Morton LB Freddie Hartz commits to Southern Miss over Alabama, Ole Miss

The Southern Miss football program received the first verbal commitment of the Jay Hopson era on Tuesday and it's a big one.

Morton linebacker Freddie Hartz announced himself as a "Southern Miss Commit!" on Twitter Tuesday.

Hartz also has scholarship offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn and Louisiana-Lafayette, according to multiple recruiting web sites.

The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Hartz is rated a three-star prospect by Scout.com and Rivals.com.

Hartz registered 61 tackles on defense and 71 carries for 531 yards and four touchdowns as a fullback last season at Morton.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Morton LB Freddie Hartz commits to Southern Miss over Alabama, Ole Miss ."