Jaden Page is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound dual-threat gunslinger to watch at Riverside High School who recently tendered his big-ticket No. 2 offer from Division II powerhouse Benedict College after a successful camp with the Tigers in Columbia over the weekend.
Page provided us with his reaction to the opportunity from Benedict, the 2022 and 2023 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Division II HBCU national champions and back-to-back NCAA Playoff participants, in an exclusive with recruiting editor and co-owner Lee Wardlaw on Monday night.
"The offer feels great. It's an instate HBCU. (Benedict) is a great environment," he said.
With football gearing up soon for high school and collegiate programs from the Lowcountry to the Upstate this fall, schools large and small are preparing for the big stage.
In the case of Benedict and their-recently tendered prep quarterback, Page will suit up for his senior season finale with Riverside High School, as the Tigers make preparations to go hunting for their third-consecutive conference and Division II HBCU national titles under the leadership of first-year head coach Ron Dickerson Jr.
This happens as Chennis Berry (2020-2023) makes the transition to South Carolina State after bringing big-time glory to Tigers’ fans in the Capital City. Now, a new chapter of Berry’s career will begin to unfold in Orangeburg, where he will seek to knock down the HBCU national crown at the next level.
Berry, who accepted the post for the new position on Dec. 12, will now seek to lead the Bulldogs back to the "promised land" of Atlanta, Georgia for the first time in three years, seeking to follow in the footsteps of former head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, who announced his retirement from State at the beginning of 2023.
Under Pough’s leadership, the Bulldogs toppled Coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State 31-10 in an instant classic upset at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to win the Celebration Bowl and bring the HBCU crown back home to the Palmetto State in Cinderella fashion for the first time since 2009 in a day that State fans will always remember.
With Berry electing to "roll the dice" and take his chances at hoisting the HBCU crown at not only the Division 2, but also the FCS level in South Carolina, Benedict decided to bring in a veteran of his own right to their Columbia campus in the form of Dickerson Jr., who brings 27 years of highly-tenured coaching experience to the table. His resume includes a 2011-13 head coaching stop at Big South's Gardner-Webb.
With power changing hands from Berry to Dickerson Jr., two eras of Tigers’ football coincides amidst Benedict’s recruitment timeline of Page, as the HBCU program who has set their bar higher than ever before has been following the progress of the Upstate athlete since 2022.
Staying on top of the ball for the prospect's recruitment since the early days of his prep career, the Tigers held true with Page over the weekend, tendering their offer to the gunslinger from Greenville who can also run the rock.
Benedict previously hosted Page on campus for their HBCU mega camp last summer and for home games at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, AKA, “the Jungle," in 2022 and 2023 before his most recent visit for the Tigers’ Football Prospect Camp last Saturday.
But the signal-caller has known of the historic college in the Capital City since long before his high school days. "I've been going to Benedict games since I was in the eighth grade, so to know that I have earned the opportunity to go there is such a cool thing," he said.
The Tigers followed Bowie State in pulling the trigger for the capable runner and passer after his successful camp performance over the weekend.
The gunslinger could stay "home" in the Palmetto State and decide to lock in with the Purple and Gold with the Tigers when he makes his final decision and if the offer is commitable, but in the meantime, his determination to "the grind" is continuing to pay dividends.
The Greenville athlete also earned his right to camp with the University of West Georgia, which he announced on Twitter (X), on June 3.
But the Bulldogs, Tigers and the Wolves are just three pieces of the puzzle in Page's overall recruitment throughout his high school career, where he the signal-caller has been busy traveling to universities in the Palmetto State and throughout the Southeast and United States for games, camps, and unofficial visits in hopes of putting his name to the front and center of college coaches.
He camped at Anderson, Middle Tennessee State, and Princeton last summer, saw the Blue Raiders, Kennesaw State, and South Carolina for game days last fall, and was on hand for North Carolina Central's Spring Game and Junior Days at Citadel, Mercer, and Old Dominion this spring.
(Editor's Note: Page was also invited to Bryant, Towson, and Wingate, but couldn't make the trip to either three programs).
Perfecting his craft on the camp trail and the gridiron since 2022, coaches from Bowie State, Benedict, and potential others will be among those keeping track of Page's progress as he enters a big-ticket, senior season finale under "the Friday Night Lights of the Upstate," at his new Riverside High School home. He previously played for Eastside.
Page will seek to provide a shot of adrenaline in the arm of head coach Matt Rochester and the Warriors after their 5-6 finish and first round exit against York in South Carolina's AAAA (4A) playoffs last season.
In the meantime, stay tuned with us to keep up to date with the progress of Page and all football student-athletes from our great Palmetto State.
Film: The school quarterback can put some air under the ball and progresses through his reads well. He appears smart when working through his progressions, making nice, quick, decisions.
Page possesses composure and maintains wide, measured footwork, all while remaining cool, calm, and collected. A large, athletic dynamo, is especially exciting on his quick feet out of option and read packages, and proves to be hard to tackle during short-yardage situations.
The opportunistic signal-caller picks up yardage for his team in check-down situations, with both his arm and legs.
Page could improve his footwork when throwing on the the run, and will need more arm strength, but he demonstrates raw, exciting athleticism.
There are things to like, and the passer could have the tools to start the position in the Division II or become a project player in the FCS. Page could potentially fit the blueprint for a college program as a run-pass option or read-option player, something that matches particularly well to his strengths.
His speed and frame may transition nicely to an NCAA school at another position in either the Division 2 of FCS.
To get a better read on him as a player, we will seek to visit a game for an in-person evaluation, something we seek to do with as many of our Palmetto Preps’ players as possible.
Overall, Page is a fun, exciting player who is easy to watch who fans should look forward to watching under the “Palmetto State Friday Night Lights” this fall as he makes the big transition to the Warriors in “G-Vegas”.
