Super Bowl Update

Troy picked up a commitment when defensive lineman Bryan Slater from St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile committed on Saturday.

St. Paul's coach Steve Mask said Slater, 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, is a going on his fourth year as a starter for the Saints.

"He's a solid person and a solid guy," Mask said. "He's a really, really outstanding football player. He's one of the best defensive lineman I've ever coached."

At his size, Slater projects as an interior defensive lineman for Troy, at the 3-technique position. He'll likely spend most of his time at nose tackle for St. Paul's, but has played every position on the defensive line and some tight end as well.

"He has great bend and really plays well with his hands," Mask said. "That's something the coaches are all looking for. He's a very, very strong kid."

Mask said Slater got offers from Troy, UAB, Memphis and Tulane. Slater also added that he had an offer from Louisiana Tech and felt Minnesota was close to offering, and Mississippi State had shown interest. Slater's bench press is around 390 pounds and he squats 500 pounds.

"Several SEC schools were interested, but no one had asked him to marry them," Mask said. "I'm really excited. I've known Larry (Blakeney) for over 30 years and it's a great program for Bryan. We played Charles Henderson last year in the playoffs in Troy and I think Bryan really liked their campus on that visit."

Slater said he was offered by Troy in June. His primary recruiter was defensive line coach Randy Butler.

"I've always been interested in Troy," Slater said. "They have a great football program and a great academic program. When they offered, it was icing on the cake. I liked the whole environment. It's not too big and not too small. It's just right for me."

Slater said he was happy to get the decision out of the way before his senior season started.

"I wanted to focus on my high school football team," Slater said. "I wanted to get this out of the way. It felt like the right time for me because Troy's the right fit and I wanted to go ahead and do this."

Troy's 2013 commitment list