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Top 2017 Kicker Ruiz to Roll with the Tide

Another one of the top players in the deep and talented 2017 class is off the board and in this case, it is one of the nation’s best kickers. Williams Field’s Brandon Ruiz announced friday that he has committed to the defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ruiz had not spoken with the Alabama staff until attending their camp last weekend.

“I was 100% ready to commit to Alabama before I even got the offer. So when I got the offer I accepted it right away,” Ruiz told Sports360AZ. “Alabama has always been my dream school and it is going to challenge me to get better.”

The 5-10, 170 pound kicker was as big a threat to score as any football player in Arizona last season compiling 73 of the 313 total points the Black Hawks scored in 2015 with his longest field goal going for 51 yards.

Ruiz had nine total offers including Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Brown, Iowa State, Navy, Oregon State and most recently from Tennessee in a addition to Alabama.

Alabama’s tradition and the resume of Nick Saban was too good to be true for Ruiz in the end.

“Yes it’s an amazing feeling just him saying “hey is this Brandon, this is coach saban,'” Ruiz stated. “I feel like The excitement won’t him me fully until I finally put on the uniform.”

He had become somewhat of an internet sensation this offseason posting videos of nailing 70+ yard field goals, one of which with swirling wind.

“I did start to get some more interest in me as almost every college had seen the videos and all loved it,” mentioned Ruiz.

There have now been kickers in two consecutive seasons to commit to a premiere SEC program. In 2015, Desert Vista’s Connor Culp committed to LSU.

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Photos: Andy Silvas

A born and bred Arizonan, Jared has had great passion for the hometown teams all his life. He now channel's that passion into covering the pro, college and high school teams around the state as a Multimedia Reporter for Sports360AZ.

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