With the Spring Fling rapidly approaching, another prep sports year is drawing to a conclusion. And while there are still state champions to be crowned in Murfreesboro next week in baseball, soccer, softball, tennis and track, it will also mark the end of spring football.

After a couple weeks of dead period for rising senior prospects, the Chattanooga area will become more of a recruiting hotbed than it ever has been. The area has had 26 Division I-A signees from 2004 through ’07, including 15 to SEC programs. But last February there were no SEC signees among the five area players who signed with Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

The first sign that last year’s dry spell will soon be forgotten was Wednesday’s commitment to Vanderbilt by McCallie safety Jay Fullam. Whether they commit during the summer, while attending college camps, during the fall or just before next February’s national signing day, more than a half dozen area players are expected to sign with prominent Division I programs.

Heading the list is North Jackson (Ala.) linebacker Tana Patrick, who is rated the nation’s No. 61 overall recruit by Rivals.com and has already been invited to play in the U.S. Army and Under Armour All America games. The 6-foot-3, 229-pound Patrick has offers from more than half the schools in the SEC and within the last two weeks was visited by coaches from Southern California, Michigan, Texas A&M, Clemson, Florida State, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Notre Dame and Mississippi State.

Patrick, who was last year’s 4A Mr. Football in Alabama, led a defense that allowed just 88 rushing yards per game and delivered hits on two opposing backs that were so violent trainers had to carry the runners off the field. He also anchored the state qualifying 4x100 relay team, and new Chiefs head coach Shawn Peek said nearly half the school’s daily mail is stuffed into a box for Patrick.

“The thing is he’s already got that D-I body and could step into the huddle with any team in America right now,” Peek said. “After they get to know him, coaches realize they won’t have to worry about Tana’s character. He’ll go to class and won’t be in the paper for any reason other than football.”

Just a few miles across the state line at South Pittsburg, running back/linebacker David Jones is already the Pirates’ most sought-after recruit. Jones (6-1, 203) has offers from Memphis, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, while Alabama, Vanderbilt, Southern Miss and South Alabama are also recruiting him. Tennessee coaches have called or visited the school three times in the last week, and Jones was featured on the Rivals.com UT team site earlier this week.

In the shadow of Robert Robinson last year, Jones averaged a gaudy 11 yards per carry for more than 1,300 yards and was named the defensive MVP of the state title game.

Ridgeland has two potential SEC signees in receiver Mike Bowman (6-5, 212) and running back Terryl Freeman (5-9, 185). Bowman already has offers from Kentucky, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Purdue and N.C. State and is drawing serious interest from Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

Several SEC schools are drooling over the size and cover skills of Ooltewah defensive back Sammy Seamster (6-3, 190), who is also one of the state’s top sprinters this spring. Rhea County offensive lineman Kevin Revis (6-3, 270) has been invited to summer camp at Penn State, Indiana, Louisville, Tennessee, Auburn and Middle Tennessee. Each of those schools has said it could offer him a scholarship during an on-campus visit, and Vandy, Georgia Tech and Duke are also recruiting him.

Teammate Josh Walker (6-5, 295) is also drawing a lot of interest, while Cleveland’s Tucker Tipton (5-11, 185) has an offer from the Air Force Academy.

Add in Cleveland defensive back Monte Scotton, Grace Academy athlete Josh Blake, Red Bank defensive lineman Miguel Sanchez and North Jackson running back A.J. Matthews, who are all probable D-I prospects, and this is already a deeper group than last season.