By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Former Southern Alamance football player Jackson Parrish has opted for a change of scenery midway through his college career.
Parrish has transferred to North Greenville in Tigerville, South Carolina, going from one Division II Conference Carolinas team to another after leaving Barton.
“Ultimately, it was just about me being able to enjoy where I was at,” Parrish said. “It was a multitude of factors. … I was trying to get to a place to get a fresh start.”
North Greenville went 7-5 with a 41-28 home victory against Barton in September, helping it to a 6-0 conference record. The Trailblazers were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs by West Florida, completing the first season under coach Nate Garner.
For Parrish, he likes the championship mindset he noticed at North Greenville.
“I have got a team with a better drive behind them,” he said. “Hope I can add to that fuel.”
Parrish and former Southern Alamance player Logan Foust were a running back combination in the Patriots’ rush-heavy offense in high school. Parrish said his workload might lessen with the Trailblazers compared to his seasons with Barton.
“I’ve got to do it in less amount of carries,” he said, noting his goal will be for 5 or 6 yards per carry. “It was definitely hard. At the college level, they definitely hit a little bit different.”
He said maintaining a pace with some games with 30-plus carries isn’t practical. Parrish weighs about 220 pounds, noting his preference to add a few pounds prior to the grind of the season.
“My playing style can’t be exactly like it was back at Southern Alamance,” he said
Yet he’s looking to maintain certain production levels.
“I’m trying to stack those big games,” he said. “I’m OK with not getting that many carries. Just trying to be consistent about it.”
North Greenville finished spring practice prior to spring break. Parrish said that made it a quick transition, though he figures the next few weeks with be critical in his development.
“You have to continue trying to learn the playbook,” he said.
Parrish’s uniform number has changed from No. 22 at Barton to No. 5 at North Greenville. He said his admiration for former Eastern Alamance and Elon University running back Malcolm Summers, who wore No. 5, prompted that change.
Parrish said his connections to North Greenville were limited, though he had met students from there during his prior activities with Young Life camps. There will be another former Southern Alamance player at North Greenville because current senior Camden Edwards, an offensive lineman, has signed to play for the Trailblazers.
North Greenville will play Oct. 24 at Barton.
“When I get to show everybody what I’ve been working for,” he said.
During Barton’s 3-8 season in 2025, Parrish rushed for three touchdowns and 104 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns vs. North Greenville.
After entering the transfer portal, Parrish said he received contact from a variety of Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and NAIA programs, including an offer from Division II Catawba. Though he has an advisor/agent, he said Name, Image and Likeness (better known as NIL) factors weren’t part of the process.
Parrish finished with 1,095 rushing yards, while 10 of his 11 touchdowns coming on rushing plays, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt in 2025. No other Barton player ended up with 100 rushing yards for the season.
Parrish led Conference Carolinas in rushing, eclipsing the 200-yard mark in three games, and was named to the all-league first team.
Parrish said he has changed his major from communications to sports management. That led to an opportunity while on spring break last week in an intern-type capacity to assist with activities related to the NCAA Tournament’s men’s basketball games in Greenville, South Carolina. He aided with logistical areas such as hotel shuttles in conjunction with North Greenville’s collaboration with site host Furman.
“Trying to build my other network,” he said.
That also resulted in Parrish being in the arena for some of the high-drama finishes of games at that site.
