SEC Football Weekly Recruiting Roundup: Quarterback Cooper Bateman to Alabama

Every Wednesday here at The SEC Blog, we will update you on the latest commits, decommits and rumors in the recruiting world.

Commits

Alabama got big news on Wednesday when Salt Lake City quarterback Cooper Bateman committed to the Tide, according to John Zenor of the Associated Press.

"

Bama gets commit from Salt Lake City QB Cooper Bateman, who plans to enroll in January, his coordinator Scott Cate says in a statement.

— John Zenor (@jzenor) May 16, 2012"

Quarterback was a priority for the Crimson Tide this season, so Bateman's commitment is big news for the Tide. He's the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the country, according to 247Sports.com. With A.J. McCarron on campus for two more seasons, Bateman could redshirt and then compete for the starting job as a redshirt freshman in 2014.

LSU got good news on Wednesday when junior college wide receiver Quantavius Leslie committed to Les Miles and the LSU Tigers. Leslie is a 4-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, and is considered to be one of the top junior college wide receivers in the country.

Look out, SEC East. Steve Spurrier is on a hot streak. The South Carolina head coach got three commits this week, bringing his total to 12 for the 2013 recruiting season, according to 247Sports.com.

Headlining this week's trio of commitments is Devin Washington, a 6'3", 225-pound defensive end from Jones High School in Orlando, Fla. Washington is rated as a 4-star prospect and the No. 16 weak-side defensive end in the country, according to 247Sports.com.

Joining Washington on the Gamecocks defensive line will be fellow defensive end David Johnson. Johnson is a 6'1", 253-pound speed rusher that's ranked one spot behind Washington on 247Sports.com's ranking of weak-side defensive ends.

The duo will join the tradition of speed rushers that are gravitating toward Columbia, which has made South Carolina "Defensive End U" in the SEC.

New quarterback commit Connor Mitch is going to need some people to throw to, and he got one this week in 3-star wide receiver Pharoh Cooper. Cooper is a 5'11", 181-pounder that is a perfect fit as a slot receiver in the South Carolina system.

Arkansas has had some success lately with tight ends, and Deondre Skinner may be the next in line to be the next star tight end in Fayetteville. Rated as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Skinner has the size to play tight end, but his 4.5 speed allows him to line up outside as a slot receiver as well. 

Speaking of wide receivers, 6'1", 194-pound Marqui Hawkins pledged his commitment to Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators. Hawkins is a 3-star prospect and chose the Gators over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Clemson, according to 247Sports.com.

Ole Miss continued its hot streak on the recruiting trail as well, getting the commitment of highly-touted running back Mark Dodson, according to 247Sports.com. Dodson is a 5'10", 175-pounder that that can make people miss in space. He's a perfect fit for head coach Hugh Freeze's offense.

Not to be outdone, Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin kept the Commodore momentum going with the commitment of Gerald Perry—a 6'0", 170-pound wide receiver from Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tenn. Perry is a 3-star prospect and rated as the No. 26 player in the state of Tennessee, according to 247Sports.com.

News and Rumors

Michael Carvell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Alabama signee Geno Smith could have ended up at Tennessee, but assistant coaching moves turned him off of the Vols.

Speaking of Tennessee, Robert Nkemdiche, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit, told the Twitter world that he's interested in the Vols.

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Loved seeing Tennessee today have to get a visit down there !! Deff top school!

— robert nkemdiche (@electus_1) May 15, 2012"

Uh oh, oversigning zealots. It looks like Mark Richt is thinking about going over that 25-player cap, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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