As the college football season comes to a close, high school recruiting heats up.
Two days ago, prospects from all over the country had the privilege to participate in the Under Armour All-America game and six recruits decided it was the right time to announce where they would play college football for the next three to five years.
Under Armour All-America Announcements
Shades Valley (Birmingham, AL) DT Daron Payne: Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide claimed another stud on the defensive line after five-star defensive tackle Daron Payne chose the Tide over arch-rival Auburn. According to al.com. Payne still plans to visit Auburn and Mississippi State, so keep an eye out until he officially inks his name on Signing Day. Nevertheless, Saban and his staff have done a masterful job on the recruiting trail in recent years, especially on the defensive line.
McKinney North (Texas) RB Ronald Jones : USC Trojans
The four-star running back’s decision came down to USC and Notre Dame but the Trojans won out in the end. Jones was originally committed to Oklahoma State but decided to open up his recruitment on Dec. 14 after visiting both USC and Notre Dame. According to Rivals.com, Jones is ranked No. 79 overall and No. 82 overall on 247sports.com.
Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, Va.) DT Tim Settle: Virginia Tech Hokies
After flirting with out-of-state schools, Tim Settle decided to stay in-state and committed to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The 6’2, 340 pound defensive tackle will give the Hokies a big body in the middle and a future key piece on Tech’s defensive line. It was key for Beamer to land Settle after missing out on Da’Shawn Hand and Andrew Brown in last year’s recruiting cycle. Settle chose Tech over Clemson, Penn State, Virginia, and USC among others.
Warren Easton (New Orleans, LA) WR Tyron Johnson: LSU Tigers
Although LSU struggled in the passing game this year, that did not stop the Tigers from landing the best wide receiver in the state of Louisiana and one of the best in the entire country. Five-star wideout Tyron Johnson pulled out a Tigers’ jersey with his name on it and decided to stay home to play in front of his family and friends. He chose LSU over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Johnson will join a very young and talented receiving corp in Baton Rouge. If the Tigers can solve their passing woes, LSU will be a force in the near future.
Skyline (Dallas, TX) LB Anthony Wheeler: Texas Longhorns
Texas head coach Charlie Strong has proven over the years that he is one of the best recruiters in the country. That did not change at the Under Armour All-American Game. Four-star linebacker Wheeler chose the Longhorns over their nemesis, the Oklahoma Sooners. He can play either outside linebacker or defensive end and Strong will surely use his versatility to his advantage in Austin.
Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, Texas) CB Kendall Sheffield: Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama not only added a boost to their defensive line in Daron Payne, but the Crimson Tide also added another cornerstone to their defensive backfield. Kendall Sheffield spurned the hometown favorite Texas A&M Aggies in favor of their division foe. Saban has been a wizard at grabbing five-star talent at cornerback and safety and Sheffield is another piece to the puzzle. In ’14, Saban received commitments from six five-star prospects, including two cornerbacks (Marlon Humphrey and Tony Brown). Fellow five-star cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick is also committed to the Tide. After the Tide’s performance in the Sugar Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Saban is well aware his secondary needs to improve if Alabama wants to win another title. Surely, these prospects will certainly help.
*Section Photo credit to Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune ; Featured Photo (above) credit to Julie Bennett, al.com.
