Jerod Mayo makes his pick

Hampton (Va.) Kecoughtan linebacker Jerod Mayo has made his decision. He's headed to the SEC.

"I committed to Tennessee today," said the 6-foot-2, 214-pounder. "It came down to Virginia Tech and Tennessee in the end, but I felt I didn't fit as well in the atmosphere at Tech. Tennessee was a better fit for me socially and athletically."

Mayo, ranked as the No. 11 outside linebacker in the country, also had offers from Virginia, NC State and Purdue amongst others.

"I liked all the schools I visited, but Tennessee just blew me away," he said. "NC State came the closest when it comes to facilities, but it wasn't even that close. The stadium, the football buildings, everything there was huge. They put a ton of money into their program and the other schools couldn't compare."

Mayo will play outside linebacker at Tennessee.

"I fit their defense," he said. "I run to the ball and make plays from sideline-to-sideline. Tennessee always wins and they play in the best conference in the country. I knew it on Saturday when I really began to think about it and I'm happy."