McGriggs hopes to push his name out among college coaches in the Mid-Atlantic
Watch Episode 4 of Top Football Plays 2015, which features Joshua McGriggs’ four-touchdown performance this past Friday against Jefferson as the No. 2 play. (Video by Nick Plum for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC / The Washington Post)
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September 23, 2015, 1:22 p.m. — Mount Vernon senior receiver Joshua McGriggs is known in the Washington, D.C. metro region for his flashy jukes and elusiveness. His highlight reel displays have made him a regular on the All-Met Sports Top Plays show, but that has yet to translate to success in terms of recruitment.
McGriggs hopes to stay in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country, identifying the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia as his base. Thus far, he has visited three Division I FCS programs, Delaware, JMU and North Carolina A&T, and says JMU is one of the main schools he is eyeing at this point.
He hopes to get in communication with bigger schools as well, including Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia. He understands he has a long way to go to catch the attention of those types of programs, but believes he can make some noise over the remainder of his senior season in Alexandria, Va. with the Majors.
“The main thing is just working hard and making sure that they know my name,” McGriggs said, “make sure that I get my name out there, get in touch with the right kind of people that can get my name out to those schools, and have enough evidence to show these schools that I’m good enough to play at that level.”
The 5-foot-7, 165-pound receiver uses his speed and agility to make up for his lack of size. The prototypical receivers all well exceed 6-feet tall and use their size to snatch balls away from cornerbacks. McGriggs’ play, on the other hand, is all about giving him the ball in the open field.
Many players of his stature become defensive backs and punt returners at the college level or beyond, both of which are positions he already plays. For example, Brandon Banks reached the NFL as a return specialist at just 5-foot-7 and sub-150 pounds when he signed a contract with the Washington Redskins in 2010.
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“You can give me the ball and let me work,” McGriggs said. “I’m a player that can get open in any situation, and I think I can really help a team out with a spread offense or any team that just likes to spread the defense out and throw the ball all over the field.”
McGriggs has used his open-field mentality to rack up 22 catches for 398 yards and six total touchdowns through just three games this season, after earning second-team all-state honors last season as a utility player. His performances have led the Majors to a 2-1 record with wins over Jefferson and Stuart. This past Friday in the win over the Colonials, he amassed eight catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns through the air, in addition to a kickoff returned for a fourth score.
“I just hope that college coaches can look at this and can apply it to what their program is, and say, ‘we can use this player in this type of situation,’” McGriggs said.
Although a lot of what is seen out of McGriggs is natural ability, he has worked hard to hone his skills during his time with the Majors, fine tuning the jukes and sudden stops seen when he is in the open field. He uses these skills to get out of situations that most players simply cannot.
“When you go from the high school level to the college level it’s all about technique,” McGriggs said. “I want coaches to see the technique that I’m working on, it’s an advanced technique, and I want to let them see the explosiveness.”
In addition to location and the right fit in terms of football, McGriggs is looking for a collegiate institution with a strong program in athletic training, which is his intended major. He values the classroom as much as he does the gridiron, and tries to be a role model for his young Majors team. He hopes to leave a legacy that goes beyond the wild jukes on the field.
“My goal is to set the bar high for the guys coming in under me,” McGriggs said, “and I push my team to set the bar high, maturing in the game and being students of the game, watching film, being in the classroom more, just applying things on the field and off the field with them, showing them we can set our goals higher than last year.”
Last season the Majors did not win a single game, but under McGriggs’ senior leadership, the squad already has two victories despite moving up to the 6A level, and will return to action this Friday at home against T.C. Williams (1-2). He says he will take nothing for granted, and will take advantage of every opportunity to score or to help get his team in a better position, knowing his future coach may be watching.
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