Meet the Redshirts: Santa Clara’s Jarvis Pugh

Anyone who knows a little bit about high school football knows that the phrase, “everything is bigger in Texas” holds some truth to it.

Football is the center of life for many kids and young men growing up in the Lone Star State. This idea is no more close to the truth than in Plano East High School’s 6A Region 1 District 6. This district has had multiple teams in the last decade rank in the top 50 football programs in the nation, appear on ESPN’s family of networks, and produce some of the top college and pro players of recent memory.

All this thrill of the Friday night lights is interesting, but Jarvis Pugh had another sport in mind.

High School

Growing up around this football culture, Pugh was surrounded with the idea that he would be a football player. It was his love for the game of basketball that separated him from the crowd though. Averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds per game his senior year in a conference that was loaded with future college talent, he began to garner college interest in 2012 and submitted an early commitment to Santa Clara. His play senior year gained him a spot on the all-district team as he helped lead his team to a 26-4 record during this campaign.
Santa Clara:

Entering his first season of eligibility for the Broncos after a redshirt freshman year, Pugh will hopefully be able to make an impact from the start of the season. His all-around game resembles that of the Portland Trailblazers’ Nicholas Batum’s. Pugh can shoot, pass, and attack the basket, but where Pugh stands out is his defensive abilities. Regarded as one of the better defensive players on the team, Pugh’s length and height at the small forward position help him defend players when they are shooting and driving into the paint. His relative quickness at 6’6″ give him the ability to defend the perimeter and even take on players at the guard position who are much shorter than him.

Look for Pugh to make an impact on the Broncos squad this year, especially as a defensive stopper. A promising career is ahead for this young player on a team that is hoping to make some big strides these next couple of years.