By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

It was Steve Pardue’s son, Chas, who first told him about a kicker who was going to be the next great Granger.

Chas was in the fourth grade when he told his dad, the head football coach at LaGrange High, about an eighth-grade kicker at Gardner Newman named Joseph Mansour.

“He said, ‘Dad, I know whose going to be the kicker next year,’ ” Pardue said. “I went over and watched him, and he was kicking that small ball, but he was kicking it into the end zone.”

Chas proved prophetic.

Mansour did indeed establish himself as one of the all-time Grangers, and he leaves the school having made three of the 11 longest field goals in school history, including a 59-yarder last season.

On Wednesday, along with three of his teammates, Mansour signed a letter of intent to play college football.

Mansour is going to Kentucky, quarterback Jamius Gunsby is headed to South Florida, defensive lineman Johnderrius Lovett signed with Valdosta State, and defensive back/wide receiver Josh Manning will play for Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Manning hopes to go to Kentucky after his stint at Southwest.

Also on Wednesday, former Granger Mychal Bailey signed with Kentucky after spending two seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Mansour and Bailey are two of the latest LaGrange players to sign with Kentucky.

Four other Grangers, defensive back Randall Burden, linebacker Qua Huzzie, defensive lineman Tristian Johnson and kicker Pat Simmons are already on the Kentucky roster.

Kentucky, Mansour said, “just made it feel like home.”

Kentucky is getting a special player.

Mansour’s ability to boom mammoth field goals is just part of the story.

He also averaged nearly 43 yards per punt, and put 83 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone.

No wonder, then, that Mansour figures he has a chance to come in and kick as a freshman.

“That’s what they’re telling me,” Mansour said. “They’re telling me I’m coming up there to switch the field and stuff.”

Mansour made a lot of his extra points the past few seasons after touchdowns by Gunsby.

The 6-5 Gunsby threw for 656 yards, ran for 351 more, and had 17 total touchdowns.

Gunsby was on Florida’s recruiting radar for much of the past year, but he ended up at another school in the Sunshine State, South Florida.

“It’s a great place to be,” Gunsby said of the Tampa school. “They made me feel welcome. I had a lot of fun down there. I just felt like that was the place I needed to be.”

South Florida head coach Skip Holtz had been recruiting Gunsby when he was the head coach at East Carolina. After South Florida fired coach Jim Leavitt, Holtz got that job, and he maintained his interest in Gunsby.

Last weekend, Gunsby took a recruiting trip to South Florida, was offered a scholarship, and he accepted.

“Coach Holtz, he made his decision. I just had to make mine,” Gunsby said. “I was ready to commit.”

Gunsby, who also played wide receiver during his time at LaGrange High, is going to South Florida to be a quarterback.

It is a position of need for South Florida, who has just one quarterback on scholarship.

“We desperately need quarterbacks in this class,” Holtz said. “When you look at Jamius Gunsby you see that he is 6-5 and 230 pounds and I definitely think he fits the bill athletically.”

Gunsby said he’s “ready to get in there and compete and work hard, just do what the coach tells me. I’m ready to compete, period.”

Pardue figures Gunsby is joining a program with limitless potential.

South Florida, which Pardue said has “unbelievable” facilities, is located in a talent-rich area, meaning the school doesn’t have to look far to bring in recruits.

“South Florida’s kind of like Miami was 25 years ago,” Pardue said. “They’re on the cusp of doing some really big things. He’ll have an opportunity to go down there and develop.”

Lovett is going to Valdosta State, which has become one of the elite Division II programs in the country.

Valdosta State won a national title in 2004 and played for another one in 2007.

“When you go there, you have a chance to win championships,” Pardue said.

Added  Lovett: “When I went, I just felt like I was at home. They showed me around town. I had fun with the guys. I just fit in with them.”

Lovett was one of the Grangers’ leading tacklers last season, and he anchored the defensive line.

“Johnderrius has worked really hard,” Pardue said. “He was our most valuable defensive player this year, and he could have been our most improved defensive player also. I think the sky’s the limit with him, the way he improved this year.”

Lovett said Wednesday marked the culmination of a lot of hard work.

“It’s a great feeling knowing you’re going to college,” he said. “You work so hard during the year, for four years, and then you get this chance.”

Manning, who had a remarkable senior season, said he’s “ready to go” to Southwest Mississippi and begin his college career.

Manning had a spectacular senior season for the Grangers.

He had six interceptions, including two for touchdowns, and he also scoured four offensive touchdowns.

Manning was also the Grangers’ top return man, and he even blocked a pair of extra points.

Known mostly as a defensive back, Manning said the Southwest coaches have something different in mind for his freshman season.

“He was telling me they’re going to play me at receiver,”

Down the road, Manning knows where he wants to go.

“Kentucky,” he said. “Definitely Kentucky.”