re: Melvin ray has enrolled at

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Ray, now 21 years old, has left the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization after spending the past three seasons in the minor leagues. He returned home to Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend and is taking steps to join Alabama's 2011 signing class and possibly enroll in time for practice next spring.

"My heart is still with (Alabama) because I signed with them," Ray said. "I wouldn't have made that commitment for no reason. I want to play. I want to play with Alabama no matter what.

"I'm in the process of getting in contact with (defensive coordinator) Kirby (Smart) and (head coach Nick) Saban right now. I've got to figure out what's next. Everything has happened so fast over the last couple of days."

The Dodgers drafted the Ray, who is now listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, in the 33rd round of the 2008 Major League first-year player draft. Ray spent the past three seasons as an outfielder for the Dodgers' rookie league team. His batting average didn't top .162 in 2008 or 2009, though he was hitting .269 through 20 games this season in the Arizona League.


Rivals.com photoRay was No. 68 on the Press-Register's Super Southeast 120 in 2008.
Ray said he will not reopen his college football recruitment beyond Alabama. His commitment has yet to be formally accepted by Alabama, but Saban indicated in 2008 that the door would be open for Ray to return to football at some point in the future. Ray was No. 68 on the Press-Register's Super Southeast 120 for 2008.

Ray's father Melvin Sr. said his son needs to complete one class to be able to enroll at UA possibly next spring, meaning the plan is for Ray Jr. to be in junior college this fall either at Shelton State in Tuscaloosa or Tallahassee Community College. After one semester, the hopes are he could enroll at UA after Christmas break, Ray's father said.

Presumably, Ray could have his full four years of eligibility for college football since he never enrolled at UA or played for the Crimson Tide. According to Ray's father, the Dodgers agreed to pay for his son's college, per terms of his original deal, though it's unclear if NCAA rules would allow that to happen or if Ray would against Alabama's 85-man scholarship limit.

"If we have to pay for it," Ray Sr. said, "he's going to Alabama. Once he was committed, nothing has changed there."

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