Kentucky welcomed a commitment from three-star defensive tackle JaQuize Cross on Wednesday evening.
The 6-foot-3, 292-pound senior from New Market, Ala., chose UK ahead of Minnesota and Purdue, his two other finalists, after attending a Wildcats football camp in recent weeks. He also had generated some budding interest from Georgia, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Cross received an offer from Kentucky on June 19, according to 247Sports, and the once-favored Golden Gophers watched as he chose to stay in SEC country.
Extremely blessed to say Im officially committed to the University of Kentucky #ALLIN #BBN #WhyNot #StoopsTroops pic.twitter.com/wNJthmlpaU
— Cross (@ThatBoyCross_) June 24, 2015
Cross’ highlight film from his ’14 season depicts a player who often bulldozed much smaller offensive linemen, then hooked one of his large arms around the waist of opposing ball-carriers or quarterbacks, wrenching them to the ground.
Kentucky now claims 18 commitments for the 2016 class, most in the SEC. The Wildcats’ recruiting class ranked No. 16 in the 247Sports composite ranking as of Wednesday evening.
Cross is the second defensive tackle committed to UK, as Kordell Looney (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) gave a verbal pledge to the Wildcats at the end of March.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
