Zion Childress, a converted quarterback and wide receiver in high school who turned into a defensive leader as a cornerback at Texas State, has announced a commitment to play in the SEC.

Childress announced on Friday on social media that he would commit to Kentucky. Childress became a part-time starter for the Bobcats as a freshman in 2020 and was a defensive leader last season. He started all 12 games and finished third on the team in tackles along with 5 pass breakups and an interception, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

It reported that Childress announced that he had offers from TCU, Missouri, Kansas, Washington, UNLV, Colorado State and Georgia Southern.

Childress, a native of Houston, was a starter in 8 of 12 games at safety last fall, he finished third on the team in tackles with 74, including 1.5 for loss. He also had 5 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles and an interception.

Childress is a versatile player for the Wildcats’ secondary.

As Kentucky Sports Radio noted, he will be able to do a little bit of everything for Kentucky’s defense, and that’s exactly what the Wildcats need. Vito Tisdale was UK’s projected starting nickel until he suffered a season-ending injury during spring practice. Childress may not bring that same pop as Vito, but he can line up at multiple spots to provide quality depth in the secondary.