Baker, White find new places to play
Jan. 25—Two of the most prolific wide receivers Cobb County has produced in recent years have found a new home, and one will have a friend to throw him the ball.
Former McEachern standout Javon Baker announced that he will be transferring from Alabama to Kentucky, while former Marietta star Ricky White is trading in the cold winter at Michigan State for the desert of UNLV.
Both players made their announcements on social media over the weekend.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Baker, who caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown for Alabama this season, posted on Instagram that he would be continuing his career with Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky.
For his two years in Tuscaloosa, Baker caught nine passes for 116 yards and the one touchdown.
"Thank you to everybody who believed in me and guided me thru this process ... let's show the world what they haven't seen yet (for) sure," Baker wrote.
A former four-star recruit, Baker was the No. 34 overall wide receiver in the class of 2020 according to 247Sports.
After not being able to break through in Alabama's loaded receiving corps, that should not be a for Baker problem at Kentucky, where he could move straight into the starting lineup with Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson, who is expected to try to fill the role of former No. 1 receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who left for the NFL draft.
Baker, who has three years of eligibility remaining, could end up being the likely No. 2 receiver, replacing Josh Ali and creating a three-receiver set that would likely include DeMarcus Harris.
As for White, heading to UNLV will create a Marietta reunion as he joins former Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey as part of the Runnin' Rebels offense. Bailey announced his move to UNLV last week.
"I Stayed Down For This," White tweeted, tagging UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo.
White and Bailey had a magical year together in 2019 as Marietta won the Class AAAAAAA state championship. White caught 103 passes for 1,521 yards and 19 touchdowns in their only season together. They completed their high school careers in Las Vegas, beating Washington state champion Eastside Catholic as part of the GECIO State Champions Bowl Series.
While at Michigan State, White played in only four games in 2020 before redshirting and missing the entire 2021 campaign. His highlight with the Spartans was against archrival Michigan in 2020, when he caught eight passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. He was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week for his efforts and finished the season with 10 catches for 233 yards.
The 6-1, 175-pound White, who was a three-star prospect coming out of high school, should have four years of eligibility remaining thanks to the extra season the NCAA granted each student-athlete due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
