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His final decision came down to three storied college football programs: Florida, Michigan, and Alabama. While there may have hardly been a wrong choice, on Thursday the defensive end from Woodbridge, Va. decided the best school for him belonged in the Southeastern Conference.
Five-star prospect Da'Shawn Hand has officially committed to Alabama.
Yes, the country’s top-ranked team just got even better.
Listed at 6-feet-5, 262 pounds, Hand is one of the most highly regarded college prospects, renowned by Scout.com for his athleticism and strength, and as someone who can be effective defending both the running and passing game.
“It was a long process, but next year I will be attending the University of Alabama,” he said in his press conference broadcasted by NBC Sports Network's SportsDash, before putting on a crimson baseball cap adorned with a cursive letter “A.”
"Why not go where there's a great possibility that you can win a national championship?" he added.
Besides what he called Alabama’s “winning tradition,” he said the school’s academics (he plans to major in civil engineering), campus life, and his relationships with members and coaches of the team also played a role in his choice.
Hand also explained where he best thought he'd would fit in.
"All the coaches, they care about their players, and they don’t lie to you. They tell you how it is. So I know when I go in I’m not going to be number one on the depth chart, and I know I’ve got to do a lot of hard work, but they had the most freshmen playing this year, so anything’s possible," Hand said.
You can watch the video for yourself here:
How did Hand plan to celebrate becoming the Crimson Tide’s 23rd commitment for 2014?
For more information on how Hand’s commitment may affect Alabama’s future recruiting and for a look at the top prospects still available, you can read Scout.com's article here.
