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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 2/14/17 at 10:42 am to TideSaint
Posted on 2/14/17 at 10:42 am to TideSaint
quote:
With Alabama's 2017 recruiting class signed and in the books, it's time to get familiar with a new batch of prospects. Over the next several days, AL.com will be providing position-by-position looks at Alabama's top targets in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Today, we're analyzing the defensive back position.
TOP DEFENSIVE BACK TARGET
Patrick Surtain, Jr. (6-foot-2, 181 pounds, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
The son of a longtime NFL defensive back, Surtain Jr., is a five-star ranked as the No. 6 prospect nationally. Alabama recruits south Florida heavily and usually lands multiple prospects from the area. With cornerback being a big position of need, Surtain is a top target.
4 MORE TO WATCH
Kelvin Joseph (6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Baton Rouge, La.)
Joseph is committed to LSU, but Alabama landed several big prospects out of Louisiana in the last class. The Crimson Tide won't stop recruiting the four-star cornerback and results this season between the two programs could play a factor in Joseph's recruitment.
Isaac Taylor-Stuart (6-foot-2, 187 pounds, San Diego, Calif.)
At one point, this four-star corner said Alabama was his leader. Obviously location is a tough pull with Taylor-Stuart on the west coast, but Alabama has coaches with ties out there.
Leon O'Neal (6-foot, 190 pounds, Cypress, Texas)
One of the top players in Texas, O'Neal is one of the top safeties Alabama is recruiting. The Crimson Tide will need to replace departed assistant Billy Napier with another coach who can recruit Texas strong and keep the Tide in the mix for O'Neal, a four-star recruit
Gurvan Hall (6-foot-1, 185 pounds, West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Sticking with the south Florida theme, Hall is another physical safety who Alabama likes from down that way.
IN-STATE GLANCE
Two of the state's top players are defensive backs who are high on Alabama's board. Myles Mason from Pleasant Grove likely profiles as a safety at the next level and, at this point, it would be a surprise if he didn't choose Alabama. Getting cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis from Mobile will be a tougher battle. Both are four-star recruits.
RETURNING ALABAMA DEFENSIVE BACKS FOR 2018
In 2018, Shyheim Carter, Aaron Robinson and Jared Mayden will be juniors, Nigel Knott will be a redshirt sophomore, Deionte Thompson will be a redshirt junior. Ronnie Harrison will be a senior along with Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Daniel Wright, Kyriq McDonald and Xavier McKinney will be redshirt freshmen or true sophomores in 2018.
ALABAMA'S 2017 DEFENSIVE BACK SIGNEES
Kyriq McDonald (Madison, Ala.), Daniel Wright (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Xavier McKinney (Roswell, Ga.)
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Posted on 2/14/17 at 11:05 am to remaster916
quote:
Any idea on how many DB Bama will take in this class? I'm guessing 5-6. 3-4 CB and 2 S.
I won't put out the names he predicted because Scout is extremely serious about not sharing premium content, but John Garcia put out a class projection with the following position group numbers:
QB - 1
RB - 2
WR - 3
TE - 1
OL - 4
DL - 5 (including Jarez Parks)
LB - 4
DB - 5
Posted on 2/14/17 at 11:08 am to TideSaint
I need to give you my email. Then I'll post it 
Posted on 2/14/17 at 11:18 am to Cobrasize
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I need to give you my email. Then I'll post it
He forewarned the prediction by saying it is extremely early and that he would be happy with landing half of the 25.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 11:27 am to TideSaint
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In 2018, Shyheim Carter, Aaron Robinson and Jared Mayden will be juniors, Nigel Knott will be a redshirt sophomore, Deionte Thompson will be a redshirt junior.
This is all true
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Ronnie Harrison will be a senior along with Minkah Fitzpatrick.
This is incorrect. Should read "Ronnie Harrison will be a rookie in the NFL along with Minkah Fitzpatrick"
Posted on 2/14/17 at 11:34 am to TideSaint
Those damn insiders are always hedging
Posted on 2/14/17 at 12:32 pm to Cobrasize
Harbaugh hiring father of DT QB prospect before impending rule would prevent it:
Former 49ers OC Michael Johnson to join Jim Harbaugh at Michigan
Former 49ers OC Michael Johnson to join Jim Harbaugh at Michigan
quote:
Michigan is planning to add another former NFL offensive coordinator to its coaching staff this offseason.
Michael Johnson will join Jim Harbaugh's staff in the near future, according to the King's Academy, a California high school where Johnson served as head coach this past fall.
Michigan is unable to comment on the staff addition until he officially signs with the program because Johnson's son, Michael Jr., is a dual-threat quarterback prospect heading into his junior season of high school.
The elder Johnson previously spent 10 years coaching in the NFL, including one season as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator in 2010. Johnson didn't work with Harbaugh in San Francisco, but the two did cross paths a decade earlier in San Diego. He was the quarterbacks coach in 2000 when Harbaugh was wrapping up his playing career with the Chargers.
Johnson served one year as an offensive coordinator at UCLA in 2011 after leaving the pro level.
Michigan also hired Pep Hamilton, formerly a Cleveland Browns assistant and Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator, as an assistant last month.
It is unclear what Johnson's position will be at Michigan, but all on-field coaching positions are currently filled. The NCAA will vote in April on a proposal that would allow FBS programs to add an additional assistant coach to their staff.
At the same time, the NCAA also will vote on a proposal that would prohibit schools from hiring anyone in a non-coaching position associated with a recruiting prospect within two years of that prospect enrolling with the school. The rule is meant to keep teams from hiring the parents or high school coaches of a prospect in order to curry favor with him.
Johnson and his son narrowly miss the window of being affected by this potential new rule. Johnson Jr., whom some recruiting services consider to be the top dual-threat quarterback in his class, is on track to enroll in college in the fall of 2019.
If Johnson Sr. joins Michigan in a support staff role, he would have to formally become an employee before the fall of 2017 in order for the Wolverines to recruit his son if the new rule is passed in April.
This post was edited on 2/14/17 at 12:34 pm
Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:05 pm to TidalSurge1
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We're back! After a two-month hiatus from Cover 3 — in which I've been consumed by the final recruiting stretch, culminating in National Signing Day — I'm ready to return to delivering my weekly take on all things college football.
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Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:06 pm to TideSaint
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1. Billy Napier's goodbye gift to Bama
On his way out the door to take the offensive coordinator job at Arizona State, former Alabama wide receivers coach Billy Napier left a parting gift for Nick Saban and whatever predecessor would run the wide receiver room. That gift was the best wide receivers class in the country.
Let's break it down: Henry Ruggs III is a rich man's Ardarius Stewart and finished the 2017 cycle as the 247Sports' top-ranked wide receiver. Devonta Smith also finished in the five-star pool and may be a year or two away from his full potential based on some necessary strength and weight gains but his upside is immense. Neither of those two, though, are more likely to see the field early than the college-ready Jerry Jeudy, who's a spitting image of Calvin Ridley. And then there's Tyrell Shavers, a 6-foot-6, 4.3 40-yard-dash burner who has the highest ceiling of the bunch.
Napier was the primary recruiter for Jeudy and Shavers, who signed early. He was also involved in the recruitment of Ruggs and Smith, though not as the primary guy, before heading West.
Alabama has been pulverizing opponents for years. The pass game has been present but largely optional behind its huge offensive line and revolving door of NFL running backs. But with this injection of wide receiver talent, Alabama suddenly looks Air Raid-ready on the perimeter.
With Najee Harris included in this class, Alabama continues its running back dominance. Big, physical and punishing, Harris maintains that downhill demeanor out of the backfield but he also allows Alabama to continue to diversify. Harris is as effective in space and as a pass catcher as any big back we've seen in years and he'd be as much of a fit in the spread as the power I.
The guy that ties it all together in the 2017 class is Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. You can call designed quarterback runs for Tua, he can scramble and extend but he's as natural a thrower as there was in the 2017 cycle.
If Saban wants to hire George Godsey or Brian Daboll at offensive coordinator to take over and get back to his pro-style roots, he can do that. If he wants to follow the Clemson offensive model, that works, too. This class allows Saban to go any direction he wants offensively because when he does find that offensive coordinator, he'll be handing over the keys to the most complete offensive roster he's ever had at Alabama thanks to the youngsters arriving from the 2017 class.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:10 pm to TideSaint
I've watched Shavers' highlights, and he is fast, but I don't believe he is in the 4.3s. I hope that I'm wrong
Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:23 pm to Cobrasize
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I've watched Shavers' highlights, and he is fast, but I don't believe he is in the 4.3s. I hope that I'm wrong
He'll run a 4.5 at the Combine in 4 years.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:30 pm to TideSaint
I'd be happy with that. I'm guessing Ruggs is the fastest of the new guys.Posted on 2/14/17 at 4:43 pm to TideSaint
If he proves to be a pretty good WR at the college level (not even great, but just merely pretty good), he'll be making millions in the NFL if he runs a 4.5 at his size.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 7:13 pm to Bama3714
Recruiting Roundup: 2/13/17 | Matthew Speakman | Special to TideSports.com
quote:
-Dominick Anderson posted on Twitter that he received an offer from Alabama. The JUCO tight end from Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona, stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 255 pounds.
-Tennessee extended an offer to Alabama commit Jordan Davis on Nov. 9, Davis said on Twitter. Tennessee joins LSU as the recent SEC teams to offer the 6-foot-6, 240-pound defensive end. Davis hails from Southwind High School in Memphis, Tennessee.
-Three-star defensive end Andres Fox stated on Twitter that he received an offer from Alabama. Fox comes from Mobile Christian School in Mobile, Alabama, and is the No. 15 player in the state. Fox has also received an offer from Auburn.
-Dax Hollifield, the No. 3 inside linebacker for the 2018 class, announced on Twitter that he received an offer from Alabama. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound recruit from Shelby, North Carolina, is ranked as the No. 82 player nationally and No. 5 in his state. Hollifield, a four-star prospect, has also received offers from SEC programs, such as LSU, Tennessee and Georgia.
-Ohio State recently offered Justyn Ross, the No. 1 player in Alabama, a scholarship, Ross announced on Twitter. Ross is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver from Phenix City, Alabama, who ranks as the No. 31 player overall and No. 4 at his position. He has also received offers from Alabama and Auburn.
-DeMarvion Overshown, a three-star recruit from Arp, Texas, announced on Twitter that he received an offer from Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 196-pound safety received offers from fellow SEC teams Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M just a day after Alabama offered.
-James Williams, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end, said on Twitter that he received an offer from Alabama. Williams is from Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi.
-Class of 2019 recruit Kayvon Thibodeaux received an offer from Alabama, according to his Twitter account. Thibodeaux is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end from Los Angeles, California.
Posted on 2/15/17 at 9:18 am to TidalSurge1
Will the state of Louisiana be as fruitful to Alabama in the Class of 2018? (SEC Country)
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The state of Louisiana’s borders were viciously attacked by Alabama in the Class of 2017. The Crimson Tide landed six Louisiana natives in last year’s recruiting cycle. As the Crimson Tide have done since Nick Saban left LSU for Alabama, the team makes it a priority to land as many elite players from Louisiana as possible.
But from the early onset, it doesn’t look like Alabama will land as many as it did last year, but we are still a little less than a year away from signing day, so there is time for that to change.
There are only two major targets for Alabama in the Bayou State right now: 4-star cornerback Kelvin Joseph and 4-star offensive lineman Dare Rosenthal. Five-star wide receiver Terrace Marshall likes Alabama, too, but he doesn’t seem as high on the Tide as Joseph and Rosenthal.
Joseph, who is committed to LSU, nearly flipped to Alabama last summer after several unofficial visits to campus. He decided to hold off on making that decision because he felt like it was unnecessary since there’s plenty of time to go until signing day. Rosenthal was committed to Alabama, but he decided to back off to make sure he was making the right decision. Both of them are still strongly considering Alabama.
We have to remember, though, LSU coach Ed Orgeron did not have a full recruiting cycle as the head man in charge this past year. He took the LSU job during the season and had to quickly establish relationships with the team’s main targets, which is not an easy thing to do. So, the Class of 2018 will be the first class that he’s had a hand in from start to finish.
Obviously, LSU doesn’t want what happened this past year to happen again. Losing two elite prospects from Baton Rouge to Alabama, 5-star linebacker Dylan Moses and 4-star linebacker Chris Allen, is unacceptable. Orgeron has made it clear that recruiting the state of Louisiana better is a top priority.
“Ed Orgeron has been very adamant about recruiting Louisiana first,” SEC Country’s LSU recruiting reporter Sam Spiegelman said. “This isn’t rocket science, but it’s a must for LSU — particularly, after so many battles with Alabama the past couple of years and most notably the dent the Tide made in 2017.”
When Orgeron took over for Les Miles, he almost single-handedly took over the recruitment efforts for Moses, Allen, Phidarian Mathis, Isaiah Buggs and DeVonta Smith. Those Louisiana boys all signed with Alabama. Orgeron is hoping that doesn’t happen again with the state’s top players moving forward. The plan is to offer sooner and establish that loyalty where the recruit can say the in-state school believed in him first.
“Three of the first five commitments LSU has landed in 2018 hail from Louisiana,” Spiegelman said. “What we see from Orgeron is him giving lower-rated in-state guys added opportunities, but still prioritizing the 4- and 5-star players, too. With his new hires, Orgeron is trying to recruit different parts of the state better and ensure all pipelines head to Baton Rouge.”
Alabama has only extended five offers thus far to players from Louisiana in the Class of 2018, but as the Crimson Tide start to host their summer camps, we should have a better sense if more offers will go out to Bayou State prospects.
This post was edited on 2/15/17 at 9:23 am
Posted on 2/15/17 at 9:33 am to TideSaint
One of the Al.com guys CB'd Justyn Ross to Auburn.
Posted on 2/15/17 at 9:36 am to TidalSurge1
Alabama's top receiver targets in 2018 class
AL.com
AL.com
quote:
With Alabama's 2017 recruiting class signed and in the books, it's time to get familiar with a new batch of prospects. Over the next several days, AL.com will provide position-by-position looks at Alabama's top targets in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Today, we analyze the receiver position to include tight ends.
TOP RECEIVER TARGET
Justyn Ross, 6-3/185, Phenix City, AL
Ross is one of the top receiver targets from the state of Alabama in some time. He showed no signs last year of a torn ACL that plagued him late in his sophomore season while. Ross has offers from elite programs all over the country, including recently Ohio State, but this figures to be an Alabama-Auburn battle.
4 MORE TO WATCH
Xavier Williams, 6-1/185, Hollywood, FL
The four-star receiver committed to Alabama last month and remains pledged to the Tide despite his top recruiter Billy Napier leaving for Arizona State. He's another south Florida speed guy like Jerry Jeudy. Read more from Williams.
Jacob Copeland, 6-1/188, Pensacola
The four-star is ranked No. 68 nationally and has offers from Alabama, Auburn and others. He's close to Florida State, though, but Alabama is pursuing Copeland hard.
Mark Pope, 6-0/160, Miami, FL
The four-star nearly committed to Alabama last summer. Alabama has had success with receivers from south Florida and if it pursues Pope hard, he's likely to choose the Crimson Tide.
Will Mallory, 6-5/205, Jacksonville, FL
Saban visited the school of the four-star tight end during the contact period, though he can't contact juniors in person. He visited coaches and likely got a look at Mallory. Alabama should take at least one tight end in this class and is in on several, incluing Roswell, Ga., four-star Tyneil Carter, Missouri City, Texas four-star Mustapha Muhammad (who models his game after O.J. Howard) and Lindenhurst, N.Y., four-star Jeremy Ruckert.
IN-STATE GLANCE
Paul Bryant four-star Seth Williams is another top target who is one to watch. He pushed back his commitment date from last month to a to-be-determined date. Alabama offered Murphy quarterback Maurice Robinson as an athlete, and he could play receiver.
RETURNING RECEIVERS FOR 2018
Calvin Ridley is projected to be a senior in 2018 along with Derek Kief and Xavian Marks. T.J. Simmons will be a junior along with Trevon Diggs.
As for tight ends, Miller Forristall and Irv Smith will be juniors and Hale Hentges will be a senior.
Major Tennison, Kedrick James, Chadarius Townsend, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Tyrell Shavers and Devonta Smith will be redshirt freshmen or true sophomores.
2017 ALABAMA RECEIVER SIGNEES
Chadarius Townsend (Tanner, Ala. - ATH), Jerry Jeudy (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), Henry Ruggs III (Montgomery, Ala.), Tyrell Shavers (Lewisville, Texas), Devonta Smith (Amite, La.), Kedrick James (Waco, Texas) - TE, Major Tennison (Bullard, Texas) - TE
This post was edited on 2/15/17 at 9:44 am
Posted on 2/15/17 at 9:55 am to TideSaint
Benton needs to get to work and get his buddy Ross in Crimson.
Posted on 2/15/17 at 10:57 am to TidalSurge1
I don't think Bama is a lock for Pope as much as they were last year, Miami all up in it now.
Posted on 2/15/17 at 11:04 am to remaster916
So far that seems to have been Benton's only role with the team for two tears.Wasn't he at one time the number rated player in Alabama? I know it didn't last long but he was.
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