Major prospect emerges out of Memphis

Melrose High School out of Memphis, Tenn. has been traditionally one of the best talent-producing programs in the state of Tennessee. In the 2009 class, the Melrose program has yet another star in linebacker Greg King.

In the 2007 season, King teamed with Rivals.com three-star Miami signee Antonio Harper on a defense that gave up less than five points per outing in the regular season. His stellar play did not go unnoticed. King has received a whirlwind of recruiting attention and has picked up an impressive offer list to show for it.

"I've got plenty of schools recruiting me," King said. "I've got offers from Texas Tech, Tennessee, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Louisville, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Miami. Those are the ones I can think of. I haven't been taking time to count them. I've just been trying to get better."

King, who said that all of his offers have come in writing, has seen a busy spring come to an end. Visits from coaches and calls to home have presented some exciting opportunities.

"Some big schools have been after me," he said. "All of them. It's exciting but then again it gets hard because there's so many of them and I get tired. I get mail, calls."

In Melrose's steep tradition, a number of stars have walked the halls including Miami's Graig Cooper, former Alabama star Kendall Moorehead, New York Jet defensive tackle Dwayne Robertson and former Tennessee stars Cedrick Wilson and Andre Lott. However, King noted that no one has garnered quite the attention he has in the spring.

"I had most of my offers in the spring," he said. "They were saying that I had more offers than anybody during the spring than at any time (in Melrose history). That's pretty good."

King can play either outside or inside linebacker or even move down to defensive end. His versatility is his strength.

"I play all linebacker positions but I can play d-end too," he said. "Coach has got certain stuff for me. That's my specialty. But playing football, I got speed. I can run from sideline to sideline. I can make a tackle. It's hard to explain but I can ball. I can say that about myself. And I love the game of football and I feel like I can do anything."

Despite being from Tennessee, King didn't grow up a fan of any particular SEC program. However, the 6-foot-3 200-pounder did have a favorite program: the Michigan Wolverines.

"I want Michigan to offer," he said. "I love Michigan. That's my favorite school but it's real cold up there. They called me and said they were going to come look at me so we're just going to see if they like me."

What will King be looking for in a program?

"There's plenty but it's going to be based on my visits and how I fit in, their coaching staff, academics and all that. I listen to what they have to say and a lot of them are saying the same thing but I'm looking for who can help me get where I need to go.

"A lot of people want me to go to the SEC. I can go to any college, it doesn't matter because football is just a first option."

King doesn't have any specific visit plans for the summer but definitely anticipates making several trips in the fall once official visits are offered.