Ritenour defensive tackle Ed Ray, who committed to Missouri in July, provided a Signing Day surprise when he inked with Texas A&M on Wednesday morning.
The No. 6 prospect in the Post-Dispatch Super 30, Ray could not immediately be reached for comment, and a message left for Ritenour coach Hoyt Gregory was not immediately returned.
When he committed to the Tigers last summer -- over scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Indiana and Illinois -- the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Ray cited several reasons.
"It was really close," he said. "I really loved the coaching staff, and I think the program is a good program for me, a nice fit."
He stressed that Columbia being close to home was a big reason.
"I can't be too far from my mom and her home cooking," he said.
Ray was selected as the Post-Dispatch All-Metro defensive player of the year as a senior after he racked up a team-high 109 tackles, along with three sacks and one interception and was a Suburban North all-conference first-team selection on both sides of the ball.
When asked about his commitment to Missouri in mid-December, Ray was excited about his future with the Tigers.
"I'm super-excited," he said said. "I know a bunch of guys that are from my area are going to Mizzou in the 2012 recruiting class. I want to see what we're going to do going to the SEC. I know a lot of guys going to Mizzou and I think we're going to ball next year. I'm really excited."
Texas A&M is involved in the shakeup of the Big 12, having announced last fall that it will be moving to the Southeastern Conference beginning next season.
EAST ST. LOUIS QB IVY MAKES DECISION
East St. Louis senior quarterback Lamontiez Ivy committed to Jackson State on Sunday, Flyers' coach Darren Sunkett told the Jackson Clarion Ledger, and signed with the Tigers on Wednesday.
The East St. Louis coach compared Ivy to former Alcorn State standout quarterback Steve McNair, who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Tennessee Titans and shared the 2003 MVP award with Peyton Manning.
"He reminds me so much of the late McNair," Sunkett told the newspaper.
O'FALLON'S COTTON TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS
O'Fallon senior linebacker Mike Cotton made an early commitment to Indiana in June, but after the assistant coach who had been recruiting him left for another job this winter the Hoosiers' recruiting of Cotton fell off.
After looking at his options, Cotton committed to Northern Illinois recently and signed with the Huskies on Wednesday.
The No. 10 prospect in the Super 30 rankings, Cotton has the size (6-3, 220) and speed to make a major impact for NIU. He was a first-team All-Metro selection as a senior after making a team-high 79 tackles and five sacks in helping O'Fallon go 10-2 and win a share of the Southwestern Conference championship.
CBC'S DEMOS PICKS COASTAL CAROLINA
One of the top players to come out of the St. Louis area, Borgia alum Brock Olivo had a major influence on CBC quarterback Dalton Demos choosing to continue his career at Coastal Carolina.
Olivo, who was a standout running back at Missouri before playing in the NFL, is a new assistant coach at Coastal Carolina. Olivo received a tip from his father about Demos, who his father had seen play, and Olivo began recruiting Demos.
Not long after, Demos and his father made the 15-hour drive to Coastal Carolina for a visit.
"I went down there and it was just amazing," Demos said. "It was very pretty. The weather? It was 70 degrees in January. You can't beat that. Also, they are an up-and-coming program. I really like where the program is going, so I decided that's the right spot for me."
New Coastal Carolina coach Joe Moglia has an interesting background. The former coach of the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks, Moglia is also the Chairman of the Board for TD Ameritrade. His net worth has been estimated at anywhere from $150 million to a $1 billion.
GATEWAY TECH'S RICE COMMITS TO MURRAY STATE
Gateway Tech has had a good run on prospects in recent years, including defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson (now at Missouri) and running back Anthony Pierson (Kansas).
The Jaguars' top recruit this year is senior quarterback and defensive back Paul Rice, who gave verbal commitment to Murray State, where the 5-9, 170-pounder is expected to play wide receiver.
Rice picked Murray State after also considering Southeast Missouri.
