re: Class of 2017 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Say Your Goodbyes Edition

FANTASTIC JOB GUYS


Roll Tide Roll

I did forget to mention there is a lovely 4 bedroom ranch in Trussville now available to show in my original post.

2018 class looks pretty weak at the moment to be honest, particularly in Alabama

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It's time. You up for this again? I'll be unpining this thread soon.

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Booo! 24 hour rule, we still have a few more hours.

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What are the chances that Parks gets in without a greyshirt? Would somebody else transferring open a spot for him?

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It looks like the 25 class cap is the roadblock, not the 85 total cap. Since we signed only 26, it appears we only had room to backcount one of our EEs.

Byers is going to Juco for summer and fall, and it appears Brannon and Bulovas will be blueshirts. But Parks can't be a PWO or blueshirt due to his official visit to UA. It appears that's why grayshirt was the only option for Parks.

Parks' grades are great, so maybe he can get non-athletic scholarship aid for summer and/or fall semesters, but I don't think he could practice with the team until after fall semester.

If the above is correct, I don't see how we could've fit in anyone else, such as Solomon, without losing or grayshirting someone else. I believe it is correct, because I think Andrew Bone said something to the effect that Bama would've had to somehow make room for Solomon.

However, It was just recently reported that the NCAA granted a waiver to Blake Barnett, making him elligible to play as of the first game next season. I wonder if Bama could gain another backcount space from that. If so, it appears that would make room for Parks in the 2017 class.

This upcoming class is very weak IMO, and probably a big reason Bama was stuffing players everywhere they could.

Even the few players in-state that are Bama material are leaning elsewhere at the moment. There are a lot of DB's, but when you look into their status they are also already leaning elsewhere so there is a lot of work to do to put together a respectable class. Everyone should soak up this crown jewel of a class because we will very likely not be signing the top class this coming year.

Someone else asked about Parks being first in line for a scholly. If there is any truth to the Hulk Jones rumors he is no doubt first in line for a Scholly, and that may also be the answer to those that are curious why we had room for Solomon, but not Parks - because the staff is holding a spot for a DT i.e. Solomon or Hulk.

Regarding not taking a DB... you can take players at most any position that can give you a few snaps per game without being totally exposed if they are not top talents - DB is NOT one of them. If a DB isn't a stud on any given play its 6 points for the other team in a hurry. Absolutely no good can ever come from giving a sub-par DB a scholarship. It crowds the depth chart, and takes coaching away from players that may actually contribute one day. If you can't lock down a top DB IMO you do exactly what Bama did... pass, and sale the upcoming class on DB being a position of need which is music to the ears of 5 star CB's looking for early PT.

Random thought: I wonder if Parks lack of scholarship is due to the 85, and not the 25.

A week ago, we were looking into whether or not we would have room for Ameer Speed, in addition to all of the other targets, and now we don't have room for all of our targets. Maybe this means that a guy who told coach that he was planning to transfer now wishes to stay. Wishful thinking on my part, but maybe it's Robert Foster.

Besides being the highest ranked class, it's hard not to have this be one of my favorite classes we've signed, aside from 2008.

You have half your class already on campus.
You have high ranked in-state guys like Ruggs and Ray.
Practically everyone we wanted out of Louisiana.
Najee Harris who endured homelessness.
Tua and Mac Jones who were willing to compete against a returning starter.
Parks who, if he sticks with it, may be my favorite player at Alabama. Who greyshirts Top100 players? Alabama does.
Then you have the King of the Gumps, Vandarius Cowan, who, while from Florida, gumps harder than most Alabama natives.
And an absolutely sick offensive line class.

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Random thought: I wonder if Parks lack of scholarship is due to the 85, and not the 25.

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I think it is the 85 not 25. Looking at the roster it look like we have 7 seniors plus 7 RS seniors that are graduating/leaving and 6 juniors leaving for the NFL or transferring based on rumors for 2 of those. That is only 20 players. Not counting any of the EEs we currently have on the roster 49 either RS or true freshman and sophomores.

I thought Gore transferred?