 1-A Conference championships during his final two seasons with the Cougars.

After high school, Reed spent time at Hargrave Military Academy and continued his career at East Mississippi Junior College. He recorded 19 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery for the Lions, who finished the season 8-2.

"He really has put us on the map," Goldsboro head coach Eric Reid said. "He didn't take the normal road traveled and for him to be able to receive the accolades to be able to put himself in this position speaks to his work ethic. I'm proud of what he's accomplished and I think it speaks volumes for this conference and our area."