Omar Nelson, the director of player personnel for Navy football, once made an important point when it comes to USNA recruiting.

"Sometimes people who are fans of the Naval Academy and alumni get lost in a shell thinking that everybody knows what we know about the Academy," he said.

Occasionally, you do come across a football recruit that has ties to the school or the military in general. More often than not, though, the first time a player hears about the Naval Academy is when a coach contacts him.

Count Tai Lavatai among that second group.

"Honestly, I would've never thought of it," said the Jacksonville-area quarterback when asked if he had ever considered a service academy.

It didn't take long for Lavatai to come around on the idea, though, and the rising senior at Creekside (FL) committed to the Naval Academy in June.