Defensive end Jarez Parks wants to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide, committed to Alabama in front of the Eiffel Tower, but did he sign with Alabama?
Jarez Parks is the No. 93 player in the country in the 2017 high school recruiting class. According to 247Sports, Parks is the No. 7 weak-side defensive end and the No. 17 player from Florida in his class.
He was one of the biggest players to be undecided heading into National Signing Day 2017. Parks did something outside-the-box by deciding to make a Bleacher Report video in Paris, France. Here he is committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in front of the Eiffel Tower.
If committing to an SEC football power in Europe wasn’t strange enough, so was the fallout of Parks’ commitment to the Crimson Tide. Alabama had been Parks’ leader for some time over schools like Auburn and Florida State. That being said, there was some skepticism regarding if there would be a spot in Tuscaloosa for Parks. Parks was said to be “too emotional” to make a final decision, leaving his future way up in the air for a short time.
At first, it seemed that Bleacher Report pushed the pre-recorded video in Paris a bit prematurely. Parks was a little worried that he may not be able to sign with his preferred choice. Other schools including Auburn, Baylor, and Georgia had interest in him heading into National Signing Day.
After a bit of uncertainty surrounding Parks’ status with the Crimson Tide, Parks will indeed sign with Alabama. However, this will be as a gray shirt. He will not enroll at Alabama until January 2018.
There is always one guy every single recruiting cycle that weird stuff happens to. It’s only fitting that the guy who would proclaim his love for Alabama in Paris would have to accept a gray shirt from his beloved preferred choice.
Next: Predicting where top 25 uncommitted recruits sign
Let’s keep a collective eye on the Parks recruiting saga. What will the next twist in it be on National Signing Day 2017?