2012 DB a versatile talent

The biggest mystery surrounding 2012 College Park (Ga.) Banneker standout Chaz Elder might not be where he will play in college, but what position he will play once he gets there.

Auburn and Ole Miss have offered the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder as a safety. Clemson and Virginia Tech, which have yet to offer but apparently are very interested, prefer him at cornerback.

"He could be either one to be honest with you," Banneker defensive backs coach Ryan Andrews said. "Some schools are contemplating playing him as a big, long corner. Others like him at safety. It really goes into the way I teach a lot of my DBs. I don't coach them to play one or the other. I teach everyone the same. He's actually very fluid in his hips and has quick feet. And his length gives him that advantage at corner."

That said, one potential issue with Elder playing corner is this:

"He's still growing," Andrews said. "That's the scary thing. He may grow out of it. He'll probably top out at about 6-3."

In 2010, Elder picked off three passes. The previous season, he had five interceptions. In early January, Elder competed at the Under Armour combine near Orlando.

"He didn't test like he wanted to," Andrews said. "He did decent, though. Everyone I talked to down there said he covered really well. He ran a 4.61 in the 40, but he's recorded faster than that here."

Besides the aforementioned programs, Elder also has been hearing a lot from Georgia, Andrews said. Who might be the next to offer?

"If I had to guess, it would be between Clemson and Georgia," Andrews said.

According to Andrews, Elder has no current leader. Auburn, he added, has recruited Elder the hardest.

"That's probably because we have two kids down there - [receiver] Shaun Kitchens and [safety] Demetruce McNeal," Andrews said.

Next up for Elder: junior day Jan. 29 at Georgia Tech.