NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Five-star safety Landon Collins is sticking by his guns. He faxed his letter of intent to Alabama today.

He announced his commitment to Alabama during his appearance in the Under Armor All-American game. At the time, his mother (a lifelong LSU fan), did not react so well to the news. LSU won’t be the only one missing Collins’ talents, as Florida, USC, Auburn, and Texas had all hoped to bring the speedy safety on board.

Alabama’s signing of the Tide is a victory for Nick Saban as Collins hails from Tigers territory (he attends Dutchtown High School in Geismar, LA). Collins’ blazing speed (4.39 40) and ball-hawking ability (8 INT over last two seasons) helped make him the top-ranked safety in the country. He also saw time as a running back last year, rushing for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading his team to an 11-1 season.

Mario Edwards, Jr., the nation’s top defensive end, signs with Florida State. He joins recruiting class already filled with blue-chippers, including DT Eddie Goldman, QB Jameis Winston, and fellow DE Chris Casher.

Edwards had been committed to Florida State for weeks, but on a signing day filled with defections and stolen recruits, he seemed more like the exception than the rule. Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas were also in the hunt for five-star Edwards.

Edwards, a five-star recruit, Under Armor All-American, and USA Today Defensive Player of the Year, will wear his father’s old number (#15) at Florida State.

One the nation’s premiere recruits, five-star offensive tackle Andrus Peat, has signed with the Stanford Cardinals. He joins his brother, Todd Peat, who is a DT at Stanford. Nebraska had also hoped to sign the 6′ 7″, 300-pound Under Armor All-American.

Scouts have identified Peat as a very complete player, and he had offers from a handful of football powerhouses, including Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Oregon.

Clemson has signed the #2 safety in the 2012 class, Travis Blanks.

Blanks, a four-star safety from Tallahassee, FL, joins a Clemson recruiting class ranked among the top in the country. Blanks was heavily recruited, with over 20 offers, including  from LSU, Alabama, USC, and in-state powers Florida and Florida state.

Four-star running back Marion Grice will be leaving Blinn Community College to play for Arizona State.

Blinn was one of the top junior college recruits in the country and will be a powerful presence in a crowded ASU backfield. He also had offers from Auburn, Arkansas, TCU, and Oklahoma.

Deontay Greenberry, one of the top receivers in the 2012 class, has signed with the Houston Cougars. He had been considered a lock for Notre Dame (where his cousin Tee Shepard is a defensive back).

Greenberry, a 4-star recruit out of Fresno, CA, is the crown jewel of a strong recruiting class for Houston’s first-year Head Coach Tony Levine. Houston has put itself in a good position to build on its success last season, which ended with a bowl victory over a distracted Penn State team and the departure of Kevin Sumlin.

The #3 OLB recruit in the 2012 class, Kwon Alexander, has signed with LSU.

His signing by LSU is a loss for Alabama, the reigning National Champions who play only 45 minutes up the road from his hometown of Oxford, AL. Florida, OSU, Auburn, USC, and Michigan were among the 20 schools trying to sign the four-star linebacker.

Alexander was heavily recruited despite playing only 4 games his senior season because of an ACL tear. He logged 17 sacks as a junior and scouts see him as a smart, complete player with strong coverage and tackling skills.

Dalton Santos, the nation’s top inside linebacker, has signed with Texas after rethinking his verbal commitment to Tennessee.

Santos’ new home in Austin is a few hours down the road from his high school in Van, TX. He put up impressive stats as a senior at Van High school, with 101 tackles (including 19 for losses), 3 sacks, 3 fumbles forced and 3 recovered, an interception, and a defensive touchdown.

The 4-star linebacker was heavily recruited in-state (by A&M, Tech, and TCU) and nationally (by Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, and others). He reportedly made friends with several Longhorns commits while at the Under Armor All-American Game, which may have influenced his choice.

The signing of defensive tackle Pio Vatuvei, a native Californian who had previously committed with USC, marks the second recruiting steal today for the Huskies. Washington lured safety Shaq Thompson away from Cal this morning.

Vatuvei, a 3-star recruit from Patterson, CA, had been committed to USC since August. He played at Patterson High School and also had offers from Arizona, Cal, and Colorado.

Two talented recruits from opposite ends of the country have both signed to play football for the U.S. Naval Academy.

The first is Cole Wright, a DE/TE from Fort Myers, FL. Wright is a multisport athlete who is also on the varsity track and basketball teams.

Alex Barta, an All-League, honor roll K/P out of Clarkston High School (Clarkston, MI), has also committed to Navy.