FAIRHOPE, Alabama—2012 Fairhope Graduate Charles Carter III has enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss., to play football with hopes of getting to LSU in the near future.

Carter said Tigers coach Les Miles asked that he take the CC route first since he didn't play safety at all his senior year for the Pirates where he was needed more at linebacker and corner back.

CC-3 is bound to get noticed while at MGCCC as well as get tons more playing time to make an impact and stay noticed. That's a quality conference and he'll see some good competition and get better and better.

Ranked No. 4 in the preseason this year, the Perk Bulldogs went 10-2 in 2011 and finished No. 6 in the country, its sixth-straight season with a top-eight national run. MGC won the MACJC South Division championship four of the last five years and tied for the NJCAA championship trophy in 2007.

East Mississippi, the defending national champion, handed Perk its only losses last year -- the regular-season opener and in the MACJC championship game.

The EMCC Lions are ranked No. 1 in the preseason with Butler County (Kan.) and Arizona Western ahead at two and three. Trailing Gulf Coast to round out the top 18 are notable powerhouses in Blinn (Texas), Hinds, Trinity Valley (Texas), Iowa Western, Snow (Utah) and Hutchinson (Kan.). Northwest Mississippi at No. 11, Navarro (Texas), Eastern Arizona, Dean (Mass.), New Mexico Military, Tyler (Texas), Coffeyville (Kan.) and Iowa Central,.

The Bulldogs begin the season on the road upstate in Delta Tiger country at Coahoma Community College’s in Clarksdale, Miss., at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, August 30.

Clarksdale, Miss., is also regarded by many as the birthplace and world capital of The Blues. If the Bulldogs play up to specs, Charles and company may well inspire the Tigers to moan a few bars of Muddy Waters best.