Recruiting: Sweet Home Alabama

One announced his decision with plenty of fanfare, while the other quietly committed. Either way, college football fans in Alabama couldn't be more pleased with their weekend.

Michael Dyer, rated the No. 3 running back in the country by Rivals.com, got the party started on Friday when he publicly committed to Auburn moments after accepting an invitation to play in the Under Armour All-America game. Keenan Allen, the ninth-ranked prospect in the country, followed on Saturday when he confirmed his commitment to Alabama on the same day the Crimson Tide clinched the SEC West title.

Meanwhile, the country's No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010 -- mammoth offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson (pictured) -- is scheduled to visit USC later this month.

Dyer, from Little Rock, Ark., is the first running back and first five-star prospect (the top ranking by recruiting analysts) in Auburn's 2010 class that becomes official on National Signing Day in February.

Dyer recently became the state of Arkansas' all-time leading rusher with 7,566 yards and 74 touchdowns in his high school career. He has 1,680 yards rushing yards and 21 touchdowns this season.

"It feels pretty good to get it over with," said Dyer, a 5-foot-8, 200-pounder. "It's good to get it off my chest and announce to everybody. I was ready to get it over with and let everybody know."

The big question is how Dyer's commitment will affect the nation's other top-rated backs. Marcus Lattimore of Duncan, S.C., and Lache Seastrunk of Temple, Texas, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 by Rivals and other recruiting services, are also considering Auburn.

Seastrunk has been said to be a strong lean towards Auburn, while Lattimore, however, has long been favored to land in South Carolina.

Dyer's commitment is a big splash for head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. The Tigers (7-3) rushed for 282 yards with five rushing touchdowns in their 63-31 home victory over Furman last Saturday. Auburn leads the SEC in total offense (450.3 yards per game) and is second in rushing offense (230).

Allen, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound safety/receiver who is the No. 1 ranked prospect in North Carolina, attended Alabama's 24-15 victory over LSU to earn a rematch against top-ranked Florida in the SEC title game next month in Atlanta.

On Friday night, Allen helped Northern Guilford (N.C.) win its first conference championship in school history with a 48-16 win over Western Alamance. Allen returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a score and added a 49-yard scoring reception.

Allen told Bamaonline.com that his decision to attend Alabama had been made for some time and he had communicated his decision to Tide coach Nick Saban several weeks ago.

He just felt the timing was right on Saturday to announce his decision.

Alabama and Florida have clinched their respective divisions in the SEC and will meet Dec. 5 in the league championship game. One of them is all but guaranteed a spot in the BCS title game on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., if they can get through the next month without a loss.

"Alabama has the best fans in the world, so I wanted to let them know I was going to play for them for the next four years on a special day like this one just to keep the momentum going," Allen said.

"I had been thinking for a long time how I would announce my commitment, and I really couldn't pick a better day than this."

Allen said Saban told him he would get an early opportunity at receiver, opposite of star Julio Jones. Allen selected Alabama over offers from Oregon, Penn State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee among many others. He's the 22nd commitment in the Crimson Tide's 2010 recruiting class.

As the nation's top recruit, Henderson, of St. Paul, Minn., continues to attract attention for his every move.

Since it appears more and more -- at least in the eyes of recruiting analysts -- that Henderson's family would prefer he stay closer to home, that certainly bodes well for Notre Dame, Ohio State and possibly home-state Minnesota.

While Henderson, a 6-foot-8, 300-pounder, isn't tipping his hand, many believe that Notre Dame tops his list.

Henderson, who has already officially visited Ohio State and Notre Dame, is scheduled to visit USC on Nov. 27. He plans to select between top-ranked Florida, Oklahoma and Minnesota for his final two official trips.

(Recruits can take five official visits on schools' tabs under NCAA rules).

In case you missed it last week, Steve McNair, Jr., son of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, announced his decision to stay close to home and attend Southern Miss.

McNair, Jr., a receiver out of Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.), selected the Golden Eagles over higher-profile schools such as Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Minnesota and West Virginia.

"I just wanted to give my family a chance to watch my games," McNair told the Hattiesburg American.

"I wanted to stay close to home and I loved the Southern Miss campus ... I felt good about (Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora). I think he's going to do whatever it takes to win. I'm looking forward to playing for him."

McNair has been an all-around threat for Oak Grove, catching 39 passes for 372 yards and three scores, while also rushing for 293 yards and passing for 141.

McNair's announcement was positive news for a family that has suffered a tragic year.

McNair's father was the victim of a homicide on July 4, 2009, from gunshot wounds inflicted by Sahel Kazemi, his mistress, who then turned the gun on herself.