Hale Hentges, who will be a senior this fall at Helias High School and is one of the top college football recruits heading into the 2014 season, has orally committed to the University of Alabama.
Hentges, on his Twitter account Sunday night, said he plans to join the Crimson Tide starting in the 2015-16 school year.
"After much deliberation and prayer, I have decided to play football at The University of Alabama! #RollTide," he said.
As a tight end, Hentges (6-4, 230) caught 61 passes for 940 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Helias.
Hentges was recruited to play H-back in Alabama's offense. He made visits March 31 and April 16 to Alabama.
A five- or four-star recruit in the national rankings, Hentges received scholarship offers from more than 30 universities among the major NCAA Division I conferences
Alabama, under head coach Nick Saban, recently won BCS national championships in the 2009, 2001 and 2012 seasons. The Crimson Tide finished 11-2 last season.
Hentges wanted to announce his decision early to minimize any distractions during his senior season at Helias.
An oral commitment is non-binding. The national signing date is Feb. 4, 2015.