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Chattanooga: Hot commodity

By: Stephen Hargis
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Staff Photo by D. Patrick Harding -- North Jackson star Dana Patrick, the top prospect on the TFP Dynamite Dozen, hd 14 tackles and caught a pass for a touchdown with LSU coaches watching in last week's win.

One of the most sought-after high school football prospects in the South has been a little tougher to locate recently.

Several weeks ago, North Jackson (Ala.) linebacker Tana Patrick inadvertently dropped his cell phone in water, leaving the dozens of college recruiters who were calling or sending text messages scrambling for alternate ways to contact him.

It certainly hasn’t slowed the recruiting process. In the last month the Chiefs have had coaches from LSU, Florida, Auburn and Alabama at their games to watch the 6-foot-2, 227-pound Patrick, who is rated the nation’s sixth-best inside linebacker prospect by Rivals.com.http://www.timesfreepress.com/admin/media/photos/

Patrick, who projects to be academically qualified, went to summer camps at Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Florida State. He has yet to take an official visit and seems in no hurry to begin narrowing his choices.

“I’m going to wait until our season is over here before I make any visits,” Patrick said. “I just want to stay focused on our season here. I’m still wide open and not really leaning to any one school at all. I’ve gone to a lot of camps and to some games to just watch, and when I decide it will be wherever I feel most comfortable.

“Not having my phone work has actually been nice. I return a lot of calls when coaches leave messages at the fieldhouse, but now when I go home I don’t have to worry about all the calls coming in.”

With LSU coaches on the sideline last week, Patrick had 14 tackles in a victory. For the season, he has been in on 74 tackles, made a sack and caused and recovered a fumble. He also has three receiving touchdowns and has rushed for two and completed two passes for the Chiefs, who are 6-1 and one win from securing their eighth Region 7-4A championship in the last nine years.

“He wanted the whole team to know that he wasn’t going to be distracted by all the recruiting stuff,” North Jackson coach Shawn Peek said. “After that last camp he had this summer, he told me his focus was on North Jackson from that day. It was his idea to wait. He thought it was the right thing to do, and I respect it.”

Patrick is one of only two players of the top nine on the Times Free Press Dynamite Dozen list who have yet to commit. He is the area’s top-rated prospect and South Pittsburg running back/linebacker David Jones, rated fourth in the Dynamite Dozen, has yet to commit but is being heavily recruited by Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, Memphis, North Carolina and Middle Tennessee State.

Other members of the Dynamite Dozen who have committed include Ridgeland receiver Mike Bowman to Alabama, McCallie defensive back Jay Fullam to Vanderbilt, LaFayette offensive lineman Evan Swindall to Central Florida, Rhea County offensive lineman Kevin Revis to Tennessee and Northwest Whitfield defensive back Dean Haynes to North Carolina State.

Last week, Calhoun defensive lineman Eric McDaniel committed to Purdue and Ooltewah defensive back Sammy Seamster pledged to sign with MTSU.

Meanwhile, Ringgold quarterback Zac Fairchild, who tore ligaments in his left knee just before the season, continues to rehab after surgery. He has an offer from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is still being recruited by Ohio University as well as the start-up Georgia State program coached by Bill Curry.

As the regular season winds down, another uncommitted Dynamite Dozen member, Bradley Central running back/defensive back Deonte Lindsey, is being recruited by Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State. After missing two games with an ankle injury and off-the-field issues, Ridgeland running back Terryl Freeman is back healthy, having rushed for at least 167 yards in the last three games.

“He’s really getting a lot of interest from Western Michigan,” Panthers coach Mark Mariakis said. “They are very interested, and so are Ball State and Georgia Southern. The last few games he’s back to his old self, so I would say if he keeps that up he’ll keep getting a lot more interest.”

Comments

UTC, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT DEONTE LINDSEY. THE MOCS DESPERATELY NEED A RUNNING BACK. DON'T LET TN TECH STEAL HIM AWAY!

Username: firerodnydotcom | On: October 17, 2008 at 9:59 a.m.