Armwood’s Dees commits to Marshall

Posted Oct 11, 2011 by Bill Ward

Updated Oct 11, 2011 at 09:11 PM

Armwood senior offensive lineman Cameron Dees became the seventh Hawks player this season to make an early college commitment when he chose Marshall University on Monday night.

The 6-foot-1, 280-pound Dees joins teammates Matt Jones (Florida), Eric Striker (Oklahoma), Cody Waldrop (South Carolina), Sheldon Lewinson (Wake Forest), Jarvis McCall (South Florida) and Javonte Snead (South Alabama) as an early commitment.

Dees said he made an official visit to Marshall in Huntington, West Va., early last month, shortly after the Hawks’ nationally-televised game against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman. Dees wanted to make his commitment then but, on the advice of his father, waited to ponder other offers from several other schools. Among his other offers were Delaware, Western Michigan, Ohio, Middle Tennessee, and Florida International.

Dees believes the knee injury e suffered over the summer, which required arthroscopic knee surgery, likely hurt his recruiting by some of the larger conferences. But he says the Mashall coaches never wavered in their desire for him to play for the Thundering Herd.

“I probably could have waited and been a late pick-up by a Big East or ACC school but instead of being someone’s second choice, I wanted to be someone’s biggest recruit,” Dees said. “And I really liked the coaches the players that were there on my visit, and the support they get from the town and school.”

Armwod coach Sean Callahan says the most players his program has ever had make D-I commitments in one season is eight, during the 2000-01 campaign. With several other players on the this year’s roster still waiting to make decisions, including offensive linemen Kevin McCoy, Jack Lightsey and Brandon Teeling, and defensive lineman Allen Covington, the 2011-12 Hawks will certainly eclipse that mark.