The recruitment of Baylor (Chattanooga, TN) senior Jaylon Baker has been trending upwards as of late, with the 6’3”, 170-pound defensive back prospect picking up scholarship offers from the University of Virginia, Western Kentucky, and Georgia Tech within the past two weeks. Baker has decided to end his recruitment, however, which is good news for Cavalier head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
“First, I’d just like to thank the man upstairs for blessing me with the ability to play the game I love; without him, none of this is possible,” Baker wrote in the tweet below. “I would like to give a huge thanks to my parents for being there for me and sticking by my side through this recruiting process. To my Baylor coaches, you’ve done a tremendous job of developing me into the player I am today. Also, I’d like to thank every other university who has recruited me and given me the opportunity to play for them. It has always been a dream of mine to play football at the next level. I am truly blessed to see this dream finally becoming a reality for me. While this process has been stressful at times, I’m very humbled, but extremely excited to announce my commitment to … The University of Virginia!”
Truly Blessed. pic.twitter.com/8ZGRpEkSys
— Jaylon Baker₇ (@JaylonBaker_) December 19, 2017
Baker’s decision comes on the heels of an official visit he made to UVA last weekend. In addition to those schools listed above, the standout prospect also considered offers from U-Mass and a handful of FCS schools, including Richmond.
Baker played cornerback and wide receiver at Baylor this past season but is expected to play defense for the Cavaliers. National recruiting outlets Rivals and 247Sports rank the Tennessee native as a 3-star recruit. Rivals has Baker as the no. 27 overall senior recruit in Tennessee while 247Sports Composite rates him as the no. 28 senior in Tennessee and the no. 74 cornerback in the nation in the class of 2018.
Check out highlights of UVA’s newest pledge below. A full rundown of UVA’s updated 2018 Class is below those highlights. Baker and the rest of Virginia’s class will be able to officially sign with the Hoos on Wednesday, December 20, which marks the begin of Division 1 football’s first Early Signing Period. The Early Signing Period lasts through December 22.
– Brennan Armstrong, QB, Shelby (OH)
– Jaylon Baker, CB, Baylor (Chattanooga, TN)
– Joe Bissinger, OL, Memorial (Houston, TX)
– DJ Brown, CB, St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.)
– Derek Devine, OL, North Allegheny (Wexford, PA)
– Javar Garrett, LB, Peddie School (Hightstown, N.J.)
– TC Harrison, OLB, Collins Hill (Suwanee, GA)
– Bobby Haskins, OL, The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.)
– Tavares Kelly, WR/PR/KR, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
– Billy Kemp, WR, Highland Springs (VA)
– Will Lawrence, OL, Memphis Harding Academy (Memphis, TN)
– Micah Mariteragi, OL, Kahuku (HI)
– Grant Misch, LB, Potomac Falls (Potomac Falls, VA)
– Ugo Obasi, WR, Milford Mill (Baltimore, MD)
– Hunter Pearson, PK, Seneca (S.C.)
– Bryce Perkins, DT QB, Arizona Western College (Yuma, AZ)
– Jordan Redmond, DL, Osceola (Kissimmee, FL)
– Samson Reed, DL, Kahuku (HI)
– Noah Taylor, OLB, Avalon (Gaithersburg, MD)
– Wooby Theork, WR, Naples (FL)
– Martin Weisz, OL, The Benjamin School (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
– Joseph White, S, Landstown (Virginia Beach, VA)
