Priest Willis will not sign with UCLA, ASU and LSU now in the hunt

Team Nitro safety Priest Willis (3) defends a pass intended for Team Highlight tight end O.J. Howard (5) during the first half at the Under Armour All-America high school game at Tropicana Field. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Preist Willis is a four-star recruit out of Tempe, Arizona. He had been committed to UCLA for several weeks, but on Tuesday night announced that he would not be signing with the Bruins on Wednesday, which is National Signing Day.

On Jan. 23, Willis announced on a simulcast that his commitment to UCLA was firm, and it was looking like the safety was going to be the star member of coach Jim Mora’s incoming class.

According to AZCentral, the 6-foot-2, 199-pound hard-hitting All-American will not sign with anyone. Willis is expected to instead sign later in the week.

Of course, this means UCLA is still in the running for the young man’s services. However, it should signal even bigger things for both Arizona State and LSU. Both programs put on hard, late charges for Willis, despite his commitment to the Bruins.

No matter where he ends up, Willis is going to be a star. However, and unfortunately for UCLA, he may simply want to play in the SEC. LSU is always on the hunt for elite talent in its defensive backfield. After losing third-leading tackler Eric Reid to the NFL Draft, Willis would be a very welcome sight in the Bayou.

PS – Aren’t you impressed that we got through the entire article without making a single priest joke?

MORE: Where does LSU’s recruiting class stack up against the rest of the SEC on the eve of National Signing Day?

What do you think Gamedayrs?