Top 100 recruit Jarez Parks rejected other schools for an Alabama football grayshirt
By Ronald Evans
Top 100 recruit Jarez Parks experienced a painful Signing Day. Jarez turned down immediate offers from Power 5 schools and accepted an Alabama football grayshirt.
Jarez Parks really, really wants to join Alabama football. The video below is hard to watch. On National Signing Day Jarez was set to announce his commitment to Alabama. Then he learned Alabama’s 2017 class was full and could only offer him a grayshirt option delaying his enrollment until January 2018.
He went ahead with is scheduled announcement but struggled to speak through his tears.
After the announcement, Auburn thought he would immediately choose the Tigers. It did not happen. Since then 247Sports has reported other schools, notably LSU, Michigan, Miami and Georgia have attempted to sign Jarez.
None of them have been able to make Jarez change his mind about playing football at Alabama.
For a more detailed review of Jarez Parks, take a look at our Signing Day profile.
Jarez is a multi-sport athlete. This spring he won the Florida state championship in discus and shot-put. His discus throw of 210 feet, five inches set a new Florida high school record.
Recent reports indicate Jarez may not have to wait until January to join the Tide. The latest news on the Jarez Parks saga was reported by 247 Sports from a conversation with his coach Ronald Freeman.
"“We have been in talk with (Alabama). It’s a 60 percent chance that he will be reporting in the fall.”"
With the February change to a grayshirt offer, Parks did not sign a letter-of-intent with Alabama. Not signing allowed Parks to visit other schools this spring. According to Freeman, Parks took no visits.
This unusual story about the recruitment saga has an another bizarre twist. The morning of Signing Day, Bleacher Report released the video below.
It is believed this video was recorded well before Signing Day. Parks had been doing a frequent video blog and wanted to recognize his Mother and celebrate his decision to attend the University of Alabama.
Apparently, Bleacher Report published the video not knowing the Parks offer had been changed to a grayshirt.
All we know for sure is that this young man really and we will overuse the word again, really wants to play football at Alabama. In a world too often driven by immediate gratification, his patience and persistence stand out.
We will continue to follow the Jarez Parks story and update with any new information. Anyone who wants to be in Tuscaloosa as much as this young man deserves our close attention.