The University of Memphis snared its highest-profile local commitment of the Class of 2006 on Monday when Raleigh-Egypt High School receiver Duke Calhoun said he would sign a letter of intent to continue his football career with the Tigers.

Calhoun, a 6-foot-4, 185-pounder who caught 35 passes for 533 yards as a senior, also considered Ole Miss, Tennessee and Arkansas.

"It was a very stressful decision," Calhoun said. "I just wanted to stay somewhere close to home."

Home-state Bound: Tim Hawthorne announced he was committed to Auburn at a press conference in Birmingham. Hawthorne, who took his official visit to UT last weekend, also was considering the Vols.

The 6-2, 200-pounder could be considered a prospect that slipped through the Vols' fingers. He expressed strong interest in UT last summer, in part, because he grew up in Nashville and followed the Vols growing up.

UT's 5-6 record, poor development among its wide receivers and the wide receiver coaching change couldn't have helped the Vols' chances.

Stone Mountain Duo: Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., are planning to make their announcement on Wednesday. The two are considering UT and LSU. They committed to LSU in October.

Sheppard is a 6-2, 220-pound linebacker. Riley is 6-1, 205-pounds and is being recruited by UT to play safety.

Patterson To Two: Adam Patterson, a defensive tackle from Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, S.C., who had an interest in UT, has narrowed his choices to Michigan and South Carolina.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knews.com.