Hart still has three contenders
Demetrius Hart made a lot of nice catches during the NIKE 7on Tournament in Beaverton, Ore., last week but one particularly stood out because after he made the grab the announcer wrongly called Hart an Alabama commit.
There were some quizzical looks on the Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips sideline because Hart likes the Crimson Tide and has them in his top three but has not committed yet.
Advertisement
Michigan and Auburn still have a chance and Hart, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound all-purpose back, wanted to make it clear he's still thinking things over.
"Because of their spread offense (at Michigan) I could play the running back spot, kick return, punt return and even slot if they needed me there," Hart said. "I'll play where they wanted me to play.
"With Auburn's offense they could run two or three running backs in one offense. I really like that. With Alabama, that's a pro-style offense and I fit well in that just trying to get to the next level."
Rivals.com rates Hart, a four-star recruit, as the second-best all-purpose back, No. 34 in the 2011 class and seventh in the Florida state rankings. He is super athletic and versatile, a threat both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield.
One play early in the tournament showed off his skills when he ran a go route and then switched it up when the cornerback made a move toward him. Dr. Phillips quarterback Nick Patti, a 2012 prospect, adjusted as well and Hart caught a touchdown pass - and then finished it with a back flip.
"Nick is a great quarterback and he kind of checked it," Hart said. "When I was running a post the cornerback cheated inside so he saw him flip his hips so he pumped and put it up there. If he put it up there the corner had to regroup and I'm going to go up and get it every time.
"Ever since I was little I loved flipping. I always thought gymnastics was the best thing. I still watch it to this day. When I caught that pass it was a momentum boost. I back flipped. Why not?"
Michigan, Auburn and Alabama are still under consideration by Hart, who plans to be a mid-year player so he said he'll start to even think about recruiting more seriously in the coming weeks. Still, he doesn't feel rushed to make a decision and will review all three programs before choosing.
"It's still a toss up, it can go either way," Hart said. "Right now I'm just taking my time and spending time with family just kind of getting that in. I know I leave in January so I'm just trying to spend time and easing it out until we start back with football in August."