Jags Receive Verbal Commitment From Hoover Standout
Jags add another name to their growing list of verbal commitments for the 2013 signing season. Their ninth and latest high school verbal commit comes from a 5’11” 195-pound Safety from Hoover High School.
Devon Earl has been the starting safety for Hoover since his sophomore season and was selected as the 2012 Birmingham News Hoover Area Athlete of the Year while also being the starting point guard on the basketball team.
Earl had offers from UAB, Troy and Southern Miss. He was also recruited by MTSU, ULL and Georgia State. “I just felt like South would be a better place for me,” he said. “I just really liked the Mobile area. Going down there, the water being there, you just can’t not go there.”
Earl said he liked South Alabama because it’s a new school and he liked their facilities. He liked the coaches and had an enjoyable time working with them in the football camp which made his decision easier. He was also interested in being part of building a tradition at the school.
Earl looks forward to competing for playing time when he gets on campus. “At Hoover, I had to work for my spot,” Earl said. “I played as a sophomore, but I had to work for it just like I would at any other school. I feel like I can work for it and get a spot.”
Hoover High School football coach Josh Niblett had high praises for Earl. “I think the biggest thing with Devon, and he started for us back when he was a sophomore and that’s not easy to do in our program, but to be able to play safety for us, the greatest thing about him is his presence,” Niblett said. “That’s very contagious. He plays with great passion and great energy. He’s a ball hawk and a great tackler, but he’s always where he’s supposed to be. He has a knack for reading the quarterback’s eyes, and he has a knack for being around the ball. Just playing safety isn’t everything. He can return punts and he has great hands.
“I always knew he was going to be a special kid and special player, but he’s just as special off the field as he does on the field. He’s always where he’s supposed to be and doing what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s got a great family, and they’re real close. He’s been raised well and every day he looks for opportunities to get better. He’s such a competitor. I don’t care if we’re doing 7-on-7 or it’s basketball and they’re doing 3-on-3, or 1-on-1, he wants to win. The knowledge that he has of the game is great. You only have to tell him something once and he soaks it up. They got a good one, I can tell you that.”
The other verbal commits are:
- Tiquan Lang CB Lowndes GA. 5’8″ 168-lb 73 tackles, 3 int, 1 kick block, 5 KOR for 201yds and 1TD, 6PR for 113yds in 2011.
- Terrell Pinson FS Itawamba CC 6’3″ 200lb As a freshman he played WR and caught 10 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.
- Xavier Johnson RB Chamberlain, FL. 5’9″ 170lb Rushed for 1,736 yards and 16 TDs in 2011.
- Caleb Hayman WR/TE Gainesville, FL. 6’1″ 193lb
- Dejon Funderburk WR Washington (Pensacola), FL. 6’0″ 175lb Caught 31 passes for 720 yards adn 7TD’s while rushing for 362 yards and 4TDs.
- Taylor Lamb QB Calhoun, GA. 6’1″ 190lb Had a 73% completion rate for 3,635 yards, 40TDs and 9Ints.
- Justin Jones RB Northeast Miss. JC 5’6″ 180lb Rushed for 920 yards and caught 27 passes as a freshman.
- Roman Buchanan S Daleville, AL. 6’2″ 195lb 72 solo tackles, 45 assists, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two recovered, two interceptions, four passes defended and a field goal blocked as a junior.
- Tevaris McCormick WR Biloxi, MS. 5’9″ 170lb 769 yards receiving, 213 yards rushing and 265 yards on returns with 16 total touchdowns.
- Jacob Chaffin DT Spain Park, AL. 6’3″ 260lb 38 solo tackles, 8 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior.