2007 Signing Class
as of 10:30 a.m. CT
NAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN (HIGHSCHOOL/JC)
Josh Chapman DT 6-1 330 Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS)
Patrick Crump OL 6-3 285 Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS)
Luther Davis DE 6-3 280 West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS)
Tarence Farmer DB 6-0 195 Houston, Texas (St. Pius X HS)
Jeramie Griffin FB 6-0 225 Batesville, Miss. (South Panola HS)
Darius Hanks WR 6-0 190 Norcross, Ga. (Norcross HS)
Jennings Hester LB 6-3 230 Atlanta, Ga. (The Marist School)
*Kareem Jackson DB 5-11 185 Fork Union, Va. (Fork Union Military Academy
Rolando McClain LB 6-4 245 Decatur, Ala. (Decatur HS)
Alfred McCullough DT 6-3 300 Athens, Ala. (Athens HS)
Kerry Murphy DT 6-5 320 Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS)
*Jamar Taylor RB 5-10 200 Lakeland, Fla. (Lakeland HS)
Chris Underwood TE 6-4 225 Birmingham, Ala. (Vestavia Hills HS)
William Vlachos OL 6-1 295 Birmingham, Ala. (Mountain Brook HS)
Alex Watkins LB 6-3 225 Brownsville, Tenn. (Haywood HS)
Chavis Williams LB 6-4 220 Dora, Ala. (Dora HS)
*enrolled January, 2007
Josh CHAPMAN, DT, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS) – Rated the no. 12 prospect in Alabama on the Rivals.com Alabama Top 30 list ... rated the nation’s no. 32 defensive tackle prospect by Rivals.com ... the no. 14 player on the BamaOnLine Top 27 in Alabama prospect rankings ... rated the no. 13 prospect overall in Alabama by SuperPrep ... rated the no. 4 defensive lineman in Alabama by SuperPrep ... described by his high school coach, Rush Propst, as the best defensive lineman in Hoover history ... as a senior, he was second on the team with 97 tackles, including 22 for losses, two quarterback sacks and one pass interception ... as a junior in 2005, he recorded 65 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles ... coached by Rush Propst.
Patrick CRUMP, OL, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS) – Rated the no. 18 prospect in Alabama by SuperPrep ... rated the nation’s no. 38 offensive guard by Scout.com ... rated the no. 13 prospect on the Rivals.com Alabama Top 30 list ... rated the no. 13 player in Alabama on the BamaOnLine Top 27 in Alabama prospect rankings ... ranked as the nation’s no. 20 offensive guard prospect by Rivals.com ... earned Hoover’s Offensive Headhunter Award for his performance as a senior ... coached by Rush Propst.
Luther DAVIS, DE, West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS) – Rated the no. 3 prospect in Louisiana by SuperPrep ... a SuperPrep All-American ... rated the nation’s no. 14 defensive line prospect by SuperPrep ... a member of the ESPN Top 150 nationally ... one of six defensive ends on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100 ... rated the no. 15 prospect in Louisiana by Rivals.com ... rated the nation’s no. 25 defensive tackle prospect by Rivals.com ... rated the nation’s no. 16 defensive end prospect by ESPN ... as a junior in 2005, he had 88 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries ... as a senior in 2006, he recorded 68 tackles, 13 sacks and six blocked kicks ... an honorable mention all-state selection in 2006 ... coached by Don Shows.
Tarence FARMER, DB, Houston, Texas (St. Pius X) – Rated 66th among safeties by Rivals.com ... listed 82nd among cornerbacks by Scout.com ... helped lead the St. Pius Panthers to a TAPPS Division I state championship and 13-0 record as a senior ... selected to the TAPPS District 3-I first team offense ... also earned All-District honors as a sophomore and junior ... All-Greater Houston second team defense selection ... named to the Houston Chronicle Area Top 100 ... tallied 41 catches for 1,009 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior season ... also intercepted three passes ... recorded five catches for 129 yards and three touchdowns against San Antonio Antonian ... as a junior he caught 42 passes for 730 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with five interceptions in 11 games ... coached by Robin Kirk.
Jeramie GRIFFIN, FB, Batesville, Miss. (South Panola HS) – Rated No. 3 fullback by Scout.com ... ranked as the No. 4 fullback by Rivals.com ... ranked No. 9 in the Rivals.com Mississippi Top-25 ... named first team All-State as a senior by the Clarion Ledger ... Mississippi Coaches Association first team All-State selection as a junior ... Orlando Sentinel 2006 All-Southern football team ... finalist for Mississippi’s Mr. Football award in 2006 ... helped lead South Panola to its fourth straight state championship with a 28-21 win over Meridian for a 15-0 record as a senior ... never lost a game in high school ... team owns the state record with 60 consecutive wins ... rushed for 1,288 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior ... tallied 123 carries for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns as he led his team to the state championship and No. 6 ranking in the USA Today Super 25 in 2005 ... coached by Ricky Woods.
Darius HANKS, WR, Norcross, Ga. (Norcross – Atlanta Journal Constitution first team 5A All-State selection and First team All-Region 7-5A pick ... caught 55 passes for 857 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior ... also ran the ball 12 times for 63 yards and three touchdowns to go along with six interceptions ... finished second in Class 5A in both receptions and yards during his senior season ... collected 378 yards and two touchdowns in five games as a junior despite missing most of the season after suffering a broken leg ... participated in the Clemson Nike training camp ... coached by Keith Maloof.
Jennings HESTER, LB, Atlanta, Ga. (Marist School) – Ranked 59th among linebackers by Scout.com ... first team 4A All-State selection ... named to Orlando Sentinel 2006 All-Southern football team ... first team All-DeKalb County as a senior ... tallied 120 tackles with five pass breakups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in his senior season at Marist ... led his team to a 13-2 record and trip to the 4A state finals ... during his junior season he compiled 105 tackles with nine for a loss and one sack ... he led the team in tackles and to a spot in the state playoffs ... named a captain as a senior ... coached by Alan Chadwick.
Kareem JACKSON, DB, Fork Union, Va. (Macon (Ga.) Westside HS/Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy) – Rated 17th among all prep players in the nation by Rivals.com ... selected to play in The Max Emfinger Third Annual High School All-American Bowl Game Classic in Shreveport, La. ... recorded five interceptions in 2006 at Fork Union Military Academy ... compiled 1,436 rushing yards with 20 touchdowns, nine receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns and 16 tackles with three interceptions in his senior season at Westside High School in Macon, Ga. ... is already attending UA as he enrolled in January ... coached by Micky Sullivan at Fork Union.
Rolando McCLAIN, LB, Decatur, Ala. (Decatur HS) – Ranked 35th among all players in the country in the Rivals.com top 100 ... listed second among all inside linebackers by Rivals.com ... rated as the top player from the state of Alabama by Rivals.com ... one of 13 linebackers on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100 ... ... ranked 10th among linebackers by Scout.com ... Orlando Sentinel 2006 All-Southern football team ... Parade All-American ... selected to the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ... tallied 106 tackles with 13 for a loss in his senior season ... earned All-State honors as a tight end in 2005 ... All-Region 8 selection as a linebacker ... recorded 104 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss with four sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his junior season ... he also tallied 24 receptions for 436 yards in 2005 ... three-year starter at Decatur High School ... also a starter on the Decatur basketball team ... coached by Jere Adcock.
Alfred McCULLOUGH, DT, Athens, Ala. (Athens HS) – 2006 The Birmingham News Super All-State Team ... First-Team Class 5A All-State by The Birmingham News ... Played in the Max Emfinger East-West High School All-Star Game in Shreveport, La. ... He was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player for the East squad after finishing with a game-high 12 tackles ... Rated No. 11 by the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register’s Elite 18 players in the state of Alabama ... Rated as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Alabama by Rivals.com Top 30 ... He recorded 128 tackles and 28 tackles for loss in is junior and senior season at Athens High School ... Named Class 5A Most Valuable Lineman by the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association ... He led the Golden Eagles to the Class 5A State Championship as a senior with a 10-7 win over Eufaula in the Class 5A Super Six Championship game in 2006, the school’s first state title in more than three decades ... He recorded 61 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior ... As a junior, he recorded 67 tackles and 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and six pass breakups ... 2005 Honorable Mention All-State by The Birmingham News ... All-Region 8 selection ... Alabama Class 5A, Region 8 Player of the Year in 2005 ... First-Team All-Area selection by The Decatur Daily ... coached by Allen Creasy.
Kerry MURPHY, DT, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS) – Parade All-American ... Birmingham News All-Metro Team ... Rated as the top prospect on the Birmingham News Super Senior list ... one of 11 defensive tackles on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100 ... rated No. 3 by the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register’s Elite 18 players in the state of Alabama ... rated as the 15th best defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com ... rated No. 56 by Rivals.com Top 100 prospects ... rated as the No. 4 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated as No. 2 prospect in state of Alabama by Rivals.com Top 30 ... named to Rivals.com Super 250 Team ... rated No. 68 by the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 ... selected to play in the 2006 Alabama North-South All-Star Game ... a dominant force in the middle, Murphy made 142 tackles and 16 sacks in his junior and senior seasons ... as a senior, he had 77 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks ... added 77 tackles and recorded eight sacks as a junior in leading Hoover to its second straight Class 6A State Championship ... coached by Rush Propst.
Jamar TAYLOR, RB, Lakeland, Fla. (Lakeland HS) – Rated the no. 83 prospect in Florida by SuperPrep ... rated the no. 80 running back prospect in the nation by ESPN ... excellent short-yardage runner who scored more than 40 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Lakeland ... rushed for 1,113 yards on 175 carries (6.4-yard average per carry) and scored 15 touchdowns as a senior in 2006 ... is already attending UA as he enrolled in January ... coached by Bill Castle.
Chris UNDERWOOD, TE, Birmingham, Ala. (Vestavia Hills HS) – Rated the nation’s no. 39 weak side defensive end by Rivals.com ... rated the no. 22 player on the Rivals.com Alabama Top 30 list of top overall prospects ... helped team to the semi finals of 2006 Class 6A state playoffs, where they lost to Hoover in epic 42-37 game in which the teams combined for 978 total yards in a game that featured seven lead changes ... had a 63-yard reception to set up a second quarter touchdown that gave the Rebels a 14-10 lead ... coached by Buddy Anderson.
William VLACHOS, OL, Birmingham, Ala. (Mountain Brook HS) – The Birmingham News Super All-State Team ... First-Team Class 6A All-State by The Birmingham News ... The Birmingham News All-Metro Team ... rated as the No. 9 center in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated as the 19th best center in the nation by Scout.com ... rated as the No. 16 prospect in the state of Alabama by Rivals.com Top 30 ... rated No. 15 on the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register’s Elite 18 players in the state of Alabama ... First-Team All-Over The Mountain Team ... won the Over the Mountain Most Valuable Lineman award ... named Mountain Brook HS Most Valuable lineman ... selected to play in the 2006 Alabama North-South All-Star game and played every snap ... pronounced “VLAY-hose” ... coached by Joey Jones.
Alex WATKINS, LB, Brownsville, Tenn. (Haywood HS) – Rated as the No. 5 defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com ... named to Rivals.com Super 250 Team ... recorded 186 tackles and 25 sacks during his junior and senior seasons ... as a senior, Watkins logged 116 tackles and added 19 for losses and nine sacks ... as a junior, he had 70 tackles and 16 sacks ... First-Team All-West Tennessee selection by the Jackson Sun ... First-team All-Region selection ... also an outstanding track athlete ... ran the 100-meters in 11.2 seconds ... coached by Bart Stowe.
Chavis WILLIAMS, LB, Dora, Ala. (Dora HS) – rated as the #39 DE in the country by Scout.com...ranked as the 22nd best prospect in the State of Alabama by Scout.com....recorded 8 sacks and 81 tackles, averaging 9 tackles per game at Dora High...named ASWA First Team 4A All-State ... rated by Rivals.com among the Top 50 defensive lineman in the nation ... rated by Rivals.com among the Top 30 players in the state of Alabama ... rated as a three-star defensive lineman by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... a First-Team All-State selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association ... was second on the team with 123 tackles and added 11 sacks as a senior ... had 393 receiving yards and six touchdowns, while playing tight end ... coached by Johnny Wright.
