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Alajawon Whitfield signed on to play football at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) on Tuesday. Like at Lanett, he is signed as an athlete and can slot in wherever the team needs him to play. 

Whitfield and his family beside him, beamed as he put pen to paper. 

“It’s a relief, but I know I got a lot more work to do going to the next level. I’m proud, you know,” Whitfield said with a grin. “I feel like my work is really paying off, from since I was a kid, so it’s been an amazing feeling.”

Whitfield has been a valuable slot player on all sides of the ball, from playing as a wide receiver and defensive back to returning punts. MPC appealed to the senior because they recruited him as an athlete, allowing potentially make an impact in multiple positions.

“Whatever I can do to get on the field and produce; that’s my main goal.” Whitfield added he hopes to become the “number one JUCO athlete. Really getting my name out there…just grinding until I get my way to the top.”

Another draw was that the JUCO team had developed players and even coaches, allowing them to go on to the next level. 

“The brotherhood they got there is really genuine,” Whitfield said. “The coaches were hitting me up every day, trying to make sure I come out there…The head coach that was there, he just moved to Arizona State, so it was just a great move for me.”

The Whitfields are a well-known name in Lanett. Alajawon’s older brother, Elijah was a key part of Lanett teams in recent years, suiting up as quarterback in 2022. When asked if he received any advice from his older brother, the younger Whitfield laughed and said, “Be better than him.”

Whitfield got to sign on the same day as teammate Christopher King. 

“It’s an amazing feeling because we were together for our whole school [career]. So, to see him win, see both of us win. It’s a good feeling to see both of us win,” he said.

The recruiting process has become more difficult with high school athletes with the rise of the transfer portal and the new JUCO rule, that time playing at junior colleges will not count toward Division 1 eligibility. 

“It was so hard, you know, not really knowing what’s the best decision for you,” Whitfield said. “[I believed] in God, you know, putting everything into God and just letting everything play out.”

RJ McDonald, Lanett’s head coach, is confident in Whitfield’s ability to make an impact at MPC

He added, “I think it is actually a really, really great fit for him…they’re a little newer as far as the football program, but they’re coming off of a really good season…When he goes there, and he does what he’s supposed to do, I think he’s gonna have a chance to showcase all of his talents in any position they decide to put in.”