Southeast Spotlight: The 10 biggest commitments this spring
This spring has brought a very unique recruiting landscape, forcing coaches to adjust their recruiting approaches. Some staffs are doing that better than others, and being rewarded with new additions to their 2021 recruiting classes. Here is a look at the 10 biggest commitments in the Southeast region through the first four weeks of the spring season.
RELATED: Biggest spring commitments in the Midwest Region
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. MICAH MORRIS, Georgia
Morris almost committed to Georgia in December to honor his father’s birthday, but after Sam Pittman’s departure for Arkansas, the Rivals100 talent held off. Georgia continued to trend though, and once Matt Luke had time to develop that relationship with Morris and his family, it was over. Alabama and Florida were contenders, so Georgia locking this elite offensive lineman down was huge for the program.
2. TUNMISE ADELEYE, Ohio State
Adeleye seemed high on Oklahoma for some time before he committed to Ohio State this month. Originally from Texas, Adeleye attends Florida’s IMG Academy boarding school and has seen his stock rise since relocating to the Sunshine State. The defensive line MVP of a loaded Rivals Camp Series stop in Orlando, Adeleye gets off the ball as quickly as any end in America and has solid power to go along with his fast first step.
3. JONATHAN JEFFERSON, Georgia
Jefferson was coming off visits to Auburn and Florida, and both SEC programs looked to be right in the thick of this race, but Jefferson surprised some with a commitment to Georgia on March 23. He is a versatile defensive lineman who will fit in well along Georgia’s front.
4. AGIYE HALL, Alabama
Hall is a long, talented wideout that has seen a big bit of off-field drama affect his recruitment. The talented receiver has attended four different schools and while that gave a few colleges pause, Nick Saban and company were unaffected. Hall is a smooth route runner that creates separation through sharp cuts and elite acceleration. And while he sometimes drops more passes than he should, his upside is massive.
5. WILL CROWDER, West Virginia
Crowder committed earlier than some expected. West Virginia established a relationship early with the talented signal caller and closed the deal April 7. Neal Brown coached at Troy before he took over as the Mountaineers' head man, so he was aware of Crowder’s talent early. This could be a steal for the Mountaineers.
6. ROC TAYLOR, Tennessee
Taylor committed to Tennessee, and many were surprised by his announcement. Not that it was the Vols, but the timing of it. He is not too big on social media and he has not done too many interviews, so very few knew Taylor was thinking about committing this spring. Tennessee got a versatile playmaker who can be a big receiver or a mismatch tight end in the SEC.
7. LARRY SMITH, Indiana
Smith could end up being a massive steal for Indiana, as it seems likely that his offer list would have grown exponentially had spring football progressed as planned. In Smith, the Hoosiers are getting a physical, instinctual corner that isn’t half bad when it comes to tackling in space. Smith could stand to add size, sure, but Indiana has to be absolutely thrilled about extracting the Jacksonville-area product from the Sunshine State.
8. GREG CRIPPEN, Michigan
A one-time Notre Dame commit, Crippen made the switch to the Michigan side of the rivalry on March 25, roughly 20 days after backing off his pledge to the Irish. One of the top guards in the country, Crippen has solid length and light feet for a prospect of his size. He still has strides to make from a power standpoint but he seems to be adding muscle by the month.
9. LOVASEA CARROLL, Georgia
Carroll’s April 9 commitment to Georgia came out of the blue and took almost everyone off guard. Bulldog fans won’t complain, however, as the IMG Academy running back had been a high priority for months. Georgia is getting another big, powerful patient back with decent-enough speed.
10. CHRISTOPHER PAUL, Nebraska
Paul is a leader in the middle of the defense. The physical linebacker out of south Georgia had been leaning toward Nebraska, then acted on that feeling as we rolled into the spring season. He is a physical linebacker with good instincts and strength. Since Scott Frost took over in Lincoln, he has tried to rebuild the roster, and getting a linebacker in Georgia is a good get in 2021.