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re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:21 pm to TideSaint
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:21 pm to TideSaint
Here's a blast from the past:
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Quarterback Vad Lee, who had started for the past two seasons, announced his decision to transfer mere days after Georgia Tech's bowl loss to Ole Miss, leaving the position in doubt heading into 2014.
Justin Thomas is the working favorite to replace him, and he has the pedigree Jackets fans would love to see under center in Paul Johnson's triple-option offense—i.e., he was recruited as an athlete (instead of a quarterback), ranked in the top 150 of the 247Sports Composite and decommitted from Alabama to play at Georgia Tech.
Tim Byerly and Matthew Jordan are around to push Thomas this spring and fall, so he doesn't have the luxury of slouching through Saturday's game. He'll need to be his best, be creative, extend plays inside the pocket and create plays when he breaks contain.
But those are all things he is capable of.
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Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:22 pm to TideSaint
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Alabama will complete Phase 1 of its quarterback battle, with Blake Sims, Cooper Bateman and Alec Morris—the trio Nick Saban said has separated themselves during spring camp, per Michael Casagrande of AL.com—going at it before the looming arrival of Florida State transfer (and prohibitive favorite) Jacob Coker this summer.
The quarterbacks will underscore a larger story Saturday: The first public showing of new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who at this time last year was still the head coach at USC. How he acclimates to fans (and vice versa) is always worth watching, as is the dichotomy between running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.
On defense, all eyes will be fixed upon the cornerbacks, which was a position of need even before Eddie Jackson tore his ACL. Early enrollee 5-star Tony Brown is a name to keep an eye on, and the looming addition of fellow 5-star freshman Marlon Humphrey this summer will give the Tide a pair of young potential stars in coverage.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
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At 6'3" and 220 pounds, 4-star defensive end Natrez Patrick is an athletic prospect who has deceptive strength. He may not possess ideal size for an edge-defender, but he can use his strength to anchor versus running plays.
Patrick also has solid acceleration in pursuit, which helps him track and reach ball-carriers. As a pass-rusher, his best trait is his quickness. He can bend when rushing, and he shows a good surge when aiming to finish on passers.
Patrick is a lot like Andre Branch of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:25 pm to TideSaint
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At 6'6" and 230 pounds, Mekhi Brown is a long-limbed edge-defender who is at his best when he is asked to attack the pocket.
Brown has average strength right now, and it hinders his ability to stack and anchor at the point of attack. However, he does flash the potential to become more powerful as he matures physically in college.
The Georgia native has good athleticism and quickness to attack the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle. He also can use his length to keep clean during a rush.
Brown's raw skills and size make him a comparable player to Ziggy Ansah of the Detroit Lions.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:25 pm to TideSaint
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With his ability to play on both edges, as well as play defensive tackle, 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart is certainly versatile.
The 6'4", 250-pounder can explode upfield at the snap to attack the perimeter of a pocket with tenacity. He converts speed to power at a high rate. Plus, the Florida native can shed blocks to get free when defending the run.
A good comparison for Cowart would be George Selvie of the Dallas Cowboys.
Chad Simmons and Jamie Newberg of Scout.com wrote on March 15: "He is put together well and he could end up playing strongside end or becoming a force at three-technique on the next level."
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:25 pm to TideSaint
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Although he'll run himself out of a play every now and then, CeCe Jefferson is as explosive a defensive end as one will find in the 2015 class.
The Florida native launches upfield at the snap in an impressive manner, which puts a lot of immediate pressure on offensive tackles. Jefferson, who is 6'2" and 250 pounds, converts speed to power explosively at the point of attack.
Jefferson's strength and power are so good for his position that he can kick inside and rush over guards as a defensive tackle. His speed, explosive athleticism and solid strength will remind people of Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:35 pm to TideSaint
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Alabama capped off the 2013 college football campaign by losing consecutive games for the first time in five years, but that frustrating finish hasn't prevented head coach Nick Saban from cleaning up on the recruiting trail.
The four-time national champion is busy assembling yet another impressive crop of playmakers. His efforts have helped Alabama rise to No. 1 in the first edition of 2015 ESPN recruiting rankings.
The Crimson Tide edged out SEC rival Texas A&M and surprising Penn State atop the list, which arrives nearly 10 months shy of national signing day. Alabama added pledge No. 10 on Monday when cornerback Montrell Custis flipped his commitment from Kentucky.
Saban began building this class last February, when 4-star Texas defensive back Deionte Thompson jumped on the bandwagon. Dynamic Alabama running back Desherrius Flowers and 5-star Georgia defensive end Mekhi Brown soon followed with pledges while they were still sophomores.
Recent notable additions to Alabama's class include dominant Washington D.C. offensive lineman Richie Petitbon and in-state defensive end Anfernee Jennings.
Despite all the premier pickups, Tide fans may still be lamenting about the prospect who got away.
Ricky Town, a 5-star quarterback from California, committed to Alabama in August. However, he changed his allegiances to USC shortly after the arrival of new Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Saban and new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin remain in search of a quarterback in this class.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 12:40 pm to TideSaint
TE Chris Clark, who just decommitted from North Carolina, is visiting Michigan and Ohio State this weekend.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 1:32 pm to Bryant91092
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Will one of y'all summarize this article on Jackson Davis in the basketball thread
Basically he is arriving for his Official Visit today and will stay until Sunday. He will be joined by PF Jackson Davis who will also be on his Official Visit along with the 3 signees. Says all schools are even right now but sounds like he's pretty interested.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:45 pm to Rizzy
From the SECRb (Dr Jimes Tooper) regarding WR Preston Williams:
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Most likely to succeed: Preston Williams
After seeing Preston Williams on film and in person, he's the closest thing to a combination of A.J. Green and Julio Jones we have seen over the past several classes. He possesses a rare ability to accelerate given his size. He's a quick-twitch athlete who is powerful in everything he does and has not scratched the surface of what his physical frame development will become. It is difficult to find many deficiencies, and those he does have are coachable. If football is important to him, his upside is extremely high. His biggest area of development is as a route runner at intermediate levels that require sharp inside and outside breaks.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:46 pm to TideSaint
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Alabama now has the no. 1 ranked 2015 class in the nation. Recent prospect rankings updates throughout the recruiting industry have resulted in changes to the 247Sports Team Rankings. The ranking is generated by the 247Sports Composite. Alabama had pulled within striking distance of passing Penn State State earlier this week, with the commitment of 4-star cornerback Montrell Custis. The Tide currently have 10 commitments from 5 different states, including four from Georgia.
Order restored.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:51 pm to TideSaint
From a guy on BOL (non-VIP post):
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Read an article about MF today from a NJ source......Nothing newsworthy really, except that Minkah himself retweeted it. Is it in "support" of the 1st sentence, or is it just retweeting a story, you make your own mind up. I like to think it's what authors call "foreshadowing".......
"Could New Jersey's top high school football recruit be making his college choice this weekend?
Minkah Fitzpatrick, the dynamic cornerback/running back from St. Peter's Prep, is set to visit Southeastern Conference powerhouse Alabama this weekend and could verbally commit to the Crimson Tide, according to the recruiting website Rivals.com via AL.com
The 6-foot, 180-pound junior is ranked No. 1 on NJ.com's Top 50, a list of the top 50 high school football recruits in the state.
Last season for St. Peter's Prep, Fitzpatrick racked up 421 rushing yards and 556 receiving yards, while scoring 14 offensive touchdowns. On defense, Fitzpatrick earned First Team All-State honors from The Star-Ledger after posting four interceptions in Prep's secondary.
Fitzpatrick helped guide the Marauders to the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 4 championship game, before falling to Paramus Catholic, 13-6, at MetLife Stadium."
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:53 pm to TideSaint
From Magilla:
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Bone had put the following on commit watch for A-Day:
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Christian Bell
Calvin Ridley
Shawn Burgess-Becker
Kengera Daniel
Also said Ridley and SBB have said recently they are leaning towards leaving the state.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:55 pm to TideSaint
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Order restored.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:56 pm to TideSaint
Montrell Custis on Georgia:
Good. I would hate to lose him to the home team at the last minute.
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"What about UGA?" Custis said he recently got an offer from UGA and attended a Junior Day a couple of weeks ago. “I think Georgia is so close. I want to explore, and be on my own. If I went to Georgia, it would be like living with my mom. I ain’t trying to do all of that."
Good. I would hate to lose him to the home team at the last minute.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:56 pm to Alabamya
I thought Kengera Daniel was a lock for Florida State..
Posted on 4/17/14 at 2:58 pm to TideSaint
Scout rankings update:
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Another offensive lineman on the move this update is Alabama commitment Lester Cotton. He is up to No. 7 at offensive guard and No. 125 overall. He shined in a big way at the Birmingham Nike Football Training Camp. He was in good shape, he played strong, and he moved well. Once looked like a guard only, but he showed there that right tackle is not out of equation.
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Not a lineman, but someone that does just about everything for his team added a fourth star. Chandler Cox out of Apopka, Fla. is a versatile player who will likely be used as an H-Back on the next level. He is very strong, he can catch, he can run, and he can block. Over 20 schools have offered and he is a top prospect in the Sunshine State.
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Louisiana is a strong state and the 2014 class was elite, but do not sleep on the 2015 prospects. Athlete Kirk Merritt of Destrehan and cornerback Deshawn Raymond of East Jefferson moved into the Scout 300 and added a fourth star. Running back Nigel Anderson of East Saint John and cornerback Donte Jackson of Riverdale made big moves in the rankings.
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Alabama commit Montrell Custis was moved from corner to safety and he added a fourth star.
This post was edited on 4/17/14 at 2:59 pm
Posted on 4/17/14 at 3:00 pm to Rizzy
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I thought Kengera Daniel was a lock for Florida State..
That seemed to be the consensus since both of his parents graduated from there, but I guess they like other guys more. Who knows? I haven't heard much about him since we offered at our first Junior Day.
Posted on 4/17/14 at 3:08 pm to TideSaint
Kengera Daniel wants to commit on his birthday, July 29th, but Bone thinks he may commit this weekend because he is bringing his parents with him.
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