Missouri football receives commitment from two-way St. Louis prospect Jerod Alton

Missouri landed its 13th known commitment in the 2016 recruiting class and third defensive back Tuesday when Kirkwood (Mo.) athlete Jerod Alton gave his pledge to the Tigers.

Alton — a 5-foot-10, 180-pound prospect, who runs a 4.54 40-yard dash — also had offers from Illinois, Iowa, Syracuse and several midmajor programs, according to Rivals.

He told PowerMizzou.com that his preference was to play on offense, likely as a slot receiver, in college, but that Missouri recruited him as a defensive back.

Alton, who played running back and cornerback as a junior at Kirkwood and also starred in the return game, is a two-star recruit, according to Scout.com, but he is unrated by Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN’s recruiting services.

He was recruited by Missouri cornerbacks coach Cornell Ford.

Alton joins Rock Bridge cornerback Bryce Banks and Hinds Community College safety Greg Taylor, an East St. Louis graduate, as secondary commitments.

Taylor is currently on the roster at Hinds in Raymond, Miss., after committing to Missouri in the 2014 class but failing to qualify academically.

He and Hinds running back Natreace Strong, another East St. Louis product who detoured through junior college because of academics are expected to join Alton in the Tigers’ 2016 class.

Along with O’Fallon (Ill.) kicker Tucker McCann, Alton gives Missouri four St. Louis area players in the upcoming class.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Missouri football receives commitment from two-way St. Louis prospect Jerod Alton."