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re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition
Posted on 5/23/15 at 12:13 am to chattabama
Posted on 5/23/15 at 12:13 am to chattabama
Lol at the idea of any kid named Blades not going to the U
0
Posted on 5/23/15 at 1:59 am to alabamabuckeye
Saban trying to control the trenches again. Just look how big Davis and Jones are. Shits going to be real.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 9:48 am to Tide or Die87
Dayum, Jones looks like the missing link! That's one large young man.
I dgaf what star these guys are. Bama needs to get back to the mentality that they are going to physically maul your arse. Piss on this finesse BS. Saban let it get in his head when A&M came to town and beat us that he had to "outscore" everyone.
frick that, line up and pound them into the dirt.
I dgaf what star these guys are. Bama needs to get back to the mentality that they are going to physically maul your arse. Piss on this finesse BS. Saban let it get in his head when A&M came to town and beat us that he had to "outscore" everyone.
frick that, line up and pound them into the dirt.
This post was edited on 5/23/15 at 9:53 am
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:13 am to bamarep
quote:
ESPN 300 big man gets tough
Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
KILLEEN, Texas -- Kendell Jones Sr. must get the question all the time: What are you feeding him?
His son, Killeen Shoemaker defensive tackle Kendell Jones, is 6-foot-4 ½ and a slender 361 pounds, though he says he's down to 346 this week. And yet, there's no gut. Not too much body fat, either. He just turned 17. Looks more like 27. How exactly did the ESPN 300 standout get this big?
Kendell Jones Jr. is ranked No. 104 in the ESPN 300. Max Olson/ESPN
"His favorite meal is the next thing that's in front of him," Kendell Sr. joked. "The refrigerator is like a plate to him."
The ESPN 300 standout, who's planning to commit to Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU or Baylor after Shoemaker's spring scrimmage on Friday night, has always been a giant among his peers growing up, an enigma worthy of extra -- and unwanted -- attention.
Getting bigger has always been easy for Jones. Getting tougher has required time, trials and torment.
The Jones family lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, all their possession gone along with their apartment in New Orleans' Westbank. Kendell, his parents and three sisters, boarded a bus to Texas in early September 2005 with only a small tool bag stuffed with clothing. Kendell was 7 at the time.
"I'm glad they don't remember much," his father said.
He still remembered the sound of helicopters hovering overhead long after they were gone. Their exit was a blessing in some ways, Kendell Sr. said, because he knew the Ninth Ward where Kendell grew up wasn't a good place to raise a family. Too much violence and crime. The family stayed long enough to witness the storms destroy the place they called home.
"I was in the middle of it, so I got to see what damage and terror it caused on Louisiana," Kendell said. "It took me quite a while to get down here. It was a pretty scary experience for me. I was so young."
They got off the bus in Copperas Cove and started over, eventually settling down in Killeen. The transition for Kendell was, at times, brutal.
"It was hard to adapt to the new life of Texas. I was always bullied and made fun of and put down," he said. "I used to get bullied a lot. I didn't know how to defend myself."
Jones was taunted and teased in elementary and middle school for being so big. He never knew why.
"Some kids want to try the biggest kid out and see how tough they are," Kendell Sr. said. "He's a big, gentle, kind kid at heart. But they wanted to try him."
Back then, it took a lot to provoke the big man. His parents taught him to ignore the cruelty. They reminded him all the attention was merely jealousy.
"I guess it stopped when I started being stronger for myself," Jones said. "I started speaking out more. People starting seeing me do the right things and started walking away. Everything got way better in high school."
He found a better solution when he got to Shoemaker: weightlifting, which was new to Jones. As big as he was, head coach Channon Hall said, the Kendell could barely lift a weight. Couldn't bench 225 once, that's for sure. But he was still the biggest kid on the field as a freshman.
"Very quickly we'd say, OK, we better coach this guy and teach him how to play, or he's going to sit around and get us fired," Hall said. "He's so exciting and so imposing. We knew we had to get him going."
As Jones learned to gain muscle, his weight took off. He was around 250 pounds as a sophomore, then up to 310 by his junior season. This March, he weighed in at 361.
Everyone now calls him "Hulk," a nickname Hall gave him. He knows the No. 104-overall ranked recruit hasn't played his best football yet. After Jones faced double-teams most of last season, coaches repeatedly urged him this spring to start attacking with his hands. He needs to leverage his size and speed into becoming unblockable.
Jones is still learning to use his size and refine his technique. Max Olson/ESPN
"He really doesn't look like he's that heavy, but he is massive," Hall said. "Big legs. Big butt. Everywhere else, he's just big. And he carries it well. But I know he doesn't know how strong he is."
Nick Saban sure does. Alabama is the presumptive favorite for Jones' decision tonight after a report leaked last week that Jones had already picked the Tide. If that holds up, it'll be because of Bo Davis. The Alabama defensive line coach was previously at Texas and remains close with the family.
"Their relationship goes a lot further back than people actually know," Kendell Sr. said. "And whenever Bama comes into play, a kid is going to think about going to Alabama."
Dad is a diehard LSU fan and would've preferred Kendell held off on deciding until next year, but he isn't pushing his son in any direction. Kendell still plans to take official visits this fall regardless of which program he picks Friday.
"I'm looking for a school that treats me like my family would," he said. "My dad is hard on me because he wants me to make it. I don't want a coach to hold anything back. Give it to me straight. Teach me what I need to become."
After all he had to endure, what Jones wants most of all is an opportunity to get even tougher.
LINK
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:15 am to chattabama
Florida State just offered Raekwon Davis.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 6:11 pm to TideSaint
Late, but 
Posted on 5/23/15 at 6:56 pm to AllBamaDoesIsWin
Alabama offered Georgia RB commit BJ Emmons from North Carolina
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:17 pm to Rizzy
We are only 20 pages behind Ole Miss' recruiting thread. We've made up 30 pages in the last month.
We have 16 spots left so I expect a shite ton of speculation posts moving forward.
We have 16 spots left so I expect a shite ton of speculation posts moving forward.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:35 pm to TideSaint
quote:
Trent Smallwood @SmallwoodTrent · 4h 4 hours ago
5-star Demetris Robertson (@d_rob4) tells me 3 are tied at the top. #Bama #UGA #Stanford
It would be an incredible feat for our coaches to get him back in the fold. I'm not optimistic.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:36 pm to chattabama
quote:
Trent Smallwood @SmallwoodTrent · 6h 6 hours ago
2017 WR Trey Blount recently transferred from Hillgrove to Pace Acad. Says #Bama and #Miami standing out for him. @AndrewJBone @Cassidy_Rob
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:37 pm to chattabama
quote:
Trent Smallwood @SmallwoodTrent · 7h 7 hours ago
5-star Demetris Robertson proved today he is the total package as a DB too. Most dynamic player on field. #LockDown
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:37 pm to chattabama
I think we can get Robertson back assuming we offer his sister. He loves Tuscaloosa.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:40 pm to TideSaint
I wonder what the hold up is with our track coaches offering his sister. This isn't like some of the other questionable package deals we've seen from other teams. She is actually talented.
Posted on 5/23/15 at 11:44 pm to chattabama
Who knows?
I hope we can get his mother to town so she won't be so dead set on them attending the same school in case his sister doesn't get recruited.
I hope we can get his mother to town so she won't be so dead set on them attending the same school in case his sister doesn't get recruited.
Posted on 5/24/15 at 2:52 am to TideSaint
All this attention maybe getting to Raekwon.His last interview was very non-committal towards Bama. This from somebody who was completely sold on Bama when he committed. Of course the interview was done by a Miss.St homer. 
Posted on 5/24/15 at 3:28 am to TideSaint
I don't give a frick if his sister is 600 pounds and still gaining weight. Tony Brown, Marlon Humphrey, and Kendall Sheffield more than make up for it. Also isn't A. Averette on the track team.
Posted on 5/24/15 at 10:45 am to Tide or Die87
The sister has to be interested in Bama for an offer to make any difference, an offer isn't gonna mean squat if there's not a relationship behind it.
UGA and Auburn have been on her for longer, comes off very transparent trying to offer her out of the blue. Not to say they didn't have similar intentions, but they planned in advance and recruited her.
UGA has one of the best women's track programs out there, which I'm sure is appealing to those who are in the sport...
UGA and Auburn have been on her for longer, comes off very transparent trying to offer her out of the blue. Not to say they didn't have similar intentions, but they planned in advance and recruited her.
UGA has one of the best women's track programs out there, which I'm sure is appealing to those who are in the sport...
Posted on 5/24/15 at 2:52 pm to MagillaGuerilla
quote:
ELITE JUCO RECAPS VISITS
Derek YoungDerek Young
Recruiting Reporter
Hutchinson C.C. offensive tackle Tate Leavitt recaps a handful of visits as he approaches his announcement of the first cut in his recruiting process...
Elite offensive tackle Tate Leavitt is one of the best junior college prospects in the nation. He has an excellent offer sheet as he heads into his final year at Hutchinson Community College.
Leavitt has great size at 6-foot-6, and 300 pounds. He has excellent strength and power, which is evident when he drives downfield on his blocks. He's better at sliding to the right, and is very natural at it.
He's a better run blocker than a pass blocker. The pass blocking is solid, but he tends to have more problems with speedy pass rushers because his lateral quickness isn't always there for him.
The three-star lineman is releasing a top list this week. He already knows of a few schools that will be on it, but he has other visits scheduled to find out if any others will make the cut. Illinois and West Virginia are the two visits he will take this week.
Leavitt has already taken several visits, including one to Lubbock to check out the Red Raiders.
"Texas Tech was a great visit," he said. "The thing that stood out to me was their history of putting offensive tackles into the NFL. Some of those coaches were at Texas A&M coaching up Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews, and Cedric Ogbuehi. It shows to me that their system works."
While in Texas, Leavitt also spent time in Fort Worth to get his first glimpse at TCU.
"I'm pretty high on TCU," he admitted. "The visit there was great. They treated me well. It wouldn't be hard for me to transition into their offense. I picked up on their protections pretty quick. Their running game is similar to what we do at Hutchinson in terms of terminology. I'm not sure if that's a credit to myself, or if the transition would just be easier there. I would feel prepared if I went there, or anywhere for that matter."
One of the top visits so far for Leavitt was his stay in Columbia, where he was able to see and meet the Missouri coaching staff.
"Just like at TCU, I feel comfortable about being thrown into Missouri's offense," he pointed out. "It felt like a good fit in terms of what they want to do and what I bring to the table. They would showcase my athletic ability very well, as they like to get their lineman out moving and in space. THey told me they saw me doing that for them. They always have a good set of tackles."
"I've had a close with relationship with Coach Ricker and Coach Henson for a while," Leavitt added. "I was recruited by them somewhat when I was in high school. Coach Ricker was at Western Michigan when I was in high school and he was the first coach to offer me as a high school prospect. We've maintained a consistent relationship ever since."
Awaiting Image
TATE LEAVITT
Hutchinson (Kan.)
POS
OT
HT
6'6"
WT
300
The other outstanding visit Leavitt already took in was to Kentucky. The Wildcats' ties to Ohio struck home with the native of the Buckeye state.
"Them recruiting Ohio more and more is a big thing," he shared. "That's their pitch to me. They have nearly 40 guys from Ohio on their roster. We eat, sleep, and breathe football in Ohio and their staff understands that and can relate to it well. Their coaching staff has a lot of ties to Ohio. I love Coach Stoops and Coach Marrow. There's a big connection between them and I. They take pride in taking care of Ohio guys."
"I'm comfortable there," Leavitt continued about Kentucky. "I had a very good visit there. I have also been in contact with Courtney Love, who transferred in there from Nebraska. Kentucky is definitely on the rise. It isn't expected, but those that pay attention to college football know that they are. It looks like they're going to turn things around. It was my best visit, along with Missouri."
The one constant school since high school for Leavitt has been Illinois. The Illini stuck with him throughout his high school recruiting process, and remained visible even when he enrolled at the community college in Kansas.
"Illinois is the coaching staff that I've known the longest," he noted. "I wouldn't say I'm the closest with them anymore. Missouri, Kentucky, and Alabama have caught up in that regard. We are still close, though. As far as history goes, I have the most with them. Relationships are my big thing when I'm winding down this process. I trust that staff and I feel very comfortable with them. I just need to visit them and get a good feel about them. I'll be on their campus Wednesday or Thursday. I want to talk football, see their plan for me, and see how I would fit in."
The Crimson Tide are trying to make a push for the junior college standout, and are set to host him on an official visit at some point.
"I haven't visited Alabama yet, but using an official visit on them is what I will do," he discussed. "I'm still trying to get a date set for it, and hope to have one finalized in the next few days. I'm waiting to get on campus so I can see everything and get an understanding of their program. I want to get around their guys and see what it's like. I have a lot in common with Coach Cristobal. We always talk about music because we share that interest. My father is a musician, so we hit it off in that way. Seeing their depth chart will also be important when I arrive."
As a December graduate, Leavitt is approaching time where he needs to begin scheduling his official visits. He's about to begin that phase of the process, but is unaware of when he will make his college choice.
"I know I need to take some of my official visits over the summer," he explained. "I'm trying to wait and see what others I need to check out other than Alabama. I would like to take a few of my official visits during the season as well if I'm able to. I still have some scheduling to do. I don't have a timeline for my college decision. I know that I will just get a feeling that will tell me where I need to go, and I'll make it at that point."
LINK
Posted on 5/24/15 at 2:53 pm to chattabama
quote:
Juice
@D_4Charlot
??Almost in Tuscaloosa
Posted on 5/24/15 at 2:55 pm to chattabama
quote:
TAGALOA TALKS TOP 12
Brandon HuffmanBrandon Huffman
Director of Recruiting
The Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star defensive tackle, Boss Tagaloa, talked about his new top 12...
Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa is the West's top defensive tackle in the 2016 class and he named a top 12 last week.
BOSS TAGALOA
De La Salle HS / 6'3" / 295 lbs
POSITION
DT
DT RANK
9
INTEREST
18
Analysis:
Tagaloa is an elite tackle prospect with the ability to step in and play early in college. He has a great frame and will easily be able to handle more weight without losing any of his athleticism. He's very strong, uses his hands well and has a non-stop motor. He's advanced technique wise already and has multiple pass rush moves. He can bull rush, split a double team and is very strong at the point of attack-Biggins
Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, California, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah and Washington marked Tagaloa's top 12 and he talked about narrowing his list, his timeframe for a decision and more at The Opening Oakland.
LINK
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