National Signing Day 2015: 50 notes about this year's recruiting class
Only a week remains until National Signing Day, so it’s time to get familiar with the recruiting class of 2015. Here are 50 assorted facts, stories and tidbits to know.
1. CeCe Jefferson fake committed to Florida State
Jefferson took to Twitter on Nov. 3 to declare that he “Just commited to FSU, thank you lord for the opportunity.” The announcement caught many by surprise, as few viewed the Seminoles as his leading school at the time.
The initial tweet was deleted, and the five-star defensive end from Glen St. Mary, Fla., followed up by explaining that his teammates had played a prank on him.
2. Jefferson also convinced Nick Saban to try a new food
It appears Alabama coach Saban was trying his best to impress Jefferson when the two dined together in December. Jefferson tweeted that Saban, “never had gator tail before lol he loved it!”
This is noteworthy since Saban is known to abide by a strict diet. According to a 2013 GQ profile, Saban eats two Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies for breakfast and a salad for lunch every day so he doesn’t waste time debating what to eat.
3. Chris Clark compared Jim Harbaugh to LeBron James
Clark, a four-star tight end from Avon, Conn., committed to Michigan in June but reneged a few months later after former Wolverines coach Brady Hoke was fired.
Not long after Harbaugh was introduced as Hoke’s replacement, he reportedly called Clark, who told MLive.com they had a “really casual, chill conversation.” Clark also compared Harbaugh to LeBron James.
"I think Michigan's going to turn back into a powerhouse with him," Clark said of Harbaugh. "He's like the LeBron James of coaching it feels like."
Clark had more praise for Harbaugh after his visit to Ann Arbor earlier this month.
The Avon Old Farms (Conn.) School product plans to announce on Signing Day.
4. Apollos Hester gave an epic postgame interview
Hester could hardly contain his excitement after his East View (Texas) High team edged Vandegrift (Texas) High 42-41 on Sept 19.
In fact, he was so inspiring that other players tried to impersonate him.
5. Damien Harris wore a fantastic T-shirt
Harris was frequently asked about two things this fall: His recruitment and the MCL sprain he suffered his senior season at Madison Southern (Ky.) High. Instead of repeatedly giving the same answers, the five-star running back decided to wear a shirt that informed anyone who considered asking.
Harris missed four games with the injury but was cleared to return for the first round of the state playoffs. He committed to Alabama over Kentucky and Ohio State earlier this month.
6. Kevin Sumlin may have tried to send a message to DaMarkus Lodge
After Lodge decommitted from Texas A&M in September, he reportedly said he was concerned about the Aggies’ receiver depth. At a press conference later that month, Sumlin explained his offense features a cast of rotating receivers. "When you play in a system like we play, you've got eight guys at least that will rotate,” Sumlin said. “A lot of things are being said out there in recruiting like, 'Why would you go there and play receiver, they're loaded.' That isn't the case. But if you're scared, you don't need to play here. The best players play here, and we rotate through that."
It’s impossible to know whether Sumlin was alluding directly to Lodge, because mentioning his name in front of the media would have been a violation of NCAA rules. The four-star wideout from Cedar Hill, Texas, has yet to commit to another school and is expected to reveal his college choice around Signing Day.
7. Tucker Israel had a prolific high school career
The Lake Nona (Fla.) High standout broke six state passing records, including for single-season passing yards, career passing yards and career passing scores. In a fitting end to his terrific career, he threw for 543 yards with five touchdowns in a 48-38 loss to Lakeland (Fla.) High in the state playoffs.
Israel is one of two quarterback prospects, along with four-star Wren (S.C.) High product Kelly Bryant, signing with Clemson in the 2015 recruiting class.
8. Jacques Patrick did not disappoint with his announcement
On Oct. 27 Patrick, a five-star running back from Orlando, strode into his Timber Creek (Fla.) High gymnasium wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses. School band members blared trombones. Cheerleaders shook pompoms.
When it came time to make his college decision, Patrick -- who had named Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Texas A&M as his finalists -- grabbed a Seminoles hat, enthusiastically blared “Florida State University” and began to do the tomahawk chop.
9. Southern California produced an impressive crop of quarterbacks
Seven of the top 15 quarterback prospects in the Rivals250 hail from the southern half of the Golden State. Alabama-bound Blake Barnett is the only one not headed to a Pac-12 school. The chart below shows where each of the top SoCal-based signal-callers is headed next season, barring any last-minute decommitments:
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Adam Gorney, the West Coast recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, believes several of these quarterbacks should be ready to play early, and described the group as the best in at least a decade. “I think we’re going to look back and see just how special the group is,” Gorney said. “The list goes on and on of guys that have really special abilities and will be able to get on the field early.”
*Folsom, Calif., is not in the southern half of the state, but Browning is so highly touted that he couldn’t be ignored in this space.
10. Calvin Ridley made an absolutely ridiculous catch
Ridley ran away with this year’s award for best all-star camp catch. At The Opening in July, the five-star prospect out of Coconut Creek, Fla., sprinted by a defender, turned his head and snatched the ball with one hand. Ridley wasn’t wearing pads, but Alabama fans must be excited about the top-rated wideout in this year’s class. That’s especially true after coordinator Lane Kiffin helped Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper break multiple program records in 2014.
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John Albright/Icon Sportswire
11. Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. has a heck of a backstory
According to a story from AL.com, Wanogho Jr. traveled from Nigeria to Alabama with hopes of earning a basketball scholarship. Despite playing football for less than a year, he has already garnered scholarship offers from LSU, Texas and Notre Dame, among other high-profile programs.
Wanogho began to draw interest after his 2014 highlight tape surfaced, but it wasn’t until this month that he reportedly reclassified from the class of ’16 to the class of ’15. He is listed as a 6-foot-8, 245-pound, four-star defensive end on Rivals.com, and his coach at Edgewood (Ala.) Academy, Bobby Carr, told AL.com that he ran a 4.61 40-yard dash in sneakers.
"Les Miles told me the other day he likes the fact Tega has only played football for four months in his life," Carr said. "He said you can't teach a kid to run like a deer and have an NFL body. But he said he can teach him the game of football."
12. Kahlil McKenzie’s scavenger hunt was great
The Rivals100: Class of 2015 college football recruiting rankings
About a month before McKenzie announced his college decision at The Opening, Tennessee coach Butch Jones sent the five-star defensive end from Concord, Calif., a fake photo of campus landmark The Rock bearing an image of an orange Volunteers bucket hat next to the message, “Where’s the hat?”
Jones continued to send McKenzie pictures of the hat in different places around campus, and on the heads of people (including Jon Gruden and Peyton Manning), and McKenzie posted them to Twitter.
When McKenzie announced his commitment to the Volunteers, he slipped on a Tennessee bucket hat.
13. Florida is pulling out all the stops to land Byron Cowart
The Gators are doing everything in their power to ensure that Armwood (Fla.) High standout Cowart, a five-star defensive end and the No. 1 overall prospect in this year’s class, knows they want him.
14. Ohio State commit Kevin Feder is quite large
The Buckeyes’ offensive line got the best of Oregon’s defensive line in the national championship game, and now Ohio State is set to add six line prospects in its 2015 recruiting class. One of them, 6-9, 305-pound Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep product Kevin Feder, is the tallest player in the Rivals250.
In fact, Feder’s height doubles as his nickname. On Twitter he goes by “Six Nine,” which is how his teammates refer to him. Feder, who flipped his commitment from Miami to Ohio State in June, was also a heavyweight wrestler at Don Bosco.
Per a story from NorthJersey.com:
"Feder just turned 17; he sleeps in an extra long queen bed; his birthday is Nov. 9; his shoe size is 17; his pants are 38 waist with a 42-inch inseam; his helmet is an extra large; and if anybody has a pair of 4XL gloves, please let him know because the triple XL gloves he has are kind of small."
15. Daylon Mack is a huge fan of SpongeBob SquarePants
Mack, a four-star defensive tackle out of Gladewater, Texas, is known for his ability to eat up space along the line of scrimmage and disrupt opposing offenses by getting into the backfield. After a review of his Twitter account, however, perhaps more attention should be paid to his SpongeBob SquarePants fandom.
Here is a sampling of some of his tweets from last year:
16. Brady White and Trent Irwin didn’t stick together
Quarterback White and wide receiver Irwin formed a potent duo at Hart High in Newhall, Calif. White threw for 10,835 career yards with 109 touchdowns, while Irwin caught 285 passes for 5,268 yards, according to statistics from MaxPreps. There seemed to be a good chance the two would decide to play together in college. White committed to Arizona State in May and tried to lure Irwin there. In the end, however, Irwin committed to Stanford on Jan. 6.
"It just felt like home," Irwin said. "The coaches there seemed really relatable and seemed really cool and sincere. It just felt like a good atmosphere to be around.
"They see me as a one-on-one guy in my routes who can get open, create separation and get a lot of one-on-one opportunities."
While Pac-12 fans won’t get to see Irwin and White play on the same team, they should help boost their squads’ respective offensive firepower.
17. Rashad Roundtree owns some excellent Georgia pants
Roundtree decided to go above and beyond the traditional hat slip maneuver many prospects use to reveal their college decisions. During a ceremony at Lakeside (Ga.) High, the four-star safety sat at a table and tweeted, rather than declared, the name of the school to which he was committing. Then Roundtree stood up and showed off a pair of khakis dotted with mini Georgia logos.
18. Houshun Gaines was catfished
Gaines committed to Florida at a ceremony at Nash Central (N.C.) High in October only to learn he had been duped. Athletic director Michael Mosley said he believed Gaines was communicating on social media with someone thought to be a Gators assistant, according to the Rocky Mountain Telegram. Gaines was described as the victim of catfishing.
“When I talked to a coach, they told me they hadn’t spoke to Gaines in several weeks,” Mosley said. “I think he was talking to someone he thought was a coach. I guess he said (on Friday) that he had talked to a coach the night before, but they said he hadn’t talked to anybody on the coaching staff.”
The story took another strange turn when Gaines posted a picture of what appeared to be a Florida offer letter, signed by former coach Will Muschamp, to his Twitter account. The three-star defensive end ultimately committed to Virginia Tech over Miami, NC State and Virginia, among others, in December.
19. Blake Barnett is a very difficult person to tackle
Here is an instance in which Alabama signee Barnett, a four-star dual-threat quarterback, made opposing defenders look foolish for trying to tackle him.
20. Barnett was also the recruiter of the year
Barnett could bring a new element to Alabama, but also helped by recruiting at least two other committed prospects. As AL.com’s John Talty notes, Barnett bonded with top-ranked tailback Harris in the lead-up to his Jan. 9 pledge. "He's become the closest recruit as far as nationally that I've had an opportunity to meet," Harris said of Barnett. "He's a great player. It seems like every time we play together, we seem to win. We won the Opening (7-on-7), we won the Under Armour game, so why not try to continue the tradition to win together?"
Four-star linebacker Adonis Thomas, who backed off his commitment to Florida in October and committed to the Crimson Tide in December, tweeted that Barnett “did a hell of job recruiting me too, can’t even lie lol”
It’s probably safe to assume Barnett influenced at least a few other members of Alabama’s class, which Rivals.com ranks No. 1 in the country. His self-assigned nickname, posted to Twitter on the day Harris committed, feels appropriate.
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Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
21. Ugo Amadi took a circuitous path to Oregon
One of the more eventful recruitments in this class came to a close when Amadi signed with Oregon on Jan. 12. The four-star cornerback from Nashville committed to Ole Miss in March, decommitted in December, committed to LSU later that month and then flipped to the Ducks in early January, after former Tigers defensive coordinator John Chavis left to accept the same position at Texas A&M.
"I'm overwhelmed. I could barely even sleep last night," Amadi told The Oregonian after he pledged to the Ducks. "I was just so excited. I was saying to myself, 'Oh my gosh, I just committed to Oregon.' It's a dream come true."
22. D’Andre Walker put everyone in the holiday spirit
Less than three weeks before Christmas, Walker revealed his top three schools using an Elf Yourself video. Elf Yourself is an application in which one can insert images to serve as the faces of dancing elves. In this case, three elves displayed the football helmets of Walker’s finalists: Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn. One had what appeared to be Walker’s face.
When Walker later committed to Georgia at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he pulled out an Uga stuffed animal.
23. Malik Jefferson drew rave reviews from Charlie Strong
On Dec. 19 Jefferson and Mesquite Poteet (Texas) High teammate Deandre McNeal announced their commitments to Texas. Both are highly regarded -- McNeal is a three-star athlete with offers from Alabama and Ohio State, while Jefferson is the top-ranked outside linebacker in the country -- but coach Charlie Strong compared Jefferson to one of the greatest college football players ever.
Lessons learned from 2014 and a look ahead to 2015; Punt, Pass & Pork
“It’s really big for our program right now,” Strong said. “Like I told him, I said I was at the University of Florida when we signed Tim Tebow. This sign is just as big as that one. Now all of a sudden you have someone who gives you momentum and then there’s a lot of players sitting out there waiting to make a decision.”
*Strong’s public comments about Jefferson did not violate NCAA rules because Jefferson had already signed his grant-in-aid agreement as an early enrollee.
24. George Brown fooled a lot of people with his announcement
When Brown committed to Florida in July, he pulled out what appeared to be a live baby alligator. It turned out the four-star offensive tackle from Cincinnati was actually holding up a dwarf caiman, provided by Cool Critters Outreach.
Brown flipped his pledge from Florida to LSU in December.
25. Snoop Dogg’s son is a heralded receiver prospect
Cordell Broadus is a four-star wide receiver who attends Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. He is also the son of famous rapper Snoop Dogg. Below is an image of Snoop in the booth for a game between Gorman and St. John Bosco (Calif.) High.
26. Keisean Lucier-South is ready to start a revolution
Lucier-South, a defensive end from Orange, Calif., became the second five-star prospect (along with quarterback Josh Rosen) to join UCLA’s 2015 recruiting class when he committed on Nov. 22. In explaining his decision, Lucier-South cited the possibility of starting a “revolution” under coach Jim Mora. "I'm excited to bring a new revolution here with Josh Rosen and everybody," Lucier-South said, according to Rivals.com. "I'm excited."
The Bruins have won no fewer than nine games in the three seasons since Mora replaced Rick Neuheisel. Can Lucier-South, Rosen and the rest of UCLA’s class help the program push for a conference championship?
27. Josh Sweat made Martez Ivey look bad
Sweat, a five-star defensive end, missed most of his senior season because of a knee injury. Yet at The Opening in July he easily won a one-on-one matchup with Ivey, this class’ top offensive tackle (watch the second repetition).
28. Drew Richmond has an interesting relationship with Ohio State
After announcing his commitment to Ole Miss in September, Richmond explained, “No matter what, I’ll always be a Buckeye at heart.” A couple of months later, the five-star offensive tackle from Memphis spoke optimistically about an upcoming visit to Ohio State. "I feel like God has me going on an official there for a reason," Richmond told The Plain-Dealer. "Maybe there's something there he wants me to see that would maybe alter my decision, and if there is, that's where I'll be."
Richmond wound up not visiting Columbus and later told the paper he was no longer considering Ohio State. The Buckeyes picked up verbal commitments from three offensive linemen (Matthew Burrell Jr., Mirko Jurkovic Jr. and Branden Bowen) between the middle of November and early December.
29. Breiden Fehoko’s recruitment showcased Kliff Kingsbury’s charm
Fehoko is the most heralded prospect in Texas Tech’s 2015 recruiting class. The four-star defensive tackle from Honolulu had offers from Oklahoma, Alabama and Stanford, but committed to the Red Raiders in April and was admitted to the school this month. Coach Kingsbury didn’t just do a good job recruiting Fehoko -- it appears he also made an impression on one of Fehoko’s teachers.
30. Zach Okun had the “moment of his life” on the All-American circuit
Oregon signee Okun, a four-star offensive guard from Newbury Park, Calif., was clearly excited about slowing down Kahlil McKenzie at one of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl practices. Here is footage of Okun trying to block McKenzie.
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Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire
31. Speaking of Oregon recruits who turned heads at all-star practices …
Ducks signee Canton Kaumatule jumped 97 spots (from 137 to 40) in the latest Rivals250 after shining at the Under Armour All-American Game. Oregon may have several key players to replace, but the four-star defensive end from Honolulu should help fill in for Arik Armstead, who declared for the NFL draft.
"Kaumatule is an absolute behemoth,” Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman said. "There wasn't an offensive tackle he went against that could match his sheer size and strength at Under Armour. Throughout the week of practice, he pushed around offensive linemen, beating them to the inside and outside during one-on-ones. What's even scarier is that Kaumatule still has room to fill out his frame. He could end up being a defensive tackle when all is said and done."
32. Brandon Wimbush can throw a football a long way
St. Peter’s (N.J.) Prep quarterback Wimbush showed off his arm strength in a 31-14 win over Bergen Catholic (N.J.) High in the state semifinals in November. Working out of the shotgun, Wimbush took a three-step drop, shuffled forward and launched a pass that soared 64 yards through the air to Alabama commit Minkah Fitzpatrick, who caught the ball and ran for a touchdown.
It’s not a huge surprise Wimbush is responsible for a throw one outlet thinks might be the longest in the history of high school football. The four-star dual-threat prospect flipped his commitment from Penn State to Notre Dame in October.
33. Ross Donelly took a tremendous selfie
Donelly, a three-star defensive tackle from Houston, should nominate this photo with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the selfie hall of fame.
34. Derrick Dick might be the best return man in this class
Dick has received only two stars as a wide receiver prospect, but has drawn plenty of attention for his incredible kick returns. Last season the College Station, Texas, native ran circles around defenders before scoring on this wild play to lead A&M Consolidated to a three-point win over Copperas Grove.
In October, Dick, a UTSA commit, ran 81 yards for another ridiculous score. On his way to the end zone, he slammed a defender to the ground with one hand.
35. There were some great recruiting Photoshops
Programs are getting more and more creative with the Photoshopped materials they send to prospects. Here are five of the best from over the last few months:
36. Bret Bielema copied Jalen Merrick’s hairstyle
Bielema was so determined to impress Merrick on his official visit to Fayetteville that the Arkansas coach wore an afro wig. Merrick, a four-star offensive guard from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., committed to the Razorbacks in January.
37. Drew Galitz is no Brock Hekking, but …
Nevada’s Hekking drew national attention this season for a blonde mullet that flows past his shoulders. It will likely be a long time before Hekking meets his hair match, but Baylor-committed kicker/punter Galitz’s look is hard to miss.
38. Josh Rosen felt the need to apologize for rumors
Amid speculation that he could consider backing off his UCLA commitment, Rosen took to Twitter in late December to affirm his pledge to the Bruins and apologize for any “rumors.” Those centered mostly on the possibility that the five-star quarterback from Bellflower, Calif., would flip to Michigan, which had dismissed Hoke and was then reportedly courting Harbaugh.
Rosen took an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor in March, the same month he committed to the Bruins, and described it as “awesome.” He ultimately stuck by his word and enrolled early at UCLA. He should have an opportunity to compete to succeed Brett Hundley as the team’s starting quarterback.
39. Adam McLean probably regrets getting this haircut
McLean felt so strongly about his commitment to Penn State that he had the words “Penn State” and a Nittany Lions logo shaved into his hair.
The four-star defensive end from North Potomac, Md., backed off of his pledge in November and committed to Maryland the next month.
40. Ray-Ray McCloud III had Odell Beckham Jr.-like tendencies
Any defensive coordinator thinking about leaving Clemson commit McCloud, a four-star athlete from Tampa, Fla., in single coverage might want to reconsider.
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John Albright/Icon Sportswire
41. Jim Harbaugh didn’t reach out to Chuma Edoga quickly enough
Edoga, a four-star offensive guard from Powder Springs, Ga., committed to USC in April and began classes earlier this month. It seems Harbaugh needed to contact Edoga earlier to have a shot at flipping him to the Wolverines.
42. Ohio State might have another heralded quarterback on the way
One offseason storyline that has already received considerable attention is Ohio State’s quarterback logjam. The Buckeyes have three accomplished players at the position in Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. Barrett and Jones have said they will return, and Miller has yet to indicate he will seek a transfer.
Coach Urban Meyer may add another talented passer in February when four-star prospect Torrance Gibson could sign with the Buckeyes. The Plantation, Fla., native has the athleticism to play other positions but was reportedly drawn to Ohio State in part because the school will allow him to line up under center.
After officially visiting Auburn earlier this month, Gibson appears to be wavering on his pledge. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes would add to their embarrassment of riches at the sport’s most important position if Gibson signs his National Letter of Intent.
43. Tarvarus McFadden faked everyone out
Recruiting diehards have come to expect announcement ceremony creativity, but McFadden, a five-star cornerback from Plantation, Fla., deserves recognition for the stunt he pulled when he revealed his college decision on Halloween.
Black Georgia and white Florida State caps were placed on the table at which he was sitting. First he grabbed the Seminoles cap with his left hand, stared at it and placed it down. Then he picked up the Georgia cap with his right hand and moved it close to his head, only to pull out a garnet Florida State lid and slip it on.
44. Quarte Sapp doesn’t know what to do with his recruiting mail
Sapp received enough recruiting letters to throw them into a bathtub and jump in. The four-star linebacker from Alpharetta, Ga., has yet to announce his decision.
45. A game-changing package deal may or may not happen
Ohio State, TCU, Auburn lead Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25
After taking an official visit to Auburn earlier this month, top-ranked prospect Cowart said that he, CeCe Jefferson and four-star linebacker Jeffery Holland will attend the same school as a package deal. "Yeah, we're going to stick together," he said, according AL.com. "We'll all play at the same school, because we know we can make an impact. One guy can't make a difference at a school, and I don't think people understand that.
"You can be a great player, but you can't make an impact going to a school by yourself. You have to have a team. Some guys have to go with you and turn the whole program around."
The timing of Cowart’s statement, coupled with the fact that Muschamp was recruiting all three players to Florida before he became Auburn’s defensive coordinator, might lead some Tigers fans to think that their team will land the heralded trio. Yet it’s important to keep in mind that in June Cowart said he and Jefferson were a “package deal” but called off the partnership a month later.
46. Fotu Leiato’s highlight tape went viral
Before the release of a highlight tape featuring clips from Leiato’s senior season, he was a mostly unknown prospect with zero offers from Power Five programs.
Yet the Steilacoom (Wash.) High standout drew national attention once the tape circulated around the Internet and racked up more than 500,000 views, the most of any video ever published on the Hudl service. The tape was popular because of the violence with which Leiato, a 6-foot, 195-pound linebacker, tackles opponents. There is also footage of him returning kicks and laying vicious blocks.
The tape helped Leiato land offers from UCLA, Oklahoma and Michigan State, among other programs, and he committed to Oregon this week.
47. Soso Jamabo named a surprising top two
Jamabo’s list of offers includes Texas, Notre Dame and Oklahoma, but the five-star running back from Plano, Texas, recently announced that he will choose between the following two schools on Signing Day: ITT Tech and University of Phoenix.
Neither school has a football program, so it’s safe to assume that other teams are still in the running.
48. Daishon Neal was not happy with Michigan’s comments
Neal, a three-star defensive end from Omaha, Neb., committed to Nebraska in April. However, he recently expressed interest in other schools, including Michigan.
In an interview with 1620 The Zone on Tuesday morning, Neal reaffirmed his pledge to Nebraska before he and his father, Abraham Hoskins Jr., described an in-home visit with the Wolverines. According to Hoskins, Michigan said Neal would be unable to attend the school if not for football.
"Michigan was a powerhouse,” Hoskins said. “They came in and they stormed us. They made one bad statement and it ruined them. They said without football, Daishon wouldn't be able to go to Michigan. Like we couldn't afford to send him there, or we couldn't get him [in] academically.”
Added Neal: “[They] basically tried to call me stupid in front of my face.”
Hoskins said after the comment, “we pretty much escorted him out the house.” According to MLive.com’s Nick Baumgardner, defensive line coach Greg Mattison visited Neal’s home on Monday night. Michigan cannot issue a response to Neal and his father’s account of the encounter without violating NCAA rules.
49. Don’t expect Preston Williams to back off his Tennessee commitment
According to a report from Rocky Top Insider, Auburn’s coaching staff cut short Williams’ official visit earlier this month because he wore Volunteers gear and was recruiting other players to Tennessee.
Williams is a four-star receiver from Hampton, Ga., who initially pledged to the Vols in September 2013 over Florida State, Auburn and Alabama, among others. The prospect is set to join a Tennessee class that could finish in the top five nationally.
50. Kyler Murray fuels flip rumors
While unofficially visiting Texas last week, four-star quarterback Kyler Murray, the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, posted a picture of a Longhorns No. 1 jersey to his Twitter account. The tweet sparked speculation over whether the Texas A&M commit, who wore No. 1 at Allen (Texas) High, will flip to Texas.
A tweet from former Aggies star and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel shifted even more attention to Murray, who will reportedly host Texas A&M coach Sumlin and Texas coach Strong for visits later this week.
Four-star receiver Lodge, who visited Texas with Murray, also tweeted an image of a jersey.
