FRANKLIN — Five Franklin seniors signed national letters of intent with three schools on Wednesday, giving them the chance to continue their education and playing days at the college level.

Christopher Jones signed Wednesday to play at Southern University, while De’Jhon Parker and D’Andre Charles signed with Louisiana College and Jon-Micah Dyer and Jai’ondrick Lovely signed with Arkansas Baptist.

The quintet signed in front of family, friends and school officials at the Franklin Senior High library on Wednesday morning.

“We have a pretty good sized group (signing),” Franklin head football coach J Ina said. “Any time you can help a young man get to the next level is always rewarding. We had a real disappointing season this year, but I always preach to the guys that you continue to work hard. If you’re talented, they’ll find you. Take care of your business academically, stay out of trouble, and you’ll give yourself a shot.

“Each of those guys have done that, and I’m real proud of them.”

All the players are excited for the opportunity to play college football and further their education, their coach said.

Jones is slated to be a defensive end for the Jaguars, Ina said, which is a good spot for him.

“He’s going to get a chance to compete early for some playing time,” Ina said.

Jones plans to get a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in sports administration and hopes to coach some day.

“From playing football to getting my bachelor’s and my master’s, I’m just looking forward to everything,” Jones said.

He said he thinks the Jaguars are looking for him to bring energy and effort and have a good work ethic.

Charles could be a tight end, receiver or H-back at Louisiana College, his coach said. Charles said he was recruited mainly as a tight end

“He’s probably the biggest sleeper of the group,” Ina said. “He’s only been playing football two years. I had to convince him to come off the basketball court, because he’s a heck of a basketball player, too. He has a tremendous upside in football.”

Like Jones, continuing his education is important to Charles. He plans to study either pharmacy or dental hygienics. Charles said he’s glad to have a teammate signing to go to the Pineville school with him, and is looking forward to playing in college. 

“I’m very excited, very excited,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to go make a name for myself.”

Parker was a running back and linebacker at Franklin and could play either at Louisiana College, Ina said. He expects Parker to be a running back for the Wildcats.

“Once he learns the finer points of the game, I think he’s going to be a real good back,” Ina said. “He got a 27 on the ACT, so he’s an excellent student.”

Parker said he’s known Charles for a long time.

“We’ve been together our whole life, so for us to go there, we’ll be more comfortable,” Parker said. “If I ever need something, I’ll have somebody to go to.”

Parker said he plans to visit the school Friday. LC recruiting coordinator Mike Richard, who coaches the offensive line, visited Franklin to talk with Parker, who plans to major in business administration.

“I’ve been sold since the day Coach Richard came down in bad weather,” Parker said. “We probably weren’t going to have school that day, and he came all the way down just to talk to me, so that got me sold on them.

“It’s a great feeling (to sign). It’s great to have this process over with because at one point it’s pretty slow, and you don’t know (what’s going to happen). All the hard work has paid off.” 

Dyer is another late bloomer who came on this year. He’ll be a safety at Arkansas Baptist, located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“When he began to take it seriously and saw that he could play and maybe have a future, he began to do the things that he needed to do to give himself a chance to play at the next level,” Ina said.

“I’m very excited. Really excited,” Dyer said of getting a chance to play in college.

Dyer plans to study communications in college. He said he’s glad to have a teammate going to school with him.

“Someone that I’ve been with since knee high,” he said.

“That’s like a brother to me,” Lovely said.

Lovely is an outstanding player who should give the Buffaloes a solid defensive line prospect.

“If he was bigger, he would’ve been on everybody’s prospect list,” Ina said. “He has a motor that doesn’t quit. You don’t find a lot of them with motors like that.”

Lovely plans to study engineering.

“I’m feeling great,” Lovely said of signing his college papers. “I’m happy that God gave me another opportunity to play on the next level. 

He expects to play either defensive end or outside linebacker, the spots he played in high school.

“You’ve got to be aggressive,” Lovely said of playing defense.