The high school season hasn't even started, yet there are at least four seniors who have made verbal commitments to play at Division I programs.

New Saint Louis defensive end Juda Parker said Saturday that he has accepted a football scholarship offer to play for Tennessee.

Parker is a 6-foot-2, 245-pound who enrolled at Saint Louis upon the closure of Word of Life Academy. He said Volunteers' defensive line coach Chuck Smith called with an offer. Parker said he is looking forward to playing for Smith, who joined new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley's staff after spending last season coaching the defensive line with the New York Jets. Parker said Smith saw at the invitation-only Football University Top Gun camp in Virginia in July.

"I want to learn from him," Parker said of Smith, a former defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons. "He coached a lot of NFL players."

This latest verbal commitment is one of two from Saint Louis and one of four in the state.

Earlier this summer, Crusaders' backup quarterback Marcus Mariota said he has accepted an offer from Oregon. Last year's Saint Louis QB was Jeremy Higgins, who will be a freshman at Utah State.

"They said I can come in a compete, but I'll probably redshirt," said the 6-3, 190-pound Mariota. "We'll see. I have to gain some weight."

Mariota said he had always wanted to play for Oregon or Washington. He made unofficial visits to both campuses, but chose Oregon after it offered. He said he was a little surprised at the offer because he spent most of last year backing up Higgins.

"But I guess they liked what they saw in the little time I played," he said.

Meanwhile, Kaimuki running back/linebacker Chester Sua said he had verbally committed to Washington State earlier in the summer. The 6-2, 205-pound senior said the Cougars recruited him as a running back. He also had interest from Oregon State, Idaho and Washington.

"My family, they wanted me to there," Sua said. "They didn't want me to go to a big school."

Also, McKinley all-purpose player Solomon Dixon said he accepted an offer from Idaho. The 2009 400-meter state champion in track said he is being recruited as a cornerback. It is one of four positions he will play for the Tigers this season. He also will play slotback, tailback and quarterback.

"I took the opportunity as soon as I could," the 5-9, 150-pound Dixon said. "I didn't want to big-time anybody, wait and wait and then not get anything."

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