Foothill lineman putting college on hold

Faith has been a driving force in Alex Bair's life for as long as he can remember.

And for it, he's willing to postpone college -- and his football career -- for two years.

Several schools might be willing to honor that decision.

The Foothill offensive lineman has several teams, including San Diego State, Southern Utah, Weber State and Utah State, courting him.

But there's one caveat.

He won't play for any school until he completes his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

San Diego State and Southern Utah have told him they would hold his scholarship until his mission is over, something that doesn't surprise Falcons coach Marty Redmond.

"I see it a lot with Utah schools who are used to dealing with kids on their mission," Redmond said. "Alex is a really good football player and the schools recognize his talent. Also, a lot of times, linemen develop even more after high school."

After two consecutive all-state selections and a team-high 44 pancake blocks, that would be something for the 6-foot-5-inch, 260-pound offensive tackle.

Bair said the one thing he expects to miss out on is the chance to get bigger and stronger, as there isn't much opportunity for lifting weights on a Mormon mission.

That hasn't derailed his sense of purpose, though.

He said he always has wanted to go on his mission right after high school, and he thinks he has had ample training for the job in Las Vegas.

"You see all kinds of people in Vegas, all different walks of life, all different standards," Bair said. "It's helped me become more understanding of what people go through and how other people's lives are.

"And that's helpful in every facet of life, not just mission work."

In other recruiting news:

• Coronado wide receiver T.J. Knowles is taking a trip to West Texas A&M, which offered him a scholarship.

• Green Valley running back Frank Satterfield is weighing a partial scholarship offer from Boise State and also has interest from Utah, Northern Arizona, Syracuse and Connecticut.

• Shadow Ridge offensive lineman Robert Drye got nominations and is awaiting an appointment from either Air Force or Navy.

• Spring Valley safety Corbin Brown gave an oral commitment to Air Force.

• Faith Lutheran wide receiver Conner Maloney is fielding interest from UNR and Washington State.

• Coronado defensive end Colton Schofield signed with NAIA power Carroll College (Mont.) for a full scholarship.

Contact reporter Jon Gold at jgold@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.