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| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 5 |
| Num Episodes: | 38 |
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| Runtime: | 52–76 minutes |
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| Network: | Netflix |
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Last Chance U is an American documentary television series that is produced by and premiered on Netflix. The six-episode first season explores the football program at East Mississippi Community College, which features several collegiate athletes that have had trouble in their lives and struggled with finding structure. The players are then required to perform at the junior college (JUCO) level, under the stewardship of coach Buddy Stephens, in order to prove themselves and return to Division I.
The series' second season returned to Mississippi, but transitioned to Independence Community College in Kansas for the show's third season, which premiered on July 21, 2018. This was followed by a return to Independence for the fourth season; it debuted on July 19, 2019. The final season took place at Laney College in Oakland, California and premiered on July 28, 2020. In 2020, it was announced that a scripted drama based on the first two seasons would be produced by and star Courteney Cox.
The first two seasons focus on all aspects of the football program at East Mississippi Community College, one of the most successful JUCO programs in the country. Major themes include the academic struggles of the players – some of whom have come from severely disadvantaged backgrounds. This is set against an overall redemption and coming-of-age “last chance” theme for the group of men struggling to find their place. Team academic advisor Brittany Wagner is featured prominently as she is tasked with getting all team members to graduate on time. Head coach Buddy Stephens' struggles with controlling his temper is also a major theme, which is often juxtaposed with his devout Christian faith that he attempts to impart on the team.
The crew followed the EMCC Lions during their 2015 season as they attempted to capture their fourth JUCO national title. While the team appeared dominant for much of the year, their season was derailed after a brawl broke out during their game with Mississippi Delta. EMCC was disqualified from the state playoffs and a potential berth to the national championship game.
Ranking: NJCAA released prior to game.
Netflix returned to Scooba to follow their 2016 season. Once again holding national championship aspirations, the team faced a major hurdle in that only 32 of their players were eligible for their opening game with Jones County Junior College due to suspensions related to the previous season's brawl. EMCC lost that game, 27–25, their first season-opening loss since 2010. The Lions would go on to win the rest of their games, but were left out of the national championship game when they finished the season ranked No. 3 in the polls.
Ranking: NJCAA released prior to game.
Despite being invited back to EMCC for a third season, producers decided to move the show to Independence Community College of Kansas. The new location is different in that ICC has historically had much lower expectations than EMCC; in 2016, it ended the season 5–4, its first winning season in ten years. The ICC Pirates had a very successful recruiting campaign for the 2017 season, landing many acclaimed players who began at NCAA Division I schools.Jeff Carpenter, the long-time Voice of the Indy Pirates delivers the back story of the team and the town of Independence, KS.
Ranking: NJCAA released prior to game.
The fourth season continues in Independence, where the team fails to live up to high preseason expectations, finishing 2–8. After the season, Coach Brown is forced to resign for insensitive remarks. The season received the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary.
Ranking: NJCAA released prior to game.
The fifth season takes place in Oakland, California at Laney College alongside football head coach John Beam. It premiered in July 2020.
The series was given a positive review by SB Nations Jason Kirk, who summed it up as a "carefully crafted drama with personalities to care about." Critical aggregator website Metacritic awarded the series a score of 79, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
| Player | Position | Transfer in | Transfer out | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Franklin III | Franklin was officially added to the Auburn football roster in 2016 and played sparingly in his first season on The Plains, recording one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns while backing up starter Sean White. In August 2017, he transferred to Florida Atlantic University as a wide receiver. After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft, Franklin signed with the Chicago Bears as a defensive back. He spent the 2018 season on the Bears' practice squad, and was finally waived in August 2019. In November, he was signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad and was promoted to the active roster a month later, making his NFL debut in a Week 17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. | ||||
| Wyatt Roberts | — | On the show, Roberts mentions that if big offers don't come in, he's going to be content to move on to Mississippi State, where he would attend as a student and not walk-on to the football team. True to his word, Roberts did not walk-on to Mississippi State. However, after a quarterback transferred out of the team, Head Coach Dan Mullen approached Wyatt, who then walked-on to the team. | |||
| Dacorius (D. J.) Law | — | Law was officially admitted to UAB after final clearance was provided on August 30, 2016. Struggling with academics and an injured knee, he did not play for UAB and left the team in May 2017. | |||
| Allenzae Staggers | — | Staggers joined the Southern Miss football team after the culmination of his Junior year at EMCC. In his first season with the Golden Eagles, he led the team in receiving yards with 1165, and added 7 touchdowns, and was placed on the Biletnikoff Watch List He also had a team record 292 receiving yards in a single game. After the 2018 season Staggers was invited to the Washington Redskins' minicamp. He was waived on August 27. | |||
| Ronald Ollie | — | He played one year at Nicholls State and had 41 tackles, two sacks, and a touchdown. He then left, saying he wants to play at a higher level, but returned in early 2018. Ollie was invited to work out for the New Orleans Saints in preparation for the 2019 NFL season. Although undrafted, Ollie was invited for the Oakland Raiders rookie minicamp and signed with the team shortly after. He was cut during the pre-season. He was on the roster for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League for the 2020 season, before the 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Ollie was cut prior to the 2021 Toronto Argonauts season. | |||
| Marcel Andry | — | Andry played 10 games in his first season with the Colonels and had 17 tackles. Played all twelve games in his senior season while starting one. After running out of eligibility, Andry stayed at Nicholls State as a graduate assistant and later was promoted to defensive line coach. Andry would stay at Nicholls as a defensive line coach for 3 years before joining Holmes CC in 2021, reuniting him with EMCC coach Marcus Woods. | |||
| Gary McCrae | — | McCrae only appeared in two games at Louisville (against Charlotte and N.C. State), and did not register any stats. It wasn't much better for him in 2017, as he registered four tackles in limited playing time – most of it on special teams. He played two games in 2018 before injuring his shoulder against Indiana State, missing the rest of the season. He is listed as a grad student on Louisville's 2019 roster. | |||
| James Davis | OL | — | UAB | ||
| Isaiah Wright | — | West Georgia | Signed by Auburn in 2016, but never attended. Committed to West Georgia in 2017 and attended spring training but never played for them, and in August 2017 it was announced that he was leaving the team. On September 13, 2017, Wright was charged with criminal homicide connected to a fatal stabbing in Tennessee in July. | ||
| C. J. Reavis | After finishing his college career at Marshall, Reavis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent and made the team's active roster during the 2018 season. He became the first player from the show to appear in an NFL game after his debut on December 2, 2018, against the Indianapolis Colts. |
| Player | Position | Transfer in | Transfer out | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeAndre Johnson | After sitting out the 2017 season due to blood clots in his arm, Johnson competed with Oklahoma transfer Chris Robison for the starting quarterback position. After not starting for FAU, Johnson transferred to Texas Southern in 2019. | ||||
| Isaiah Wright | — | Wright participated in spring football at WGU but left the school before the season began. He was arrested for criminal homicide in September 2017. On November 8, 2017, the charges were dismissed against his brother Camion, also featured on Last Chance U. On August 8, 2018, Wright plead guilty to facilitation of aggravated robbery in exchange for having his criminal homicide charge dropped. He received credit for time served and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation. During 2019, Wright joined the Alcoa Alloys of the Independent American Football League. Wright was able to get another chance to play college football at Union College of the NAIA for the 2021 season. | |||
| Chauncey Rivers | Rivers was redshirted for the 2017 season due to academic ineligibility. During the 2018 season, Rivers had 2.5 sacks and 24 tackles for the Bulldogs. After the 2019 season where he had 5.0 sacks and 40 tackles, Rivers was named to the 2019 All-SEC football team. In April 2020, the Baltimore Ravens signed Rivers as an undrafted free agent. | ||||
| Dakota Allen | Texas Tech | Had a breakout junior season in 2017, with 92 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and six forced turnovers. Named All-Big 12 by Pro Football Focus and second-team All-Big 12 by coaches and media. Allen was officially invited for the NFL Scouting Combine in 2019. He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft and became the first player of the show to be picked in the NFL Draft. He signed a contract with the Rams on June 7, 2019. He was signed off the Rams' practice squad by the Oakland Raiders in September, and made his NFL debut the following month. However, he was waived by the end of the month, and returned to the Rams' practice squad again in November, leaving a second time to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars in December. | |||
| Kamonte "Kam" Carter | Played sparingly at Pitt and in January 2018, announced he was transferring. Ultimately transferred to Duquesne for the 2018 and 2019 season, where he made the All-NEC First Team both seasons. | ||||
| Tim Bonner | Joined the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. | ||||
| Ezekiel Rose | — | ||||
| Vijay Miller | — | — | Also played baseball at EMCC as a pitcher and was drafted in the 14th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. After pitching for the Arizona League Padres for the summer, Miller returned to EMCC for the 2018 season. |
| Player | Position | Transfer in | Transfer out | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | Nevada | Henry failed to receive an offer from a Power Five conferences school, and was listed on the 2018 ICC football roster. He announced in January 2019 that he would be walking-on at Nevada. He started two games and then left the school. He later joined the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League. | |||
| Rakeem Boyd | Texas A&M | Rushed for 2,176 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career at Arkansas. | |||
| Kerry Buckmaster | Later transferred to West Texas A&M. Quit football in March 2019. | ||||
| Kingston Davis | Michigan | Cut from the team following an arrest. Later transferred to Lane College. | |||
| Carlos Thompson | Texas Tech | Decided to forgo his Senior season and declared for the 2019 NFL draft. He was not drafted. | |||
| Emmit Gooden | — | Dismissed from the team following a domestic assault arrest | |||
| Calvin Jackson | — | ||||
| Keith Williams | — | ||||
| Delrick Abrams | — | Colorado |
| Player | Position | Transfer in | Transfer out | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Jones | Georgia Tech | ||||
| Chase Hildreth | — | Texas State | |||
| Markiese King | — | King signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Lamar, but he withdrew from Independence before graduation, making him ineligible to play Division I college football. Later enrolled in Central Oklahoma | |||
| Jermaine Johnson II | — | By far the biggest success from the show. Played two seasons before transferring to Florida State. As a fifth-year senior with the Seminoles, Johnson led the ACC in tackles for loss (18) and sacks (12.0), was named 1st Team All-Conference, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award for college football's best defensive end, and was included in several All-America teams. He was drafted 26th overall in the 2022 NFL draft by the New York Jets and named as an alternate to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games roster. | |||
| Bobby Bruce | — | Manatee Neptunes | A student reported $250 stolen from his dorm room. Bruce was seen on video entering the room with two other people and leaving with a full bag in his hand, he hadn't had with him while entering the room. Bruce was cut from the football team. Subsequently, signed to play arena football for the A-League's Manatee Neptunes. In February 2020, he was arrested for cocaine possession. | ||
| Kailon Davis | — | Medically retired from football in 2021, later joined the Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions. Davis went unselected in the 2022 NFL draft, and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL before being released during the offseason. | |||
| Chance Main | — | Played 2 years at Incarnate Word, and took the 2021 season off for rehab. Later signed with the Colorado Buffaloes for the 2022 season. |
| Player | Position | Transfer in | Transfer out | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dior Walker-Scott | WR | — | Hawai'i | Preferred walk-on in 2020. Earned a full scholarship in 2021. | |
| RJ Stern | WR | — | Decommitted from Tusculum | ||
| Day'Marr Johnson | WR | — | |||
| Nu’u Taugavau | OL | — | Murray State | One of his uncles played at Murray State | |
| Ryan Mackey | QB | — | Returned to Laney College for the 2020–21 season | ||
| Kentrell Pierce | DB | — | Lincoln (PA) | ||
| Rejzohn Wright | DB | — | |||
| Keyshawn Ashford | RB | — | Foothill | ||
| Alex Gonsalves | RB | — | — |
On March 10, 2021, a spin-off series Last Chance U: Basketball premiered on Netflix, introducing a new sport for the award-winning documentary series to follow. The eight-episode first season explores the basketball program at East Los Angeles College, which features a once faltering junior college team that has become a title contender under head coach John Mosley. Through his strong convictions, Coach Mosley leads young men who hope to fulfill their major college potential. On September 10, 2021, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on December 13, 2022.
Mosley's Huskies enjoyed their best season in ELAC history during the 2019–20 season. The team had their eyes on the CCCAA State Title, entering the Championship Tournament with a program-best 29–1 record while being ranked the second-best team in the state. Their season was cancelled, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| November 1 | Oxnard | COC Tournament Event from 11/1-11/2 | Oxnard | W 120–68 | |
| November 2 | Cuyamaca | COC Tournament Event from 11/1-11/2 | Oxnard College | W 71–40 | |
| November 9 | Arizona Mesa | Arizona Mesa | W 78–72 | ||
| November 15 | Grossmont | Hunter Classic Event from 11/15-11/17 | San Bernardino | W 98–63 | |
| November 16 | Copper Mountain | San Bernardino Tournament Event from 11/15-11/17 | San Bernardino | L 78–76 | |
| November 17 | Antelope Valley | SBVC Tournament Event from 11/15-11/17 | San Bernardino | W 89–85 | |
| November 27 | Santa Monica | Santa Monica | W 87–82 | ||
| December 4 | Mt. San Jacinto | RCC Holiday Tournament | Wheelock Gym, Riverside City College | W 70–61 | |
| December 5 | Riverside | AHF Riverside Classic | Riverside | W 79–73 | |
| December 7 | Copper Mountain | Riverside Classic | Wheelock Gym, Riverside City College | W 86–69 | |
| December 14 | Cerritos | ELAC | W 57–51 | ||
| December 18 | Citrus | ELAC | W 77–69 | ||
| December 28 | Cuyamaca Classic | Cuyamaca College | W 73–62 | ||
| December 29 | Cuyamaca | Cuyamaca Classic | Cuyamaca | W 69–42 | |
| December 30 | Southwestern | Cuyamaca Classic | Cuyamaca College | W 93–74 | |
| January 3 | El Camino | El Camino | W 126–81 | ||
| January 8 | LA Southwest | ELAC | W 85–72 | ||
| January 10 | LA Harbor | LA Harbor | W 82–68 | ||
| January 15 | Compton | Compton | W 93–82 | ||
| January 17 | Long Beach | ELAC | W 83–68 | ||
| January 22 | LA Trade Tech | ELAC | W 98–77 | ||
| January 29 | Pasadena City | SCC North | ELAC | W 102–72 | |
| January 31 | Mt. San Antonio | Mt. San Antonio | W 90–80 | ||
| February 5 | Rio Hondo | ELAC | W 107–79 | ||
| February 7 | LA Trade Tech | LA Trade Tech | W 94–59 | ||
| February 14 | Pasadena City | SCC North | Pasadena City | W 86–78 | |
| February 19 | Mt. San Antonio | ELAC | W 97–69 | ||
| February 21 | Rio Hondo | Rio Hondo | W 109–86 | ||
| February 29 | Saddleback | Southern California Regional, Round 2 | ELAC | W 69–53 | |
| March 7 | Allan Hancock | Southern California Regional Final | ELAC | W 68–65 | |
| March 13 | Santa Rosa | CCCAA Championship, Quarterfinals | West Hills Lemoore College | Cancelled |
| Joe Hampton | Forward | Penn State | Long Beach State | After a four-year long struggle, Hampton finally returned to Division I basketball at Long Beach University. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.1 rebounds during the 2020–2021 season and 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds during the 2021–2022 season. After leaving Long Beach State, Hampton joined the Panthers Fürstendeld in Austria. | |
| Deshaun Highler | UTEP | Sacramento State | Highler transferred to Sacramento State University, where he averaged 5.0 points a game for the 2020–2021 season and 4.5 points a game for the 2021–2022 season. After leaving Sacramento State, Deshaun joined the Cimarrones del Choco of the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano. | ||
| Malik Muhammad | Forward | – | Central Michigan | Muhammad ended up at Central Michigan University, averaging a little over 20 minutes and 5.5 points a game in the 2020–2021 season. For the 2021–2022 year, Muhammad transferred to Southern Utah, averaging a little over 5 minutes and 0.7 points a game in the 2021–2022 season. For the 2022–2023 season, Malik transferred again to Campbellsville University in the NAIA. | |
| KJ Allen | Forward | – | Texas Tech | Allen committed to USC but later de-committed and committed to Texas Tech. | |
| LJ Zeigler | Guard | – | Chicago State | Zeigler earned some playing time at Chicago State University before his season was once again cancelled due to the pandemic. Zeigler later transferred to division Emporia State in the NAIA for the 2022–2023 season. |