Tyler makes a switch

Brecksville (Ohio) Broadview Heights defensive end Mike Tyler committed to Vanderbilt in August, citing their combination of academics and athletics. Following his senior season, however, Tyler received another opportunity to pursue his academic and athletic goals and he has made the decision to switch his commitment.

"I de-committed from Vanderbilt last night in favor of Stanford," Tyler reported Thursday morning. "I have nothing but respect for the coaches, players & program at Vandy so this was a very difficult decision."

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Tyler camped at both programs this summer, but did not immediately pick up an offer from Stanford. The early exposure to the Cardinal's program and campus, however, gave him enough familiarity to make the call when the opportunity from Stanford came through.

"I went to Stanford for Junior Day in April and participated in Friday Night Lights this summer," Tyler said. "It's a perfect fit for me especially as I intend to major in engineering."

Tyler is an explosive rush end prospect who also has the ability to play tight end at the college level. He is rated as the state of Ohio's No. 61 overall prospect in the 2013 class, and is just as impressive in the classroom, carrying a 3.9 GPA and having notched a 32 on the ACT.