MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama has received five verbal commitments for its 2010 football signing class, including a pair of standouts from Auburn High School, as head coach Joey Jones and his staff build the roster for the program’s move toward a full Football Bowl Subdivision schedule.
Auburn High Duo
On July 14, Auburn High School quarterback Calvin Jenkins and defensive lineman Rodney Thomas announced their commitments to South Alabama.
Jenkins was the Opelika-Auburn News offensive player of the year last season after leading Auburn High to a 12-1 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. He accounted for more than 2,412 yards and 25 touchdowns. Jenkins stands 6-foot-1, weighs 180 pounds and has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Other Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA programs also showed interest.
Thomas recorded 44 tackles and four sacks last season. He will work this fall with former Auburn University defensive tackles coach Don Dunn at Auburn High.
Brandon Ross Transfers From Memphis
The two Auburn High prospects will join a former schoolmate, running back Brandon Ross, a 2008 Auburn High graduate who is transferring to South Alabama from Memphis. Ross will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Ross was expected to redshirt at Memphis last season, but injuries pressed him into action for the Tigers’ final eight games. He finished second on the team with 296 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries, an average of 5.1 yards per carry, and added four receptions for 55 yards. His best game came in a win over SMU, when he ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. As a high school senior, Ross rushed for 1,275 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“In my opinion he was an SEC-caliber player coming out of high school,” Jones said. “After you get a chance to meet him, you find that he is a great kid, too. We feel very fortunate to have him joining our program.”
Lockett and May
Running back and kick returner Johnny Lockett, a key member of Sweet Water’s 2008 Class 1A state championship team, also committed. Lockett rushed for 1,941 yards and 28 touchdowns last season and scored four more times on kick returns. In the state title game, a 42-0 win over Speake, he scored on runs of 17 and 42 yards and caught a 36-yard touchdown pass, finishing with 171 rushing yards, 207 total yards and the game’s MVP award.
Lockett committed the day after touring campus, citing the university’s medical programs and facilities as well as the coaching staff and football program. Troy, UAB and Southern Miss were among the other schools recruiting him.
Chris May of Deshler High School, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound lineman who has played on both sides of the ball, has also committed. May earned all-area honors at offensive tackle last season.
Commitments Not Binding Until February
Verbal commitments are non-binding. Prospects cannot sign national letters of intent until February.
Jones has said the Jaguars plan to sign about 18 players in February 2010 before increasing that number the following year as the program moves to a full FBS schedule. He said the staff’s approach relies on building relationships with prospects through the entire process.
“We got those kids because we kept recruiting them,” Jones said of players who signed with South Alabama last year after initially committing to other Division I programs. “There’s a lot that happens in the last two or three weeks in recruiting. If you don’t have a relationship with the kids when the chips start falling, you don’t have a chance.”
Jones said the state consistently produces players who may be overlooked by larger programs.
“There are always great players in Alabama; they may just be a little undersized,” Jones said. “You can’t tell me a 6-1, 285-pound lineman with great feet can’t play, but the big schools may not take him. It’s like they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
South Alabama will play its first football season this fall at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
