Alabama beats out Ohio State for four-star receiver

Ohio State lost out on getting an in-state pledge from Derek Kief on Sunday, as the wide receiver elected to give a verbal pledge to Alabama instead.

The Class of 2014 product from La Salle High School (Cincinnati, OH) chose the Crimson Tide over the Buckeyes and Kentucky.

The 6-5, 198-pounder, who last week made a second trip to Tuscaloosa after visiting in March during spring drills, is Nick Saban and Co.'s second major commitment of this past weekend following the pledge of top dropback passer David Cornwell on Friday. Kief is the Tide's 12th commitment for 2014 and the first wide receiver in this cycle.

A consensus four-star recruit among the major recruiting services, Kief caught 65 passes for 907 yards and nine touchdowns last season, setting a school record for receptions in a year and being named first-team all-district in Ohio. At the next level he is expected to cause matchup problems because of his size-speed combo.

Upcoming Games