Is top junior QB committed

It has been rumored that Waynesville (N.C.) Tuscola quarterback Jonathan Crompton, one of the top signal callers for 2005, has verbally committed to Tennessee. Is it true?

"Not yet," said Tuscola head coach Travis Noland of his 6-foot-3, 205-pounder. "Tennessee is his favorite school and he's told them that that's where he'd like to go, but he hasn't decided for sure yet. He's waiting to see who signs with Tennessee and some other programs this February so he can make his decision then."

The Vols have a solid lead over Virginia and North Carolina for the services of Crompton. The junior quarterback completed 114 of 220 passes this past season for 1,650 yards and 15 scores. He threw just five interceptions.

"He had around 10 dropped passes in a few games too," said Noland, who just took over the program and installed more of a pro-style offense. "They used to run a Wing-T here so we didn't have any kids with hands. We don't have the kind of athletes that other schools in the area have, but Jonathan is the real deal. He was invited to the Elite 11 Camp as a junior and saw the top quarterbacks for 2004 compete. He's not afraid of competition, but he wants a good situation to go into."

Crompton has 15 offers so far with more coming in daily.

"And the scariest thing about him is that he should be just a sophomore," said Noland. "He started school early at a young age and he'll be 17 when he starts college. He's just a very talented kid who wants to go to a good school and be able to compete after a redshirt season."

Stay tuned on this one because Crompton doesn't want to wait long before deciding.

"He's a simple kid and hates the recruiting process," said Noland. "He wants to decide before it gets crazy."