Gwinnett Daily Post

Gwinnett Central High School Football Mugs. July, 19, 2011 

Central Gwinnett senior George Morris had a dozen high-level scholarship offers, but decided Wednesday that he wanted to play in the ACC.

Morris committed to new ACC member Syracuse, choosing the Orangemen over his No. 2 choice, Florida International. His other offers included Illinois, Utah, Purdue, Indiana, Vanderbilt, East Carolina and Memphis.

"My relationship with the (Syracuse) coaches was a big part of it," Morris said of his decision. "Getting to know them and having that bond was important. And Syracuse has a good history of football and I wanted to be a part of that."

Syracuse recruited Morris as a running back, but his pass-catching ability likely will make him a dual threat at the college level. He rushed for 1,045 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, and also caught 36 passes for 356 yards. He rushed for 706 yards and five scores as a junior, when he caught 56 passes (tied for third in Gwinnett County) for 658 yards and eight scores.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder will make his official visit to Syracuse on Jan. 13. He said he's firm in his commitment to the Orangemen after spending months of evaluating his college opportunities.

"It was very fun," Morris said of the recruiting process. "I enjoyed it. All the way from the spring until now, it was a great process. ... It's a good feeling to commit and know where I'm going. I can finally relax and focus on school."