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Deerfield Beach, FL — For top-tier players, committing before the season is not a popular choice. Most players nowadays wait until early signing day to pledge their allegiance to their future institution to weigh out all of their options.
Five players from perennial high school football power Deerfield Beach committed to five D-1 programs Tuesday night. It’s become a tradition for the school for players to announce their commitment before the season starts on The Tony Sands Show.
A surprise for some, was standout running back Jazuin Patterson’s commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Huge get for @HawkeyeFootball. Iowa gets a commitment from one of the best running backs out of South Florida.
Jaziun @j4thegreat1 Patterson chooses Iowa over Florida State and now can focus on winning a state championship for @DB_BucksFB. pic.twitter.com/LreCFT9nE2
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) August 18, 2021
It feels great to get it out of the way, said Patterson at Duffy’s, a sports bar in the area. “I’ve been thinking about it all season, all workouts, all spring. I’ve been thinking about getting this out of the way so I can hopefully win a state [championship] this year. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
Patterson, rated a four-star by Rivals.com, is a bruising running back with breakaway speed. The (5-10, 180) workhorse holds over 30 offers and considered Florida State his number one school before Iowa offered.
“Communication from Iowa was different from Florida State,” Patterson said. “Communication for Iowa was spot on. I was hitting them up every day.”
One member of the Deerfield Bucks football team has yet to play an official game for the team. David Conner, the towering (6-6, 270) Georgia native decided to move to Florida to help boost his recruitment. Deerfield Head Coach Jevon Glenn welcomed Conner and brought him along on a college tour this off-season. The move for Conner may very well be the best move of his life.
The offensive tackle transferred from Martin Luther King, Jr. High School out of Lithonia, GA to Deerfield and now is committed to the Florida Gators.
The #Gators get a big commitment to its offensive line.
The Georgia transfer David Conner @connerdavid123 , visited @GatorsFB with his @DB_BucksFB teammates this off-season and proved to the coaches that he was worthy of the offer. pic.twitter.com/f6FY84KEbq
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) August 18, 2021
“Recruitment was slow, I wasn’t really getting nothing,” said Conner. “At first ain’t nobody trying to move from Georgia all the way to South Florida, so it was an instant no. After a few talks, we talked with my mom, I hopped on the college tour and everything took off from there. Coach Glenn is a great man.”
Other schools vying for Conner’s commitment were FAU, Arizona, Maryland, and Syracuse. The new Florida resident is ready to play in the SEC but the moment still felt surreal.
“It’s crazy to be where I was three months ago and now I’m about to play SEC ball,” Conner said.
The decision can be quite tough for these young men, especially when deciding whether or not to stay close to home. Alton Tarber, a three-star defensive tackle, decided to go to commit to Georgia Tech. The talented (6-3, 320) D-Lineman is looking forward to being the big man on campus but admits the process was stressful. The hometown Miami Hurricanes were the runner-ups in the chase for Tarber.
Deerfield @DB_BucksFB defensive lineman Alton Tarber @IvTarber commits to @GeorgiaTechFB. The Yellow Jackets edge #Canes for the 3 ⭐️ talent. pic.twitter.com/Kanj9vohGQ
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) August 18, 2021
“The process is really stressful,” said Tarber. “I had 30-plus offers and all the coaches you have to talk to, communicate with, and try to build a bond with, it was really stressful.”
Tarber felt Georgia Tech was the better fit based on communication with D-Line Coach Jerome Riase. Tarber is the third 2022 prospect from South Florida to commit to the Yellow Jackets. In March, Jeffrey Bonica (Miami Edison) committed to Georgia Tech, and Jaylin Marshall (Miami Central) pledged last Friday.
Also pledging on the night were Daterius Lee and Joseph Kennerly. Lee made a big statement committing to HBCU Florida A&M. Lee referenced the success of two-time all-pro linebacker Darius Leonard and the partnership with Nike as contributing factors with his decision.
“I just want to show that you can do it from a #HBCU too.”
The Rattlers of @FAMU_FB get a commitment from @Daterius11 Lee from @DB_BucksFB. pic.twitter.com/MntLmYIlj5
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) August 18, 2021
Kennerly decided on Youngstown State and strongly believes he can play right away.
“I got my opportunity so I took it.”
The fast 2022 receiver from @DB_BucksFB, @KennerlyJoseph commits to @ysufootball pic.twitter.com/k65CcYLELi
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) August 18, 2021
Deerfield opens the season against Tru Prep Academy Thursday night at home in a preseason kickoff classic. The season officially kicks off for the Bucks versus Miami Edison on August 27th.
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