By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
National Signing Day was highlighted in the Tampa Bay area by several big school signings, a few surprises, a record output from one school and even one-big name athlete holding off on his decision.
Among the Bay area’s top players, a few college selections were already known: Tampa Plant quarterback Aaron Murray to Georgia (he enrolled in January), Tampa Alonso defensive end Demonte McAllister to Florida State (a fall verbal commitment) and Tampa Gaither running back Jarvis Giles (switched from Tennessee to South Carolina last month), but there was plenty of fresh news Wednesday.
Seffner Armwood linebacker Petey Smith resisted the pull to join older brother Eric at Auburn and opted for the Tigers’ biggest rival – Alabama. That wasn’t the case for Tampa Chamberlain quarterback Dontae Aycock, who in the days up to signing day reversed course, deciding against Georgia Tech and signing with Auburn.
Other signings among the Bay area’s top football players were Seffner Armwood defensive end Ryne Giddins spurning Florida to sign with hometown school South Florida in Tampa.
Smith and Giddins were among a school-record nine Armwood players inking scholarship offers. The others included safety Angelo Hadley and quarterback Mywan Jackson both signing with North Carolina, offensive lineman Justin Cabbagestalk signing with Vanderbilt, linebacker Casey Callahan signing with Stony Brook, fullback Matt Eastman signing with Elon and wide receiver Rob Jones heading to Delaware.
The ninth player, Sirchauncy Holloway, was ruled ineligible last season but still accepted an offer to play at Liberty and enrolled in January.
Other top signings included: Largo linebacker Mike Marry (Mississippi), Tampa Wharton safety Jairus Jones (Michigan State), St. Petersburg Boca Ciega defensive end Julius Forte (South Florida), Tampa Wharton quarterback Andrew Clifford (South Carolina) and Tampa Jesuit wide receiver Erick McGriff (Kansas).
But one of the area’s top players has yet to sign.
Tampa Plant tight end Orson Charles, an all-state player in Class 4A, did not sign on Wednesday. He has narrowed his choices down to Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina. He is expected to make an announcement next week.
All totaled, more than 80 football players inked scholarships on Wednesday.
But the day was not just reserved for footballers. Bay area basketball, baseball, softball and soccer players, as well as wrestlers and golfers signed scholarships.
Among those included Tampa Sickles pitcher Gregg Cooke, who tossed a no-hitter last season. Cooke will attend Central Florida. Also, Brandon wrestler Eric Grajales, who is 200-0 with three state titles in his prep career signed with Michigan.
Meanwhile, standout cross country runner Connor Revord from Tampa Jesuit will attend Penn State. Tampa Wharton soccer player Joe Layton is headed to North Carolina-Greensboro, Tarpon Springs East Lake soccer player Leah Fisher will play for Notre Dame, Tampa Sickles basketball star John Henson will attend North Carolina, Tampa Chamberlain pitcher Samantha Holle signed with Florida and standout golfers Doug Letson (Tampa Plant) and Shena Yang (Tampa Wharton) signed with Florida State and South Florida, respectively.
Tampa Bay Area Football Signees
Player, Position, High School, College
Aaron Murray, QB, Tampa Plant, Georgia
Petey Smith, LB, Seffner Armwood, Alabama
Demonte McAllister, DE, Tampa Alonso, Florida State
Ryne Giddins, DE, Seffner Armwood, South Florida
Jarvis Giles, RB, Tampa Gaither, South Carolina
Dontae Aycock, RB, Tampa Chamberlain, Auburn
Orson Charles, TE, Tampa Plant, Undecided
Denzel Drone, LB, Plant City, Michigan State
Angelo Hadley, DB, Seffner Armwood, North Carolina
Mywan Jackson, QB, Seffner Armwood, North Carolina
Duran Lowe, DB, Plant City, Wake Forest
Erick McGriff, WR, Tampa Jesuit, Kansas
Dontavious Pyron, DL, Tampa Chamberlain, Troy
Anthony Williams, WR, Tampa Chamberlain, Troy
Kenny Allen, RB, Tampa Chamberlain, Iowa Western CC
Mike Lang, DB, Largo, Connecticut
Mike Marry, LB, Largo, Mississippi
JaQuez Jenkins, QB, St. Petersburg Lakewood, South Florida
Richard Shockley, LB, Clearwater Countryside, Quincy University
Pete Kontodiakos, P, Clearwater Countryside, Colorado State
Josh Johnson, WR, Dade City Pasco, Purdue
Mylon Brown, OL, Dade City Pasco, Vanderbilt
Te’Jay Brown, DE, St. Petersburg, Colorado State
Darrien Skinner, WR, St. Petersburg Boca Ciega, Hofstra
Julius Forte, DE, St. Petersburg Boca Ciega, South Florida
Jon Halapio, OL, St. Petersburg Catholic, Florida
Kamron Joyner, OL, Wesley Chapel, South Florida
Jerod Brisbon, LB, Tampa Hillsborough, Florida A&M
Colby Walden, WR, Tampa Hillsborough, Jacksonville
Evan Colbourne, K, Tampa Hillsborough, Colgate
Lindsey Lamar, RB, Tampa Hillsborough, South Florida
Darren Baker, OT, Tampa Hillsborough, Murray State
Justin Cabbagestalk, OL, Seffner Armwood, Vanderbilt
Casey Callahan, LB, Seffner Armwood, Stony Brook, N.Y.
Rob Jones, WR, Seffner Armwood, Delaware
Andreal Coleman, DL, Tampa Middleton, Georgia Southern
Donovan Celerin, RB, Tampa King, Harvard
Matt Eastman, FB, Seffner Armwood, Elon
Keith Graham, QB, Tampa King, North Carolina Tech
Adrian Frederick, LB, Tampa King, William Penn
Travis Reynolds, DB, Tampa King, William Penn
Travis Simmons, LB, Tampa King, William Penn
Brandon Stanley, OL, Tampa Chamberlain, Iowa Western CC
Justin Lattimore, TE, Tampa Gaither, Illinois
Javon Mention, DL, Tampa Plant, Georgia Southern
John Nenos, OL, Tampa Gaither, Furman
Hunter Stout, OL, Tampa Wharton, Louisville
John Plasencia, TE, Tampa Jesuit, Northwestern
Rodney Pugh, FB, Tampa King, Albany State
Josh Ruffin, S, Tampa King, North Carolina Tech
Devin Ray, MLB, Riverview, North Carolina A&T
Andrew Clifford, QB, Tampa Wharton, South Carolina
Ed Williams, WR, Tampa Alonso, Toledo
Shannon Burch, LB, Riverview, Cheyney Univ.
Jerrod Grant, OL, Tampa Jefferson, Elon University
Yemi Oyegunle, DB, Tampa Gaither, The Citadel
Dametrius Turner, DB, Tampa Chamberlain, South Dakota
Chris Frierson, DB, Tampa Chamberlain, South Dakota
Rico Valdez, DB, Tampa Chamberlain, South Dakota
Jairus Jones, DB, Tampa Wharton, Michigan State
Antonio Wallace, WR, Tampa Bay Tech, Northern Michigan
Markeil Floyd, OL, Tampa Bay Tech, Bethune-Cookman
Coril Joseph, DL, Tampa Freedom, Charleston Southern
Austin Tottle, OL, Seminole Osceola, Florida International
Darius Bellamy, RB, Dunedin, South Florida
Kyle Pedretty, FB, Dunedin, Holy Cross
