Morristown East football coach Dwayne Hatcher knows the college football recruiting process well.

He's coached at a small college and at high schools in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. So imagine his surprise when Ole Miss offered and received a commitment from his rising senior middle linebacker DeMarcus Knight in an expedited manner, a mere matter of weeks.

Knight, a 6-foot-2, 230-pounder, visited Ole Miss on April 12 for the Rebels' spring football game and was offered by new head coach Houston Nutt. Knight accepted two days later.

It was only early April when Hatcher was doling out the junior's film to colleges and recruiting services.

"I've been around longer and have seen how the process works," said Hatcher. "You'll send film out on somebody, and (colleges) will send letter after letter. After you get the film to them, you never hear from them again. That's not a good sign."

But Hatcher said Ole Miss offensive coordinator Kent Austin, who handles the East Tennessee area in recruiting for the Rebels, liked Knight's film and quickly showed it to defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix and Nutt. They concurred, and Nutt wrote a letter to Knight to express the impending offer.

Hatcher said he did "hand-deliver" film to the University of Tennessee recruiting office April 3.

"I told them, 'He's already gotten one offer from an SEC school. You might want to take a look at him,' " said Hatcher. "That's all I know and can tell you there. Phil Fulmer and his staff know who they want to recruit, and I'm happy that I have somebody that Ole Miss wants."

What drew Ole Miss to Knight, Hatcher said, was the closing speed, the urgency Knight had to stop a ball carrier.

"He only runs a 4.65 40 if you put him out on a track and just have him run," said Hatcher. "But when you put pads on and the ball gets snapped, he runs to the football. He's got football speed."

Hatcher also said coaches from Ole Miss are expected in Morristown today to look at two more of his players: rising seniors Jeremy Jones and Chris Lowe. Jones is a 6-1, 175-pound receiver/safety with abilities good enough for the track team. Lowe is "a legit" 6-4, 295-pound center.

"A lot of the time, you'll see 6-4, 295 (on a roster), and he's 6-1, 275 and fat," said Hatcher. "This kid, he can walk on his hands and flip out of it into a standing position. He's pretty athletic for a kid that size."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.