MOBILE, Ala. — Caleb Alves, a wide receiver and safety from Palm Bay High School in Melbourne, Fla., has given South Alabama a verbal commitment, becoming the 15th known pledge in the Jaguars’ 2013 football signing class.
Alves is listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. He chose South Alabama over scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Florida A&M, Florida International, UMass and Memphis. Both Rivals.com and Scout.com rate him as a two-star prospect.
Why He Chose the Jaguars
Alves said in an interview that he committed because he liked the Mobile area and saw South Alabama as a program on the rise. He has not yet visited campus but said he researched the school and the city extensively online. He does not plan to visit any other schools, though he said he might take a visit for the experience if the opportunity arose.
“I’m all Jag, I’m happy to be a Jag,” Alves said.
Two-Sport, Two-Way Player
Alves plays both football and basketball and said he would like to continue in both sports in college if possible.
On the football field, he has played receiver and safety in high school. He described himself as a receiver but said he would like to play defensive back in college, adding that he will play whatever position helps the team.
South Alabama’s 2013 Verbal Commitments
South Alabama, coached by Joey Jones, is preparing for its first season in the Sun Belt Conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Jaguars’ other reported verbal commitments for the 2013 class include:
- Tiquan Lang, CB, Lowndes (Ga.), 5-8, 168 — 73 tackles, three interceptions and a blocked kick in 2011, plus five kickoff returns for 201 yards and a touchdown and six punt returns for 113 yards.
- Terrell Pinson, FS, Itawamba Community College, 6-3, 200 — caught 10 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown as a freshman receiver.
- Xavier Johnson, RB, Chamberlain (Fla.), 5-9, 170 — rushed for 1,736 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2011.
- Caleb Hayman, WR/TE, Gainesville, Fla., 6-1, 193.
- Dejon Funderburk, WR, Washington High School (Pensacola, Fla.), 6-0, 175 — caught 31 passes for 720 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 362 yards and four touchdowns.
- Taylor Lamb, QB, Calhoun (Ga.), 6-1, 190 — completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,635 yards, 40 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
- Justin Jones, RB, Northeast Mississippi Community College, 5-6, 180 — rushed for 920 yards and caught 27 passes as a freshman.
- Roman Buchanan, S, Daleville (Ala.), 6-2, 195 — 72 solo tackles, 45 assists, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, four passes defended and a blocked field goal as a junior.
- Tevaris McCormick, WR, Biloxi (Miss.), 5-9, 170 — 769 receiving yards, 213 rushing yards, 265 return yards and 16 total touchdowns.
- Jacob Chaffin, DT, Spain Park (Ala.), 6-3, 260 — 38 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior.
- Devon Earl, S, Hoover (Ala.), 5-10, 180 — 61 tackles, five interceptions, 10 pass deflections and 3.5 tackles for loss as a junior.
- Noah Armstrong, OT, Lawrence County, 6-8, 300 — also held offers from Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and Southern Miss.
- Willie Williams Jr., DE, Americus (Ga.), 6-2, 255 — also drew recruiting interest from Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and UCLA.
- Brandon King, 6-2, 212 — 118 tackles last season, including 70 solo, six tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble; drew interest from Northern Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers and Auburn, among others.
- Jalen Wells, DE, Dublin (Ga.), 6-4, 230 — projected by scouting services at tight end or linebacker; drew interest from Florida, Georgia, NC State, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.
What Comes Next
Verbal commitments are non-binding. Prospects in the 2013 class may sign National Letters of Intent beginning on national signing day in February 2013.
Update: Pinson Moving to Secondary
Terrell Pinson, the Itawamba Community College prospect in the list above, is moving from wide receiver to safety this season and is expected to play in the secondary at South Alabama. Northeast Mississippi Community College running back Justin Jones also pledged to the Jaguars, giving South Alabama two junior college commitments for the 2013 class.
