MOBILE, Ala. — Hoover High School safety Devon Earl has given a verbal commitment to the Jaguars, making Devon Earl South Alabama’s ninth high school commitment for the 2013 signing class.
Earl, who is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, has started at safety for Hoover since his sophomore season. He was named the 2012 Birmingham News Hoover Area Athlete of the Year and is also the starting point guard on the Buccaneers’ basketball team. As a junior he recorded 61 tackles, five interceptions, 10 pass deflections and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Choosing South Alabama
Earl held scholarship offers from UAB, Troy and Southern Miss and was also recruited by Middle Tennessee, Louisiana-Lafayette and Georgia State.
“I just felt like South would be a better place for me,” Earl said. “I just really liked the Mobile area.”
Earl said he was drawn to the new program and its facilities, and that working with the Jaguars’ coaches at their football camp made the decision easier. He said he wants to be part of building a tradition at the school.
He said he expects to compete for playing time. “At Hoover, I had to work for my spot,” Earl said. “I feel like I can work for it and get a spot.”
Coach’s Assessment
Hoover head coach Josh Niblett noted that starting as a sophomore in the Hoover program is difficult.
“He plays with great passion and great energy,” Niblett said. “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.”
Niblett added that Earl can return punts and described him as a competitor in every setting, from 7-on-7 drills to pickup basketball. “You only have to tell him something once and he soaks it up,” Niblett said. “They got a good one, I can tell you that.”
South Alabama’s 2013 Commitments
South Alabama, which begins its first Sun Belt Conference football season this fall under head coach Joey Jones, has also received verbal commitments from:
- Tiquan Lang, cornerback, Lowndes (Ga.): 5-8, 168 pounds; 73 tackles, three interceptions and a blocked kick in 2011, with five kickoff returns for 201 yards and a touchdown and six punt returns for 113 yards
- Terrell Pinson, free safety, Itawamba Community College: 6-3, 200 pounds; caught 10 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown as a freshman wide receiver
- Xavier Johnson, running back, Chamberlain (Fla.): 5-9, 170 pounds; rushed for 1,736 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2011
- Caleb Hayman, wide receiver/tight end, Gainesville (Fla.): 6-1, 193 pounds
- Dejon Funderburk, wide receiver, Washington High in Pensacola (Fla.): 6-0, 175 pounds; 31 catches for 720 yards and seven touchdowns, plus 362 rushing yards and four scores
- Taylor Lamb, quarterback, Calhoun (Ga.): 6-1, 190 pounds; completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,635 yards, 40 touchdowns and nine interceptions
- Justin Jones, running back, Northeast Mississippi Community College: 5-6, 180 pounds; rushed for 920 yards and caught 27 passes as a freshman
- Roman Buchanan, safety, Daleville (Ala.): 6-2, 195 pounds; 72 solo tackles, 45 assisted tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, four pass breakups and a blocked field goal as a junior
- Tevaris McCormick, wide receiver, Biloxi (Miss.): 5-9, 170 pounds; 769 receiving yards, 213 rushing yards and 265 return yards with 16 total touchdowns
- Jacob Chaffin, defensive tackle, Spain Park (Ala.): 6-3, 260 pounds; 38 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior
Verbal commitments are not binding.
