4-Star DB Deontay Anderson Discusses Top 5, Leaves Door Open for Other Programs

The triple-digit temperatures of a Texas summer in August can be physically draining and mentally excruciating for high school football players.

For Deontay Anderson, it's observed merely as routine, just another day in his quest to be the nation's best safety on the nation's best team.

As Anderson, Manvel High School's 4-star defensive standout and the No. 3 safety in the country, prepares for his senior year, he's managed to balance the anticipation of the upcoming season with the stressful world of recruiting. On Sunday, Anderson tweeted his top five schools, trimming his list from a selection of 43 reported offers.

"

Alphabetical Order ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LSU OLE MISS TEXAS TEXAS A&M USC http://t.co/FGTRy7fuXQ @HamiltonESPN

— Deontay Anderson (@DTRAIN__) August 3, 2015"

And he did so just in time to focus on the season, which starts in three weeks.

"Practices have been good; I'm just ready to get to fast action and hit somebody," Anderson said. "It's been hot, but it hasn't been an issue. We run a lot, and it's been kind of a challenge, but it hasn't really been a major issue."

Anderson said the five schools that made his list also will be the schools receiving an official visit. The USC visit most likely will be the weekend of Sept. 18, when the Trojans host Stanford. The official stop in Texas will be during the season, but a date hasn't been determined. Anderson added that official visits to Texas A&M, Ole Miss and LSU most likely will happen after the season.

Anderson—the high-octane player known for making plays with the sugar-rush assistance of Welch's Fruit Snacks— said all five schools had the same thing in common: a connection with the head coach and the position coaches.

"The relationship with the coaches is important," he said. "You're always going to be around your coaches, so you have to have good relationships with them. I like the head coach and my position coach with all of them. I think I can learn a lot."

To add, Anderson said that while he has five officials planned, he hasn't shut the recruiting door on other programs. In fact, he said he's still looking at Georgia, Florida, TCU and Mississippi State, and those four schools have just as much of a chance as the ones in his top five.

"[Narrowing it down] has been very difficult, but it had to be done," said Anderson, who won't make a decision until national signing day. "I knew I had to sit down and just pick which ones fit me best. I hated to cut any school out, but it had to be done."

USC is expected to be Anderson's first visit, and it could set the bar overall. There was a time Anderson wasn't interested in the Trojans, but he said the persistence of defensive backs coach Keith Heyward and head coach Steve Sarkisian should be commended.

"[Heyward] has made a couple of visits to see me," Anderson said. "I was in class one day, and my coach said he came by to speak with me unexpectedly. That really caught my eye. Then [Sarkisian] started coming by to visit. We've had great talks."

There are some who feel the battle for Anderson will come down to in-state rivals Texas and Texas A&M. He has a teammate in 4-star wide receiver Reggie Hemphill-Mapps who has been committed to the Longhorns since October of last year. On the flip side, another former teammate, Koda Martin, is a redshirt freshman at Texas A&M.

Anderson said he's a big fan of the coaching staffs at both Texas and Texas A&M—particularly the coaches who are defensive-minded.

"I love what Coach [Charlie] Strong is doing at UT," he said. "He's a great man, and I feel he's going to change things around. He's a defensive guy, so that's a huge deal to me.

"A&M has been around for a long time. I've built a good relationship with Coach [Kevin] Sumlin, and I love [defensive coordinator] Coach [John] Chavis. He's a cool dude. He's one of the best people I've ever met—a really genuine guy."

Credit: 247Sports

LSU and Ole Miss are two schools to keep an eye on. Anderson calls LSU his "dream school" and was excited after receiving the offer. Ole Miss arguably has shown him the most love of the five schools, and he's a big fan of what head coach Hugh Freeze is doing with the program.

"LSU is DBU," Anderson said. "When I first got the offer, I thought about committing, but I didn't because I thought I might get more offers. It's crazy to have your dream school offer. Coach [Les] Miles is unbelievable, and [defensive backs] Coach [Corey] Raymond is unbelievable. It's a great environment there; plus, it's close to home.

"With Ole Miss, I know that Coach Freeze has it rolling over there. He's one special person; he has a certain gift, and that's one thing I've taken notice of. He's one of those coaches who knows himself and really knows his players. Plus, the campus is beautiful, and everybody is genuine. You can't go wrong there."

The winning school gets a dynamic playmaker in the secondary, someone who is as polished a tackler as he is a cover defender. As a junior, he finished the year with 59 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdowns.

Anderson showed his athleticism the last two years as a participant at The Opening in Oregon. This year, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.01 seconds, threw the power ball 38 feet and showed a vertical jump of 37.4 inches. 

"

It was such a great 2 years! Thank you so much! @TheOpening @Nike #2xOpeningAlum #KeepClimbing pic.twitter.com/4cvs0L3iek

— Deontay Anderson (@DTRAIN__) July 12, 2015"

For his varsity career—which started his freshman year—Anderson has 184 tackles, 18 pass breakups and four interceptions. He also has returned a punt return back for a score, if a school chooses to use him in the special teams department.

Anderson said he's unsure of trimming his list further, but he did say he's excited about giving all of the schools a chance to make their pitches.

For now, however, his primary focus is on Manvel.

"I want to win state with my team," he said. "We've got to take that one day at a time and focus on the details. We can't think about anything else."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles