Signing Day: Tavion Gadson of Jenkins announces college choice; Calvary's Ford goes to UCF

The Early Signing Period looked like it would go off without any big surprises in the Greater Savannah area this year until last weekend when Jenkins star Tavion Gadson, who had been committed to Florida State since August, took an official visit to Kentucky and then decommitted from the Seminoles.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive lineman announced he was signing with the Wildcats as he inked his deal with Kentucky in a ceremony at the Jenkins campus.

Injuries were a big part of the decision to make the move to Kentucky. Gadson, whose right arm was in a sling Wednesday, said surgeries on both shoulders caused Florida State to back away from a full, immediate scholarship offer as they extended a grey shirt offer -- which would mean he would not be able to join the team for training or practicing purposes until after the fall semester.

Kentucky's offer will allow Gadson to redshirt -- which means he won't play in games with the Wildcats next year -- but can train, workout, rehab and be enrolled in school starting in the fall semester.

"Kentucky had always been my No. 2 school behind Florida State, and they never let up with my recruiting," Gadson said. "When all this came up with FSU, I chose the next best opportunity for me with Kentucky. I have to give them props for being there to give me this chance."

Gadson had his family, including his younger brother Lorenzo Cowan, a three-star junior linebacker prospect from Jenkins, whose offers include Kentucky, Duke and Minnesota, by his side at the ceremony.

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Despite missing three games with injuries, Gadson was named the Region 1-5A Defensive Player of the Year. He had 40 tackles, four sacks and five QB hurries while dominating in the trenches for the Warriors, who went 4-7.

"Kentucky is getting a high-character, versatile guy who can play on the inside or the outside on the line," Jenkins coach Tony Welch said. "He's got a real motor and a good knowledge of the game. He's been working with (former Jenkins and Alabama A&M star) Frank Kearse, who played in the NFL and I think Tavion is a guy who we could no doubt see playing on Sundays."

Calvary Day's Troy Ford Jr. signs with UCF

Troy Ford Jr. made his commitment to UCF more than a year ago, and the standout Calvary Day linebacker never wavered on his choice -- making multiple trips to Orlando and making an active push with his social media accounts to bring other top players to the Knight program.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound middle linebacker put pen to paper in a signing ceremony in the Calvary gym.

"This is a relief to me because I've been committed to UCF for such a long time," Ford said. "I've stayed true to my commitment because of the coaches and players at UCF aren't fake and they build real relationships. I know when I get down there they are going to care about me as a player and a person no matter what."

Ford had another impressive season for the Cavaliers who finished with a 12-1 record after advancing to the Class 3A quarterfinals. He had 79 tackles, eight tackles for losses and seven quarterback hurries as he earned All-Region first-team honors.

"Troy has a tremendous motor, he's an all-out effort kind of guy," Calvary Day coach Mark Stroud said. "Some players are combine type guys who get recruited from those measurables, but Troy earned everything he's got from his game film -- and that's a great testimony to his toughness on the field. He's very coachable and he has that pliable heart. He's going to do whatever it takes to help the team -- he's not caught up in himself and he's such a great guy off the field. We're really proud of him."

Terry Simmons Jr. signs with Duke

Calvary defensive tackle Terry Simmons Jr. didn't hold a formal signing on Wednesday, but the 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior signed his letter of intent with Duke Wednesday morning. He plans to take part in the February signing ceremony with teammates.

Simmons has been a force up front for the Cavs. This year he had 46 tackles, including 18.5 for losses, with 4.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hurries and an interception.

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"Terry has been a dominant guy for us throughout his career," Stroud said. "He understands how to play with his hands, and he's a strong, explosive, physical player. He's a terror to deal with on the field and a great person off the field."

Benedictine's Za'Quan Bryan signs with Minnesota

Za'Quan Bryan has been one of the most versatile players in the country during his career at Benedictine and has been at the forefront as a playmaker in back-to-back state championships for the Cadets.

On Wednesday he set his future in motion as he signed to play at Minnesota. He plans to do a formal signing at BC at a later date.

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This season, Bryan caught 63 passes for 680 yards and eight touchdowns, including a scoring catch in the 14-13 championship win over Cedartown. He rushed for 290 yards and five more scores and had 72 tackles and four interceptions on defense, returning one for a score. He also had four punt returns and a kickoff return among his 18 total touchdowns.

Pauly Seeley signs with Wofford

New Hampstead's Pauly Seeley, one of the top quarterbacks in the state, signed his letter of intent to play at Wofford College in a ceremony on campus Wednesday.

Seeley, who plans to enroll early at Wofford, completed 66% of his passes for 2,517 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He led the Phoenix (6-5) to the playoffs where the No. 4 seed Phoenix nearly upset No. 1 seed Troup County in a 36-29 setback.

Seeley was named the winner of the winner of the 42nd Michael Finocchiaro Memorial Outstanding Football Player Award, given to the top high school player in Savannah as voted on by Chatham County head coaches along with local media.

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Seeley's teammate, Alijah Lacey, signed to play at Georgia Southern on Wednesday.

Lacey, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end, came on strong as a senior after receiving the offer from the Eagles. He had 37 tackles and a sack for the Phoenix.

Former Jenkins standout Larry Johnson III signs with Tennessee

Larry Johnson III always had the size and the talent to become a Division I player, and after a year at the junior college level, the 6-foot-7, 350-pounder has realized his dream as he signed to play with Tennessee on Wednesday.

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Jenkins coach Tony Welch said he was proud of how his former player handled his business in a year with the highly-regarded Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Welch said Johnson is set to join Tennessee immediately and will be eligible to play with the Volunteers against Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Jenkins' Tavion Gadson flips from FSU to Kentucky on early signing day