Justin Bean hoped to wear the blue and white of the University of Kentucky this fall, but instead the former Tupelo High football player will be dressed in the blue and red of Itawamba Community College.

Bean, who graduated from Tupelo High in May, fell just short of qualifying academically at Kentucky, according to ICC assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Jeff Carter.

"It was my ACT (score)," said Bean, who has been attending summer classes at ICC for the past two weeks after officially signing with the Indians.

"I don't know how long I have to stay here. I'm just here for a certain time.

"I plan on going to Kentucky unless I get a better offer somewhere else."

The 19-year-old wide receiver was named to the Daily Journal's 2008 All-Area first team after catching 36 passes for 753 yards and six touchdowns for the Golden Wave.

"ICC's really getting themselves a great football player," said Tupelo High head coach Eric Collins.

Said ICC head coach Jeff Terrill, "We're thrilled to have Justin aboard with us. He is a terrific kid with a great attitude and by originally signing with an SEC school, we all know about what he can do on the football field."

After missing the first two games of last season due to an ankle injury, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver caught six passes for 156 yards and two TDs against Amory.

"It would have been scary to see how good he could have been had he been healthy," Collins said late last fall.

Bean, who said he's healthy now, had committed to Kentucky before the start of last season.

That didn't stop Jeff Carter from recruiting the Tupelo product, who was part of a trio of receivers last season that caught more than 35 passes from LSU commitment Chris Garrett and accounted for more than 600 yards apiece.

Among the trio was Bean's childhood friend, Chad Bumphis, who will be playing for Mississippi State this fall.

"I had a hunch," Carter said. "When you do this for a long time, you start to get a feeling.

"We'll get him back to Kentucky."

Carter and company got another member of that Golden Wave receiving trio to sign with ICC in February. Garrian Heard, who happens to be Bean's cousin, caught 41 passes for 624 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. The two will be rooming together in Fulton.

"It's nice to have some talent out there and depth," Carter said. "We got quality depth right now.

"It's good to have two quality receivers from Tupelo. We haven't had much luck in Tupelo as we would like."

This year proved to be the exception as six players from Tupelo High committed to ICC since February's National Signing Day. Not to mention, kicker-punter Darius Garrett became the first Tupelo Christian Preparatory School player to sign with ICC when he committed in February.

Joining Bean and Heard at ICC will be linebacker Kelsey Stovall, offensive lineman Chris Bell and running backs Jon Price and Parker Ball.

"It will be pretty good playing with them again," Bean said, "because I know them all."