Jones was committed to Michigan previously but also showed interest in Tennessee.

The four-star prospect is ranked 10th in Louisiana and 25th among defensive tackles.

King, the nation’s No. 30 strongside linebacker prospect according to Scout.com, had also considered Auburn and Texas Tech.

The 6-3, 200-pound King registered 130 tackles and four sacks as a senior, and is one of five finalists for The Commercial Appeal’s 2008-09 Pepsi Best of the Preps defensive player of the year award.

King said he signed with UT because, “It was just that it felt like home, and I couldn’t do anything about. I felt good about all the other places, but Tennessee felt like home.”

** Olive Branch’s Aubrey Phillips signs with Florida State

Olive Branch senior offensive tackle Aubrey Phillips signed Wednesday with Florida State.

Phillips, a 6-6, 310-pound U.S. Army All-American and the No. 25 offensive tackle prospect nationally according to Rivals.com, had committed to the Vols early in the fall.

Phillips also had scholarship offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Duke, North Carolina, Penn State, Southern Miss and the University of Memphis.

** Olive Branch’s Woodson and Bates sign with Alabama and Auburn, respectively

Rod Woodson, Olive Branch, S, 5-11, 200 – rated the No. 14 S prospect nationally by Scout.com; rated the No. 8 S prospect nationally by Rivals.com, which also ranks Woodson the hardest hitting safety in the country; senior stats: 94 tackles (60 solo), 12 TFL, five sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery; recovering from broken ankle.

After signing, Woodson said, “It feels real good. I just can’t wait to go down there, have fun, work hard and just get ready for the season.” They showed me much love — the coaching staff, the players. I just like it down there.” They’re going to move me around — see what I play the best (in the defensive backfield).”

Daren Bates, Olive Branch, S, 5-11, 195 – rated a two-star S prospect by Scout.com; rated a two-star S prospect by Rivals.com.

Bates said, “It was a blessing to be one of the choices. The way they treated me, it felt like I was one of their top picks. Everything was just easy for me when I got that offer, so I stuck with it.”

** Fairley star going to U of M

Fairley High defensive tackle Jimmy Robinson , a four-year starter for coach Rahnmann Slocum, signed today with the University of Memphis.

Robinson (6-1, 270) helped Fairley to a 27-10 record the past three seasons, including a 9-3 finish and a trip to the playoffs last fall. Slocum said Robinson also attracted interest from other Conference USA schools, including Marshall and Southern Miss.

”He was a leader and a hard worker for me,” Slocum said. ”I don’t think anyone in this city worked harder. I don’t think anyone in this state worked harder.”

** Kingsbury tandem sign with Division 1 schools

Randy Powell, Kingsbury, S, 6-0, 200 – rated a two-star QB prospect by Scout.com; rated a two-star ATH by Rivals.com; senior stats: 1,174 total yards, including 622 rushing yards, and 18 TDs in 10 regular-season games; recruited by Memphis as a safety.

Gabriel Hunter, Kingsbury, RB, 5-11, 184 – rated the No. 61 RB prospect nationally by Scout.com; rated the No. 41 RB prospect nationally by Rivals.com; missed three games this season with sprained ACL; senior stats: 1,192 rushing yards, nine TDs in seven regular-season games; as a junior, rushed for a Shelby-Metro record 2,679 yards in 12 games.

**BCS stars sign

Briarcrest Christian offensive linemen Austin Long (6-5, 268) signed with Georgia and QB Chris Campbell signed with Southern Mississippi this morning at the school.

Long is rated the No. 6 OT prospect nationally by Scout.com and rated the No. 12 OT prospect nationally by Rivals.com, He was named Division 2-AA Mr. Football lineman of the year and selected to play in U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio.

Campbell was No. 109 QB prospect nationally by Scout.com and rated a two-star pro-style QB by Rivals.com. His senior season was cut short by a shoulder injury.

**Kentucky naps two local players

Defensive end Patrick Ligon (6-5, 255) of Christian Brothers and DB Martavius Neloms (6-2, 175) of Fairley signed with the Wildcats today.

Ligon is rated a one-star OG prospect by Scout.com and rated a two-star weakside defensive end prospect by Rivals.com. His senior stats: 20.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks.

Neloms is rated a two-star safety prospect by Scout.com and a two-star cornerback prospect by Rivals.com. His senior year he led the Shelby-Metro with eight interceptions in 2008 and had 14 interceptions in two seasons.

**Whitehaven has two players sign with Division 1 schools

Gene Robinson (DB, 5-10, 165) and Derrick Webb (LB, 6-0, 214) signed national letter of intents this morning to play college football.

Robinson signed with North Carolina and Webb with Colorado.

Robinson is rated the No. 28 safety prospect by Scout.com; rated the No. 61 cornerback prospect nationally by Rivals.com.

Webb is rated the No. 23 weakside LB prospect nationally by Scout.com; rated the No. 63 outside linebacker prospect nationally by Rivals.com. His senior stats: 130 tackles, 25 TFL, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

**Three area players sign with Arkansas State

Tausean Holmes, Millington, RB, 6-0, 190 – rated a two-star RB prospect by Rivals.com; named Class 5A Mr. Football back of the year after totaling an area-best 1,801 all-purpose yards and 25 TDs in 10 regular-season games. Recruited by Arkansas State as a defensive back.

Julian Jones, Germantown, ATH, 6-0, 180 – rated a two-star WR prospect by Scout.com; rated a two-star ATH by Rivals.com; senior stats: 17 receptions for 360 yards and five TDs in 10 regular-season games, averaged 26.5 yards on 13 kickoff returns, returning one for a TD.

Nick Nelms, Houston, LB, 5-10, 223 – played both RB and LB at Houston; also offered by Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State and Missouri State; senior stats (offensive): 767 rushing yards and 10 TDs in 10 regular-season games.

Make sure you check with thememphisedge.com all day as recruiting news develops.

NEW YORK — Three straight BCS breakdowns aren’t keeping the big-time recruits away from Ohio State.
Coach Jim Tressel turned another batch of blue-chippers into Buckeyes, putting together a class that rated among the best in the nation Wednesday, the first day high school players can make their verbal commitments to colleges official.
Most of the usual suspects cleaned up on the recruiting trail: Southern California, Texas and LSU have classes that experts are touting as top-10 caliber.

Defending champion Florida’s class is small — that’s what happens when a team wins a national title with a roster full of underclassmen — but strong.
Michigan’s first class fully recruited by new coach Rich Rodriguez should give Wolverines fans some hope for a brighter future after a 3-9 debacle in 2008.
Miami coach Randy Shannon is poised to have a second consecutive promising signing day, if star running back Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., keeps his commitment and signs with the Hurricanes. He was also considering Oregon and Kansas State and had not yet signed by Wednesday morning.
And at Alabama, Nick Saban has another top-rated class lined up to help him keep the Crimson Tide where he had them for much of the 2008 season: atop the polls.
The national championship has been elusive for Tressel and the Buckeyes in recent years, despite Ohio State’s domination of the Big Ten. Ohio State has won or shared four straight conference titles, but lost three consecutive Bowl Championship Series games, including back-to-back title games after the 2006 and ‘07 seasons.
The Buckeyes had their hearts broken again in January, losing 24-21 to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl on a last-minute touchdown.
Maybe a recruiting national title will lift the spirits of Buckeyes fans?
Ohio State had the majority of its class signed before noon Wednesday, a group that includes most of the top players in the Buckeye state. Going into signing day, Ohio State was ranked No. 1 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Tressel dipped into western Pennsylvania for his two highest-rated recruits. Linebacker Dorian Bell and defensive back Corey Brown, teammates at Gateway High School in Monroeville were both given five-star ratings (out of five) by Rivals.com.
Ohio State even managed to convince a few four-star recruits from the Sunshine State — running back Jaamal Berry of Miami and wide receiver Duron Carter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — to leave the Deep South and brave chilly temperatures in Columbus.
Coach Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators made it three consecutive national championships for the Southeastern Conference with their 24-14 victory over Oklahoma in Miami last month.
And when it comes to recruiting, the SEC is just about as good. Scout had 10 of the 12 SEC programs among its top 25 recruiting classes heading into signing day. Rivals’ top 25 had nine SEC teams.
The Gators were expected to hand out only about 15 scholarships Wednesday, a number that will hold down their overall class ranking. But Florida’s prospective class includes receiver Andre Debose of Sanford, Fla., rated the second-best at his position in the country by Rivals, and Gary Brown of Quincy, Fla., Rivals’ No. 3 defensive tackle.
And Wednesday morning, Florida landed one of the top uncommitted prospects in Jelani Jenkins, a highly touted linebacker from Olney, Md.
LSU was a disappointment in 2008, going 8-5 a year after winning the national title in ‘07. Tigers coach Les Miles responded by lining up what he has said will be one of the best recruiting classes LSU has ever had.
Miles reached into Texas for a couple five-star prospects — safety Craig Loston from Aldine and quarterback Russell Shepard from Houston — to go with the Tigers’ usual haul of homegrown talent.
USC’s latest heralded recruiting class features the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the country. Pete Carroll didn’t have to go far to find Matt Barkley, who is from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, the same southern California school that produced Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart.
Barkley could be in the mix to replace starter Mark Sanchez, who decided to bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
Texas coach Mack Brown also found a five-star quarterback prospect in his backyard. Garrett Gilbert from Austin highlights a Longhorns class that is, as usual, highly rated and loaded with in-state talent.
AP-CS-02-04-09 1142EST

1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
6. Southern Cal
7. Michigan
8. North Carolina
9. Miami
10. South Carolina

Here is the list of Tennessee signees so far:

Jerod Askew

Linebacker, 6-0, 230

Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Smith HS)

Honors: Ranked as the No. 79 overall prospect in the nation… Picked as the No. 1 overall run-stopper in the country by Rivals.com …No. 6 overall middle linebacker ranking by Scout.com … Ranked as the No. 147 overall prospect in the nation by ESPNU 150. Ranked as the No. 16 overall linebacker according to the SuperPrep Magazine … Named first-team All-State as a junior and a senior … Led Oscar Smith to Group AAA Division 6 State Championship in 2008 … Selected to play in Hawaii All-Star Football Classic after his senior season.

Stats: Posted 140 tackles, 22 TFL, 10 sacks and 3 interceptions as a senior … Registered 126 tackles, 20 TFL, 13 sacks and two interceptions as a junior.

Misc: Oscar Smith defense held opponents to an average of 4.1 points per game in 2008 … Named a team captain his senior year … Oscar Smith captured four district titles, two region titles and one state title while compiling a 48-4 record with Askew on the roster.

Mike Edwards

Defensive Back, 5-10, 170

Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville Academic Campus)

Honors: Rated as the No. 48 cornerback nationally by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 21 overall prospect in Ohio after the 2008 high school season … Rated as the No. 21 cornerback in the 2009 class by Scout.com … Earned No. 36 ranking among cornerbacks by ESPN.

Stats: Accounted for 34 tackles and five interceptions as a senior.

Misc: First football player from his high school to sign with an SEC school … Coach at Glenville High School: Ted Ginn, Sr., father of Ohio State standout and NFL player Ted Ginn, Jr.

James Green

Wide Receiver, 6-2, 202

Tallahassee, Fla. (Leon HS)

Honors: Ranked as the No. 123 overall prospect and the No. 17 wide receiver in the 2009 class by Rivals.com … Rated as the No. 73 wide receiver by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 44 wide receiver nationally by ESPN … Selected to play in the Hawaii All-Star Football Classic after his senior season … Ranked No. 46 on Orlando Sentinel’s Top 100 Prospects list for the state of Florida … Named to the Florida Postseason Top 100 by the Miami Herald.

Stats: Caught 45 passes for 807 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior … Also returned four punts for 111 yards and eight kickoffs for 171 yards.

Montori Hughes

Defensive Tackle, 6-5, 275

Murfreesboro (Siegel HS)

Honors: Named No. 49 overall defensive tackle in the 2008 class by Scout.com … No. 60 among defensive tackles according to ESPN … Siegel team captain and team MVP as a senior … Named All-Region, All-Area and All-County as a junior in 2006.

Stats: Led Siegel in tackles with 106, tackles-for-loss with 25 and sacks with 13 as a senior in 2007.

Misc: Enrolled at Tennessee in January.

Arthur Jeffery

Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 285

Sarasota, Fla. (Booker HS)

Honors: Named the No. 55 overall defensive tackle in the 2009 class by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 20 among defensive tackles by Scout.com … No. 60 among defensive tackles according to ESPN … Named second-team Class 3A All-State by the FSWA as a junior … Named a Reebok Florida Phenom by Florida Football Magazine prior to the 2008 season … Named to the Florida Postseason Top 100 by the Miami Herald.

Stats: Registered 74 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and five blocked kicks in his final season of high school play as a junior.

Misc: Did not play his senior season due to an ACL/MCL injury.

Nigel Mitchell-Thornton

Linebacker, 6-2, 228

Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson HS)

Honors: Ranked No. 43 among inside linebackers in the 2009 class by Rivals.com … Also ranked as the No. 40 overall prospect in Georgia following the 2008 season … Placed at No. 29 among middle linebackers by Scout.com … Ranked No. 19 among outside linebackers by ESPN … Named first-team All-State by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association in 2008 … Also named to the Georgia 150 by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Stats: Posted 119 total tackles, 10 TFL and two sacks as a senior … Also picked off three passes and returned two for touchdowns … Notched 102 total tackles, 12 TFL and six sacks as a junior while forcing four fumbles.

Misc: Enrolled at Tennessee in January.

Darren Myles Jr., a highly rated safety from Atlanta, will sign with Tennessee, he told ESPNU in an interview Wednesday morning.

Myles chose UT over LSU and Alabama.

Nyshier Oliver

Athlete, 5-10, 180

Jersey City, NJ (Saint Peter’s)

Honors: Rated the No. 39 athlete in the 2009 class and the No. 12 overall prospect in New Jersey by Rivals.com … Rated No. 20 among all safeties in the 2009 class by Scout.com … Rated No. 95 among athletes by ESPN … Named the No. 9 overall recruit in the Northeast by SuperPrep Magazine

Stats: Rushed for 1,407 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior.

Misc: First committed to UT in June, then committed to Notre Dame, then re-committed to UT in January.

Kevin Revis

Offensive Line, 6-4, 310

Evensville, Tenn. (Rhea County HS)

Honors: Ranked as the No. 11 center in the 2009 class and the No. 16 prospect in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 38 at offensive guard by Scout.com … Rated No. 41 among offensive guards by ESPN … Named a finalist for the Tennessee Mr. Football award … Played in the Toyota East-West All-Star game … Named first-team All-State by both the state’s coaches and sportswriters.

Stats: Graded at 98 percent with 48 pancake blocks for the 2008 season.

Misc: Helped team to Region 4 championship and state quarterfinals his senior season … Qualified for the state tournament as a heavyweight wrestler as a senior … Scored a 28 on his ACT.

Zach Rogers

Wide Receiver, 6-2, 170

Nashville (David Lipscomb HS)

Honors: Rated as the No. 54 wide receiver in the 2009 class and the No. 9 overall prospect in Tennessee by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 56 at his position by Scout.com and No. 31 by ESPN … Named 2008 Mr. Football back in the 3A classification.

Stats: Caught 14 passes for 369 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 59 times for 671 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior … Caught 29 passes for 688 yards and eight touchdowns to go with 44 rushes for 465 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.

Misc: Brother of UT senior wide receiver Austin Rogers.

JerQuari Schofield

Offensive Line, 6-6, 298

Aiken, S.C. (South Aiken HS)

Honors: Rated the No. 20 offensive tackle in the 2009 class and the No. 11 overall prospect in South Carolina by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 31 at his position by Scout.com and No. 32 by ESPN … Selected to the Sweet 16 Dream Team by the Augusta Chronicle … Selected to play in the Shrine Bowl for South Carolina.

Stats: Graded out at 91 percent as a senior and 72 percent as a junior … Posted 31 tackles in two seasons of limited play on defense.

Rae Sykes

Defensive End, 6-4, 240

Alcoa (Alcoa HS/Coffeyville CC)

Honors: First-team All-State honoree as a senior in 2006, junior in 2005 and sophomore in 2004 … Preseason All-America prior to senior season … Named All-Region and All-County four consecutive years and three-time All-District.

Stats: As a senior, tallied more than 70 tackles with 10 sacks … As a junior, totaled 70 tackles and eight sacks … As a sophomore, totaled 132 tackles and 10 sacks … Tallied 15 tackles and four sacks in the state championship game as a sophomore.

Misc: Enrolled at Tennessee in January … Contributed to three-straight state championship teams from 2004-2006 … Honored as team captain as a senior … Two-year letterman in basketball and one-year starter for the Tornadoes … Originally signed with Tennessee in 2007 but did not qualify … Did not play in his two seasons at Coffeyville Community College due to injury meaning he’ll have three years of eligibility at UT.

Toney Williams

Running Back, 6-1, 227

Alpharetta, Ga. (Milton HS)

Honors: Ranked No. 51 among running backs nationally and the No. 42 overall prospect in Georgia by Rivals.com … Rated No. 4 among fullbacks in the 2009 class by Scout.com and No. 36 among running backs by ESPN … Invited to the Under Armour All-America game following the 2008 season.

Stats: Rushed for 1,945 yards and scored 26 touchdowns as a senior …Ran for 785 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior while grabbing 22 catches for 240 yards.

Misc: Enrolled at Tennessee in January … Scored seven touchdowns in Milton’s 2008 season-opening win.