Whitney wavers on word to MU

On the field, Jackson running back Mario Whitney was, if nothing else, unpredictable.

It appears he's that way off the field, too.

After giving a non-binding verbal commitment to the University of Missouri over the summer, Whitney told the Southeast Missourian Thursday that he is now only "70 to 75 percent" sure he'll become a Tiger.

Tennessee, which was originally in the mix, has turned up its pursuit of the state's top running back recruit and the Volunteers have made Whitney's decision more difficult.

Whitney will take an official visit to Missouri this weekend and then visit Tennessee some time in January.

Both schools have their strong points, Whitney said.

Missouri, a struggling program trying to rebuild under first-year coach Gary Pinkel, says it wants to build around him, but "that's overwhelming sometimes to a high school senior."

Missouri has had just two winning seasons in its last 18 years. The Tigers are currently 4-6, tied for fourth among six teams in the Big 12 North.

But Pinkel hasn't had a chance to build his system yet. And Whitney, although somewhat apprehensive, is excited about possibly becoming a centerpiece of a program on the upswing.

On the other hand, Tennessee has a stronger tradition and a more stable program. Whitney said he'd love to be able to play in a major bowl.

Tennessee (9-1), is currently ranked fourth in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll and fifth in the Associated Press poll. It is tied with Florida for first in the SEC East.

"They call all the time," Whitney said of Tennessee. "One of the coaches called before the Hazelwood East game, wishing me luck. And the better they do, the more they keep calling me."

Whitney runs the risk of getting lost among several of the country's best players at Tennessee. Not only did Tennessee already have an oral commitment from the nation's top running back recruit, Gerald Riggs, Jr., it has two stellar freshmen running backs that were among the nation's best recruits out of high school in Jabari Davis and Cedric Houston. And Davis and Houston have hardly played this year.

At Tennessee, Whitney (6-foot, 185 pounds) said he would likely be a receiver/return specialist until he bulked up.

But given the talent already in Tennessee's backfield, it could be three or four years before Whitney -- despite his 4.38-second speed in the 40-yard dash -- carries the ball out of the Volunteers' backfield.

Missouri is aware that Whitney will take a visit to Tennessee in January. Tennessee and Missouri are the only schools in the mix right now, but Whitney said he'd definitely expand that list if Florida or Florida State showed interest.

Though it's common for verbally committed athletes to change their minds, Whitney is telling a far different story now than he did in July.

This summer, Whitney said Missouri is "where I'm going. If I make a commitment, I'm keeping my word. That's what I'm doing."

He also said, "The fact that Mizzou was in it from the beginning and that they tried harder than any other school was important to me. It was kind of a loyalty thing to me."

When asked if he regretted making those statements and making such an early commitment, Whitney said, "I think I made the right decision at the time. At that time, Tennessee wasn't pursuing me like they are now. Making a commitment helped because it let a lot of schools know they didn't have a shot. You don't want to be hounded by schools night after night."

Whitney rushed for 2,782 yards this season in leading Jackson to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the Class 5A state semifinals. He scored 43 touchdowns and broke a SEMO Conference scoring record with 262 points.

The first day high school players can sign letters of intent is Feb. 6. Whitney said he was sure he'd have his decision made by then.

College coaches are restricted by NCAA regulations from commenting about recruits until they are signed.