Top 10 recruits from area in 2009

Friday, January 1, 1904

* Mike Bowman, Ridgeland: The four-star recruit at wide receiver signed with Alabama. He played in four games as a freshman and had one catch for 7 yards. After being given a redshirt year in 2010, he played in one game in 2011, then was suspended by coach Nick Saban in December of that year. Bowman was believed to have transferred to Alabama State but reportedly had academic problems and was not listed on the Hornets' roster in 2012.

* Jay Fullam, McCallie: The two-star recruit signed with Vanderbilt originally but since has transferred to the Air Force Academy. Fullam has struggled with injuries, beginning with damaging a ligament in his right hand in preseason camp that caused him to miss two months of contact drills during his redshirt season in 2009. The next year he started the first three games at strong safety before injuring a shoulder that limited his action for almost a month. He ended up playing in 11 of 12 games and ended the season with 30 tackles and two forced fumbles. He had to sit out 2011 after transferring, then suffered a shoulder injury in preseason that would require surgery and cause him to miss the season. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Dean Haynes, Northwest Whitfield: Rated a three-star prospect by Scout and a two-star by Rivals, Haynes signed with North Carolina State. After a redshirt year in 2009, he was moved from defensive back to halfback two weeks before the beginning of the 2010 season and started the first eight games there. He suffered a head injury against Florida State and ended up missing three of the last five games but wound up third on the team with 320 rushing yards. After playing mainly on special teams in 2011, he transferred to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Haynes broke a bone in his left foot in his third practice with the Mocs and missed the first five games last season. He had 11 solos among the 18 tackles he was in on in the six games he did play. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* David Jones, South Pittsburg: The Mr. Class A Football back was rated a two-star prospect and signed with Middle Tennessee State. After a redshirt year in 2009, he made the move from running back to linebacker in the spring. He played in all 13 games in 2010, primarily on special teams. He missed the Florida International game in 2011 but played in the other 11, including one start. He had 30 tackles and two fumble recoveries. Jones was then moved to safety last spring. He suffered a foot injury late in preseason camp and missed the first two games last season. He played in the other 10 with three starts and totaled 22 tackles to go with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Eric McDaniel, Calhoun: The three-star recruit signed with Purdue. After redshirting in 2009, McDaniel has since played sparingly along both sides of the line. He appeared in three games as a reserve in 2010, then was moved from defense to offense in preseason camp because the Boilermakers were strong at defensive tackle but thin along the offensive line. After playing in two games as a reserve in 2011, he was listed as a guard coming into last season but moved back to defense, his more natural side, last November and finished the season there. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Tana Patrick, North Jackson: The four-star recruit signed with Alabama, which recently won its third national championship since Patrick became part of the program. He was given a redshirt year when the Crimson Tide won the title in 2009. The reserve linebacker then had a total of 11 tackles over the next two seasons, the second of those a championship year. In last year's title run he appeared in a career-most 12 games and was in on 16 tackles, five on special teams. Four tackles is his career high in a game, which he's done twice. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Kevin Revis, Rhea County: Rated a three-star prospect, Revis signed with Tennessee. He redshirted in 2009 and played in one game during the 2010 season. After transferring to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2011, Revis has started every game at right guard the past two seasons, except one he missed because of injury. He will have a familiar face close by this season as younger brother Jacob, also an offensive lineman, signed with the Mocs on Wednesday. Kevin has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Sammy Seamster, Ooltewah: The two-star recruit signed with Middle Tennessee State and played in seven games as a freshman, registering six tackles, one for a loss, and forcing a fumble. He injured a knee against Florida Atlantic and missed the remaining four games. After redshirting in 2010, Seamster has played in all 24 games the last two years with two starts each season. Three of the cornerback's 13 tackles in 2011 were on special teams. He was moved to safety in the spring of 2012 and made 17 tackles last season, two in the backfield, and forced a fumble. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

* Evan Swindall, LaFayette: Before joining the program at Ole Miss, the three-star recruit by Rivals and two-star by Scout helped the U.S. go 3-0 and win the IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio in the summer of 2009 and was chosen first-team all-tournament. After a grayshirt year with the Rebels, in 2010 he played in six games at center, starting two. In 2011 he played in eight games, the last seven of those starts after earning the job. Swindall has not only become a mainstay on Mississippi's offensive line, he was a member of the 2012 Spring Watch List for the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I-A college football. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

* Josh Walker, Rhea County: After redshirting his first year, the two-star recruit played on the offensive line in all 13 games the next season, including one start. He started eight of the 11 games he played in 2011, missing one game with an ankle injury, with eight starts. He played 719 snaps, third-most on the team among offensive linemen, and was credited with 40 knockdown blocks while not allowing a sack. Last season Walker started all 12 games and played 885 snaps, which led all MTSU offensive linemen. He totaled 78 knockdown blocks and again did not allow a sack. He received an All-Sun Belt Conferencean honorable mention by the coaches and media and was a second-team All-SBC selection by Phil Steele. He has one year of eligibility remaining.