Matt Elam
By LARRY VAUGHT
He?s met with Alabama coach Nick Saban, received 181 letters in one day from Kentucky and been to visit Ohio State and Notre Dame. Yet a recent boost in his recruiting ranking probably excited John Hardin defensive tackle Matt Elam more than anything. Elam was already a four-star recruit when he was elevated by 247Sports.com to the elite five-star status , something few players achieve.
?I was so excited when I got my fifth star,? said Elam. ?Everybody works so hard for that. I?have been working and to see it all pay off like that was amazing. I was just thrilled.?
Various schools will be just as thrilled if the mammoth defensive lineman decides to play for them. He has had Alabama, Kentucky and Louisville at the top of his college list for some time. Now he?s added Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee to a top-six list.
?I have visited all six schools. I am still trying to think about where I will go on my (five) official visits,? Elam said.
His intention has been to announce his college choice at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 4, 2014 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. He wants to stick to that timetable if he can.
?It has been kind of hard, but I think I can make it through this and wait for the All-American Bowl,? Elam said. ?About every single day somebody asks me where I am going.?
He heard a lot of that on a recent visit to UK?for a summer camp that many of UK?s 2014 verbal commitments attended. That included Conner quarterback Drew Barker, who will play in the same game in San Antonio.
?Drew is kind of laid back and said when I?make my decision, he will be there beside me,? Elam said. ?But everybody there was encouraging me to go ahead and pick Kentucky. The staff was telling me they were ready for a Yahtzee (the code word UK?coaches use on Twitter when a player commits). But they calmed down as the weekend went on.?
Elam did create a bit of a stir on his visit when he tweeted pictures of UK?s new uniforms.
?I liked them a lot. I don?t know how everybody else feels about them, but the commits loved them. Everybody wants to look good when they play,? he said.
Elam was pleasantly surprised when he visited Notre Dame.
?It wasn?t high on my list but when I went up there for a visit, the coaching staff was great and the campus is beautiful. They have a lot of great tradition. It really changed my mind about Notre Dame. The staff talked a lot about how I?could come and play early,? Elam said.
What about Ohio State?
?I also loved the coaching staff there. They are staying in contact and saying I?have a great chance to play early there,? he said.
Tennessee held off offering Elam until last week. First-year coach Butch Jones has 24 commitments in his 2014 recruiting, one reason he may have waited so long to offer Elam. The John Hardin lineman says he does ?not keep grudges? but he will remember the late offer and how Tennessee at one time said he was ?too big? before later telling him he was a ?perfect fit? for the defense.
Elam, who weighs 360 pounds now but insists he?ll be down to 335 or 340 when his season starts, is strong, athletic, and explosive. His first step and hand quickness have impressed all recruiters. However, the recruiting attention could make him the center of attention from opposing teams this season.
?All this won?t change me. I?just have to slow down and focus on my year. I?have played with these guys forever. We have started practice, so I am back in the groove and working hard,? Elam said. ?My goal is to win a state championship for John Hardin and then worry about recruiting.?
He hopes Kentucky and Louisville fans come to watch him and his team play.
?We need the stands to be filled up. Past years, it has not been like that and hopefully the change will be good. If a bunch of fans come, it will help me and my team,? he said.
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