Jaheim Oatis, at 6-foot-4 and 286 pounds, is hard to miss on a football field. He’s attracted plenty of attention from college coaches this summer, but they will have to wait to get him – he’s only now going to the eighth grade.
Perennial football powerhouse Alabama, along with fellow Southeastern Conference stalwarts Mississippi and Mississippi State have already offered football scholarships a whole year before Oatis will reach high school in Columbia, Mississippi, according to the youngster on his Twitter account.
"Some college football programs will make offers to middle school prospects to gain attention on a national level," said ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton. "It appears to be much more than that in the case of 6-foot-4, 286-pound Jaheim Oatis.”
"… Watching the video of Oatis running a self-reported, 4.7-second 40-yard dash at Ole Miss camp, it's easy to see why the Rebels and Bulldogs both offered following their June camps. Over the weekend, Oatis' very early recruitment went to another level following camp at Alabama, when he received a 'dreams came true' offer from Nick Saban," Hamilton added.
A tweet with a photo of the incoming eighth-grader standing next to Saban has caught the attention of many on social media.
The Bleacher Report pointed out a trend, with the University of Hawaii offering fifth grade quarterback Titan Lacaden a scholarship last month, while Florida Atlantic offered seventh grade signal-caller Kaden Martin, 13, son of former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin, a scholarship in May.
"Given that, it's not surprising Oatis already has three offers," said Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker. "If and when the time comes for him to decide where he'll play football at the next level, he'll likely have his pick of almost any top program in the country."