Under Armour All-American Phidarian Mathis commits to Alabama at gravesite
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Phidarian Mathis just couldn’t wait for National Signing Day.
Instead, the touted lineman from Monroe, Louisana pulled the trigger a day early, publicly committing to Alabama over LSU and TCU the day before signing day arrives. Making his decision all the more interesting, Mathis chose to hold his announcement ceremony in a graveyard.
Mathis wasn’t simply seeking a unique venue for his commitment, he was honoring his late high school friend Tyrell Cameron by holding the ceremony at his gravesite. Cameron died last fall after sustaining an injury on the football field.
Phidarian Mathis is here. Will it be #LSU, #Bama or #TCU? @LSUonScout pic.twitter.com/DP8RynPVkk
— Billy Embody (@BillyEmbody) January 31, 2017
The 6-foot-4, 287-pound Mathis rates as a Top-100 overall prospect and the No. 7 defensive tackle recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports. The 2017 Under Armour All-American has 24 scholarship offers and picked Alabama over Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Miami, USC, among others.
To get an idea of how Mathis fits into Alabama’s defensive plans, check out his highlight reel here:
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
