Five-star athlete and coveted tight end target Darnell Washington has elected not to sign a letter of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period.

The Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines product took to Twitter to announce his decision.

Washington, who is considering Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, among others, had originally planned to sign on Wednesday and reveal his decision at the Under Armour All-America Game.

“Every school’s got a great education, great facilities, great coaches, but at the end of the day it’s going to come down to the trust, and me trusting them to develop me to become that first round pick or whatever round I’m in,” Washington said of Alabama recently following an in-home visit with Nick Saban. “And I just trust them to make me a better person on and off the field, not just as a player.”

The Tide has one tight end committed in its 2020 class in Ohio native Caden Clark, but has been actively working on bringing in another at the position to bolster its depth chart.

Washington has long been a name on UA's radar but it wasn't until the midway point this fall that Alabama circled back on its efforts to push for the 6-foot-7.5, 267-pounder following Arik Gilbert's commitment to LSU.

With today's news that Washington no longer plans to sign early, it will allow coaching staffs to continue after the five-star talent throughout the month of January whether committed or not. Washington has, however, already used all five of his official visits (one of which went to the Tide during the LSU game).

Washington is rated the No. 1 athlete and the No. 10 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Here is 247Sports' eval of the Nevada standout:

Tall frame with broad build. Long strides as a runner and good speed for his size. Strong pass-catcher who is a matchup nightmare in the red zone. Uses his body well to shield defenders. Big target who can run past most linebackers. Decent hands and can high-point the football. Could use refinement in route running and fluidity. Must also make strides as a run blocker. Potential to make an immediate impact at Power Five level as true freshman. Upside as second-round NFL Draft selection.