ESPN.com: On The Trail

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Word is out on 2014 DT Charles Mosley

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By Dave Hooker

	Alabama was the first to offer Charles Mosley and tried to keep his potential a secret, but when the Crimson Tide come calling, other schools listen.

Alabama recruiters tried their best to hide Charles Mosley.

It at least seemed plausible at the time, since Mosley is from a rural area of West Tennessee. Brighton High is 30 miles north of Memphis, far from the more established, well-known programs that beckon for college football recruiters.

Mosley was already overlooked by most schools. He didn't have a scholarship offer until the Crimson Tide came calling Feb. 6, national signing day.

But Mosley is a rare prospect -- a 6-foot-5, 340-pound junior defensive lineman who can move. That kind of prospect is tough to hide even in the most remote locations.

Brighton head coach Will Wolfe said he believes Alabama did the best it could to keep Mosley under wraps, even though it knew about him well before other schools. Mosley only visited one football camp last year -- in Tuscaloosa. Wolfe signed him up for the event.

"He said, 'I'll put your foot in the door and the rest is up to you,' " Mosley said, recalling his coach's advice. "Then I just rolled with it."

Apparently, he did a bit more than that.

"They put him on defense and he whooped everybody," Wolfe said of his star pupil's showing at the Alabama camp. "They put him on offense and he whooped everybody."

Mosley is most known as a nose guard at Brighton and seems like a perfect fit there in Alabama’s 3-4 defensive scheme.

The Tide could have offered him a scholarship on the spot. But why? He had no other college visits planned, so there was no need to alert other schools to his presence.

Meanwhile, Mosley was hoping for a scholarship offer from Tennessee-Martin or perhaps Middle Tennessee State. His expectations weren't very high.

	2014 tackle Charles Mosley is 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, yet is still under the radar.

"I thought that's probably as far as I'm going to get," he said.

On Feb. 6, Mosley was called to the principal's office. At first he thought he was in trouble, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

"I was shocked. I wasn't expecting it at all," he said. "[Wolfe] said, 'Alabama is going to offer you.' I just stopped and said, 'What?' "

The call from Tide coach Nick Saban was a bit late that day. For Mosley, the seconds felt like hours.

"The phone rang and I was just sitting there, just shocked," Mosley said. "It was awesome."

Sure enough, Mosley had his first scholarship offer. The fact that it was from the reigning national champion immediately elevated his stature.

Other schools quickly fell in line. Mosley now has scholarship offers from Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee. He has repeatedly said Bama is his leader.

As for the runner-up, Mosley said right now Tennessee is firmly in second place. With an offseason coaching change, it's understandable that Tennessee trails its fierce rival to the south, but first-year coach Butch Jones and Mosley's recent visit to Knoxville have the Volunteers in a good position.

"I like the atmosphere there in Tennessee," Mosley said. "I went down there and I wasn't expecting it to be like it was. As soon as I walked in there, Coach Jones came up to me. He shook my hand and told me, 'You've got a scholarship here to play football here and we want you.'

"The whole tour, they stayed with me. All the coaching staff came up to me and talked to me. I like the people around there and I liked the coaching staff a lot."

Wolfe has noticed Mosley becoming fond of the Volunteers in recent weeks.

"He really likes the staff,” Wolfe said. " ... Tennessee has done a great job recruiting him, a lot better than last year."

Although Mosley has excelled at nose guard in high school, some think he would make a better offensive guard. He has also played defensive end, where he can better showcase his mobility.

Mosley, who has lost 20 pounds this offseason, said he has the talent to be a mobile defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense.

"I showed them I can do more," he said, referring to his high school coaches. "I can make the play. I can go down the line. I showed them that I can. At first they thought I was just a hole-stuffer."

This time of year Mosley is showing his athletic skills on the basketball court. He averages 10 rebounds, 4 points and 2 blocks per game. He also displays his character on a daily basis.

"He's just a special person," Wolfe said. "There's no one that's had any dealings with Charles Mosley that doesn't immediately fall in love with him. He's just a great, great kid."

He's also a kid with whom Alabama has done a fantastic job recruiting -- even if the Crimson Tide couldn't keep him a secret.

"It was really important," Mosley said of his initial offer. "At one time, I told myself that the first person that calls is going to get me. I didn't know offers were going to come as fast as they've come."

The secret is out.

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