Several players decided to commit to SEC schools during the weekend. Here’s the update.

LSU

DT Tevin Lawson - Denham Springs (La.) High School

Lawson expected to commit to LSU when he arrived on campus during the weekend.

“I knew I was going to LSU,” he told ESPN.com. “I want to represent the state of Louisiana.”

OL K.J. Malone – Cedar Creek High School in Ruston, La.
Malone is the son of Hall of Fame basketball player Karl Malone. K.J. Malone figures to be a key part of LSU’s offense in the future.

DE Michael Patterson – Winnfield (La.) Senior High School
Patterson committed after watching LSU’s spring practice session Saturday.

“To be on the field and look at these guys makes me hungrier to get here and get on the field,” Patterson told TigerBait.com.

LSU has nine commitments for the class of 2013.

South Carolina

DE Alfy Hill - Los Angeles Valley Community College
The Shallotte, N.C., native signed with Alabama in 2010 before being ruled academically ineligible. He briefly attended East Carolina before deciding to enroll in junior college.

Hill then decided to commit to North Carolina State before South Carolina convinced him to return to the SEC.

“It feels great,” he told PalmettoSports.com. “It’s just three hours from my house.”

LB Gerald Turner – Goose Creek (S.C.) High School
Turner became South Carolina’s third commitment for the class of 2013 when he chose the Gamecocks over Clemson and North Carolina. Turner told Sporting News:

“I feel like I can bring South Carolina’s defense to another level with my speed and quickness and I know I may be a little bit undersized, but they are used to playing with an undersized player – like Eric Norwood.”

Vanderbilt

DB Taurean Ferguson – Jonesboro (Ga.) High School
Ferguson, who also had offers from Ole Miss, Cincinnati and Wake Forest, saw the best of both worlds at Vanderbilt.

“I picked Vanderbilt because I looked at it as four years to set myself up for the next 40 years,” Ferguson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m going there for the education and sports.”

Ferguson is Vanderbilt’s fifth commitment for the class of 2013.

Running back Tyren Jones from Walten Senior High School in Marietta, Ga., has committed to Alabama.

“I’m committed to Bama,” Jones confirmed to ESPN.com via text message.

Jones is the second running back to commit to Alabama’s class of 2013. He joins Altee Tenpenny from North Little Rock (Ark.) High School.

Don’t expect Alabama to stop recruiting running backs for the 2013 class. Jones told Kipp Adams of ESPN.com that Alabama plans to recruit three running backs in 2013.

Of course, Alabama could always postpone a scholarship offer if it needs to create spots for its signing class.

Linebacker Otha Peters from Covington (La.) High School has switched his commitment from Tennessee to Arkansas.

Peters made the decision after taking an official visit to Arkansas last weekend, according to Covington coach Malter Scobel. Peters had been committed to Tennessee since July.

Questions about stability and the future of head coach Derek Dooley at Tennessee worked against the Vols, Scobel told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“Otha had some valid reasons to make his change,” Scobel said. “It wasn’t anything silly. Tennessee’s up against a different challenge than they are in Arkansas. Otha was very straightforward with Tennessee about the decision, and I think they still would like to have him.”

And Tennessee will continue to fight for Peters, who would be the third linebacker in the last month to decommit from the Vols. Dalton Santos recently switched to Texas and Khalid Henderson is considering Kentucky and Ole Miss after Tennessee recommended he look elsewhere in December.

The decision to tell Henderson to look elsewhere would look to be a mistake in hindsight. The Vols have offered a scholarship to Jacksonville, Fla., linebacker Kenneth Bynum, who is committed to Cincinnati.

Peters is the second linebacker to commit to Arkansas in the last week.

Vin Ascolese from North Bergen, N.J., committed to the Razorbacks during the weekend. A.J. Turner from Lepanto, Ark., has been committed to Arkansas since April.

Running back Davante Bourque from Crowley (La.) High School committed to Tennessee during an official visit this weekend.

“I committed because I felt like Tennessee was the best option for me,” Bourque told Volquest.com via text message.

Tennessee had an advantage with Bourque, who originally committed to LSU, because it can offer immediate playing time. The Vols are looking for someone to replace departing senior Tauren Poole.

Tennessee has 14 commitments to go along with seven early enrollees for the class of 2012.

Linebacker Kwon Alexander from Oxford (Ala.) High School is focusing his recruitment on Alabama, Auburn and LSU.

“Alabama is a great school with a hard-nosed defense and great coaches,” Alexander told 247Sports.com. “Auburn is a good school and a good atmosphere. It’s like family out there. LSU has good players, it’s a good school and a nice place.”

Alexander would be a nice addition to any school. He’s considered the nation’s fourth-best outside linebacker by 247Sports.

Alexander has already taken official visits to Auburn, LSU and Florida. He said he will try to schedule an official visit to Alabama this month but hasn’t scheduled a trip.

“It will come down to trusting the coaches and how cool the strength and conditioning is,” Alexander said. “Also, a place that feels like family.”

Auburn has received a commitment from offensive lineman Robert Leff from Fairhope (Ala.) High School.

Leff had been committed to Southern Miss but switched his commitment after Auburn offered him a scholarship on Tuesday morning.

“It’s playing in the SEC against the best of the best,” Leff told 247Sports.com. “That’s how you get better is playing against people better than you. If you don’t look for competition, you’re not going to get any better.”

Leff is Auburn’s 16th commitment for the class of 2012 and third offensive lineman to choose the Tigers.

Running back T.J. Yeldon from Daphne (Ala.) High School made big news during the weekend when he switched his commitment from Auburn to Alabama.

Yeldon announced the change by releasing a statement.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve really put a lot of time and thought into where I want to go to school and continue my football career,” Yeldon said in the statement. “I am blessed to be in a situation where I have several great opportunities and I appreciate everyone involved who has helped me get to this point.

“I want to make an announcement so I can put this behind me and get to work on the things I need to do to prepare for college both athletically and academically. I am going to enroll at the University of Alabama in January.

“I have a lot of respect for Auburn, the coaches, and all of the people there, but at the end of the day I feel like the University of Alabama is the best situation for me and my family. I am 100 percent confident with my final decision. I feel great about it and I’m excited to get started.”

Alabama should be excited to have Yeldon, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 1 all-purpose running back by 247Sports.com. His commitment gives Alabama the No. 1 ranking in the 247Sports team rankings for the class of 2012.

Alabama’s 2012 class is currently ranked No. 2 by Rivals.com and No. 3 by Scout.com, respectively.

What’s the impact of Yeldon’s decision to change his commitment? Tim Watts of BamaOnline.com weighs in.

Yeldon is the third running back commitment for Alabama’s 2012 class, joining Kenyan Drake from Powder Springs, Ga., and Justin Taylor from Atlanta.

Jovon Robinson from Memphis, Tenn., is the lone running back commitment to Auburn’s 2012 class.

Running back I’Tavius Mathers from Blackman High School in Murfreesboro (Tenn.) High School is committed to Ole Miss but is still considering other schools .

Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt are the three schools on Mathers’ list, according to a tweet from Tom Kreager of The Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.

Mathers, who’s considered the nation’s 16th-best running back by Rivals.com, will visit all three schools next month, according to Kreager.

Linebacker Denzel Devall from Bastrop (La.) High School has committed to Alabama.

Devall confirmed his commitment to MrSEC via text message on Wednesday night. He chose Alabama over offers from LSU and Texas A&M.

Devall is considered the third-best prospect in Louisiana and the nation’s fifth-best linebacker by Rivals.com.

Tight end Kurt Freitag from Buford (Ga.) High School has committed to Alabama.

Freitag chose Alabama over Florida.

“It has really always been those two schools for me,” Freitag told Scout.com. “I changed my mind a few times between them, but I just kept feeling Alabama was the best fit. They are a strong running team, but they know how to use their tight ends, too. I like their balance.”

Freitag is the 21st commitment for Alabama’s class of 2012 and first from a tight end. Scout ranks him the nation’s 20th-best tight end.

Florida has commitments from two tight end prospects – Kent Taylor from Land O’Lakes, Fla., and Colin Thompson from Warminster, Pa.