A secret that big was bound to get out.

Lennon Creer and Darnius Moore confirmed they were committed to play

football for Tennessee at a Thursday morning press conference atTatum

(Texas) High School.

The public announcement wasn’t a huge surprise. Before

declining media interviews for weeks, Creer, rated among the top

running backs in the country, said he was enamored with UT. Moore, who

also considered Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Florida, told the News

Sentinel he was committed to UT on Christmas Day.

"I kind of wanted to keep it a secret so when the news reporters

came, everybody wouldn’t know yet," said Moore, a 6-foot,

175-pound athlete who could play receiver or defensive back in

college.

Creer said he secretly committed to UT in late October or early

November.

"I committed a while back," he said, "but I wasn’t for sure so

I took a visit to make sure it was the right place for me."

Creer took an official visit to Alabama on Tuesday and an official

trip to Oklahoma in October. The Vols first got in the Creer race when

the 6-1, 202-pounder bristled at an ultimatum presented by Texas.

"I thought about Texas but they put a deadline on me," Creer said in

June. "We just kind of both went our separate ways."

Texas almost got back in the hunt. Creer even scheduled an official

visit to the Longhorns in January but canceled it before making the

trip to Austin.

Creer also considered Florida for a short time before the Gators

fell by the wayside.

"I’m relieved," Creer said. "I think it’s the right

decision for me. I’m just ready to go to school and go to

work."

Creer and Moore have been friends before preschool and teammates

ever since. Still, the decision to sign with UT wasn’t purely

based on that relationship.

"We talked about going to the same college," Moore said, "then it

just came down to Tennessee."

Creer and Moore were primarily recruited by UT receivers coach

Trooper Taylor, whose Texas ties paid dividends. Taylor is from Cuero,

Texas, and played football at Baylor.

"I got to know him really good through this whole process," Creer

said of Taylor. "I feel he’ll be with me, whatever I need.

He’s more like a friend than a coach. That’s real big."

The commitments puts the Vols two over their limit of 27, but it is

expected some prospects will not qualify academically.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.