Five-star Darnell Washington working to preserve intrigue

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Darnell Washington’s recruitment is over. His letter of intent has been signed and sent. He’s not a recruitable student athlete as things stand. The sticking point here is that the five-star tight end is keeping the details on his college future a secret until Thursday’s Under Armour All-America game.

The finalists are Georgia, Miami and Tennessee, and why most people in the know seem to the UGA is Washington’s most likely landing place, few people know anything for sure.

“I didn’t even really tell my mom,” Washington said at All-America Game registration day on Saturday. “She gets football, but she really doesn’t know this whole process. I really only told my coach, one of the team’s coaches that I sent the letter to and my future wife. That’s pretty much it.”

On Saturday, Washington discussed the details of the program with which he’s signed. Without naming names, he described the reasons his future school won out. And while some of his quotes are generic ones that seem to describe any number of places, the ones concerning the length of his relationship with the coaching staff of his choice seem to point toward UGA.

“It was about how I got along with the coaches,” Washington said. “It came down to the vibe of the school and the vibe with the coaches.

“I had the best relationship with those coaches. Some schools offer, kinda fade away and then come back at the end. That didn’t happen, so I’m pretty sure he already knew I was coming.”

Washington is set to announce his college coaching during the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday. The game, along with Washington’s announcement, will be televised on ESPN.