UMS-Wright standout Joe Lott was looking for a college that felt like home.

He found it at Troy University.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound senior announced his commitment to coach Jon Sumrall and the Trojans on Monday afternoon.

“When I went up there this summer, I had a good camp and I talked with the coaches for about an hour afterward,” Lott said. “Coach Sumrall offered me. I was looking for a place like home, a place where I could be comfortable. The coaching staff is a lot like UMS. They are energized and ready to put in work.

“They believe they are the best. That is who I want to play for.”

Lott visited Troy for the Trojans’ game with James Madison on Sept. 16. He chose Troy over offers from Army, Navy, Air Force, Miami of Ohio, Western Michigan and Southern Illinois. He said he could play on either side of the ball in college.

“They said they don’t really care where I play,” Lott said. “It depends on what type of weight I put on. If I can put on some weight quickly, they said they could see me on defense. If I’m lighter, maybe at receiver. It’s really just about where they see me fitting in when I get there.”

Lott has played all over the field for UMS. In addition to his safety and special teams roles, Lott added quarterback to his resume this year. He’s rushed for 311 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 225 yards. He has 11 tackles on defense and a blocked field goal.

“I like defense and offense,” he said. “I probably feel more comfortable on the defensive side right now because that is what I’ve mainly practiced, but I feel like if I lined up at receiver – once I got some practice under my belt – I would feel just as comfortable there.”

As a junior, Lott was a first-team Class 5A all-state selection. He finished the season with 74 total tackles and five interceptions. He also rushed for 255 yards and seven touchdowns, completed 4-of-6 passes for 47 yards and 2 TDs and caught a touchdown pass.

Lott said now seemed like the right time to commit.

“I didn’t want to wait any longer,” he said. “I didn’t want to risk them offering other guys and then not have a spot left for me. I knew I wanted to be a Troy Trojan.”

At Troy, Lott will be on the opposite side of the Battle for the Belt rivalry from his former UMS teammate Cole Blaylock, who plays for South Alabama.

“We will be rivals for the first time ever,” he said. “It’s something fun to think about. It will be really cool if we get to play each other and all the hype that would bring around UMS. It’s a neat opportunity.”

The Bulldogs (2-3) are idle this week before hosting Elberta on Oct. 6.