MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football has received verbal commitments from seven high school players from across the state of Alabama as head coach Joey Jones builds the roster for the program’s debut season in 2009.
None of the seven had signed a National Letter of Intent with the Jaguars as of Wednesday. A verbal commitment is nonbinding, and prospects may change their decision until they sign.
Defensive Commitments
Randon Carnathan, a 6-foot, 250-pound defensive end from Leeds High School, is rated a two-star prospect. Carnathan made 119 tackles, 30 of them for loss, with 18.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception as a senior. He also carried the ball 88 times for 793 yards and 13 touchdowns for a Leeds team that finished undefeated and won the Class 3A state championship. The Alabama Sports Writers Association named him to its all-state team as a defensive lineman and selected him as the 3A Lineman of the Year.
Tony Threatt, Carnathan’s teammate at Leeds, is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound strong-side linebacker rated a one-star prospect. He recorded 74 tackles and five interceptions during the championship season and was a first-team all-state selection at defensive back. As a junior in 2007, Threatt had 67 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, and he caught 24 passes with four touchdowns on offense.
Keiron Wilson, a 6-foot, 195-pound safety from W.P. Davidson High School in Mobile, is a two-star prospect. Wilson made 88 tackles and three sacks as a junior. Statistics from his senior season were not available.
Offensive Commitments
Corey Waldon, a 5-foot-8, 161-pound wide receiver from Central High School in Tuscaloosa, is rated a two-star prospect and has been timed at 4.66 seconds in the 40-yard dash with a 31.5-inch vertical jump. As a senior, Waldon caught 38 passes for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns and totaled more than 1,500 yards of offense. He was named to the Tuscaloosa News Super 11 and was selected the West Alabama All-Star 5A Player of the Year. In 2007, he caught 36 passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns, returned 12 punts for 400 yards and two touchdowns, and returned eight kickoffs for 205 yards.
Ellis Hill, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back from Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, is a one-star prospect with a reported 4.50 time in the 40-yard dash. Hill ran 255 times for 1,421 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior and joined Waldon on the Tuscaloosa News Super 11. A starter since his sophomore year, he finished his high school career with 3,795 yards and 56 touchdowns. As a junior in 2007, he rushed 134 times for 941 yards and 12 touchdowns, caught 12 passes for 147 yards and a score, and returned 22 kickoffs for 682 yards, totaling 1,777 all-purpose yards. Hill carries a 3.58 grade-point average.
Limebric Windham, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver from Alma Bryant High School in Irvington, is rated a two-star prospect. Windham set his school’s single-season receptions record as a junior with 58 catches for 759 yards and four touchdowns, an average of 14.3 yards per catch.
Alex Phifer, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound quarterback from Greenville High School, is rated a one-star prospect.
The Commitment List
- Randon Carnathan, DE, 6-0, 250, Leeds HS
- Tony Threatt, LB, 6-4, 190, Leeds HS
- Keiron Wilson, S, 6-0, 195, W.P. Davidson HS (Mobile)
- Corey Waldon, WR, 5-8, 161, Central HS (Tuscaloosa)
- Ellis Hill, RB, 5-8, 190, Hillcrest HS (Tuscaloosa)
- Limebric Windham, WR, 6-1, 195, Alma Bryant HS (Irvington)
- Alex Phifer, QB, 5-10, 185, Greenville HS
