Three-star receiver James Cox of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Northridge had never visited Southern Miss until Monday. By the time he left for home late in the afternoon, he was a Golden Eagles commit.
"They give me an opportunity to get on the field early," Cox told 247Sports. "And really, I liked the academic side of things. It was just a better fit for me. Everything I needed is at Southern Miss. It feels great to have this out of the way."
The 6-feet-1, 193-pound Cox caught 38 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowwns in 2011. He is the No. 31 player in Alabama in the 247Composite rankings.
Cox chose Southern Miss over Cincinnati.
"Coach [Ellis] Johnson was excited when I told him," Cox said. "He told me I was a top prospect on the board."
During his visit Monday, Cox also spent time with receivers coach Broderick Fobbs.
"We were talking about everything, like life after football, his plans for me and all that," Cox said. "I just felt like this was a place to continue my football career."
Cox said he still plans to visit other schools.
"I want to take all five officials," he said. "I know I'm going to visit Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Southern Miss. I may take one to Arizona State. I've been hearing a lot from them."
- Keith Niebuhr
- National Recruiting Analyst - 247Sports