Before he has even stepped on the field for Baylor School, rising senior Bridger Knee already has established himself as one of Chattanooga's top college football prospects.
Knee, who transferred to Baylor in January after helping his hometown Bowling Green High School claim Kentucky's Class 5A state championship last fall, has verbally committed to Army.
"After talking it over with the coaches at Army, my parents and some of the coaches here at Baylor, I came to the decision that this would set me up to succeed in the long run," Bridger said. "I'm excited for the opportunity academically and for the chance to play big-time college football.
"Bowling Green was on a hybrid schedule and I really wanted to get back in the classroom so me and my family decided that coming to Baylor was the best option for my senior year. Now making this commitment, it's a big weight off my shoulders and I can just concentrate on helping my new team win games."
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive lineman currently carries a 4.0 grade-point average and had offers from eight other programs.
"He has a fast motor and is a self-motivated kid," Baylor coach Phil Massey said. "Since he arrived he's fit in really well with our kids and became one of our leaders pretty quick. His mentality and toughness, plus he's a very athletic kid is what stands out and he's only going to continue getting stronger."
Knee is one of multiple college prospects for Baylor with outside linebacker Trey McDonald (6-4, 225) having committed to Virginia and fellow linebacker Decorian Montgomery has an offer from Eastern Kentucky.
Rising junior Brycen Sanders (6-5, 285),who is rated as the No. 13 offensive guard in his class nationally, already has offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Kentucky among others.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.