re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

Got some pretty good intel on Ross this weekend. Clemson is his leader.

He has taken the bait on being the next in the great line of WR at "WRU". Will be very tough to overcome them in this race. Auburn would need a humongous year in the passing game and really showcase some WRs.

Gonna try each week to keep track of how commits/targets did. Will probably update this as week goes on if more info comes out. No promises on accuracy but will do my best. Also will link any highlights that come out

AU Commits

4* QB Joey Gatewood - No Game, plays on ESPN2 this Saturday vs Trevor Lawrence

4* WR Matthew Hill - 4 rec 23 yds 4 carries 20 yds 3 punt returns 64 yards 4 kick returns 91 yds fumble
Long punt return
Tipped INT TD

4* S Quindarious Monday - 3 rec 100 yds TD in 50-18 win over Lithonia
couldn't find defensive stats besides a blocked kick
Long TD catch

4* LB Michael Harris - 6 tackles 1.5 TFL 2 QBH PB in OT win over Kell

3* RB Shaun Shivers - No Game

3* S Jamien Sherwood - No Game

3* OG Jalil Irvin - lost to Cedar Grove 34-14

3* DL Daquan Newkirk - No Game

3* OG Kameron Stutts - No Game

3* WR Shedrick Jackson - No Game

3* S Kolbi Fuqua - No Game

3* LB/S Josh Marsh - No Game

AU Targets

5* QB Justin Fields - 11/20 228 yds 4 TD 12 carries 153 yds 2 TDs in win over East Paulding
Highlights vs East Paulding

4* OG Trey Hill - got whooped by Jones County

4* WR Justyn Ross - No Game

4* LB JJ Peterson - played limited snaps due to sports hernia in win over Norcross
JJ Peterson rushing the QB

4* OT Dylan Wonnum - started at RT in win OT win over Kell
Video of Wonnum blocking

4* CB Kyler McMichael - 15 carries 93 yds TD 2 fumbles in 46-14 win over Lovett
couldn't find defensive stats
TD run

4* LB Quay Walker - 10 tackles in win over Dooly County

4* Buck Richard Jibunor - No Game

4* RB Asa Martin - No Game

4* DT Coynis Miller - No Game

4* WR Seth Williams - No Game

3* DE Andres Fox - No Game

3* Kayode Oladele - No Game

3* QB Steven Krajewski - 13/20 138 yds in win over Norcross

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2. Coynis Miller, 4-star defensive tackle, Jackson-Olin — uncommitted

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Aside from (Maybe) Fields, CM is the want I really want. He seems to have a nasty streak.

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Got some pretty good intel on Ross this weekend. Clemson is his leader.

He has taken the bait on being the next in the great line of WR at "WRU". Will be very tough to overcome them in this race. Auburn would need a humongous year in the passing game and really showcase some WRs.

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Interesting. Other AU sources say Bama leads.

Asa gonna be a Tiger. Dont see him going to Bama to sit, plus he has to know that there will be more opportunities to start at Auburn

KN put up a most likely to flip article featuring two players 4* LB Quay Walker & 4* CB Kyler McMichael

Walker - Thinks he's 40-50% solid right now and there's a lot of buzz that Walker's commitment not solid. AU has reason for optimism due to Walker's close relationship with Big Kat Bryant and Travis Williams. On the other hand, Bama doesn't often lose players they want and if he did decide to flip FSU would be a major threat

McMichael - Thinks he's 40% committed. KN has heard that McMichael wants to play CB which AU is recruiting him for while Clemson has him at safety. He's gotten close with the AU coaching staff and had 2 good visits before committing to Clemson. On the other hand, if he does decommit UGA is a very real threat. Mentions that UGA commits in ATL area would push hard as well.


I honestly think whomever gets Walker to visit last will land him. Seems like that type of kid (similar to Bryant really). As for McMichael, I am hopeful but not gonna get hopes too high just yet. Hopefully a strong start to the season that includes a Clemson win makes things interesting

Catching up on some AL.com articles, specifically the A-List ones

A-List No. 6: Mountain Brook's Harold Joiner is a Sneakerhead at heart (AL.com)

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Harold Joiner is a sneakerhead. That's why this fall, Joiner plans to turn heads with his rushing antics and stylish cleats.

Jones plans to showcase his white cleats for Mountain Brook's home games and black cleats for road games, complete with gold chrome trim.

"They have my number and my name on the back, it's pretty nice," said Joiner, whose fashion flare is surpassed only by the back flips the 6-foot-3, 225-pound running back showed off on Twitter.

For decades, teenagers collected sports trading cards and autographs from their idols, everything from signed balls to bobbleheads and posters. Today, as Joiner enters his final season at Mountain Brook, he is a modern-day collector, able to appreciate the beauty of a sport full of colliding artistry and fashion which offers a glimpse into personalities beyond facemasks.

Please forgive Joiner, ranked No. 6 on AL.com's A-List, the ranking of the state's top senior football prospects, for not allowing opponents to get a good, up-close view of his cleats. No, this sneakerhead plans to keep moving, keeping pushing, keep pump, pump, pumping his legs all the way to the end zone, all the way to his college of choice.

Joiner said he has plenty to prove before leaving Alabama high school football, and he's ready to do it. In style, of course.


ODELL WOULD BE PROUD

sneak*er*head

1. A person who collects limited, rare, OG, or flat out exclusive kicks. Usually the collection consists of Jordans or Dunks.
2. A person with background knowledge of certain sneakers.

Yo, that cat always be rockin fresh sneaks. Gotta be a sneakerhead.

(Source: Urban Dictionary)

Joiner's collection includes football cleats (of course), basketball shoes and regular shoes. Nice football gloves too. Lots of colors. Full of attitude. Bold. Different. Entertaining. That's Joiner.

He has nine pairs of cleats, some he's never worn, and may never wear. He's collected cleats since his sophomore season of high school, when he last balanced football and basketball. NFL star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is one of Joiner's sneakerhead inspirations.

"You can tell what he's about because of his cleats," Joiner said of Beckham Jr. "He has the 'Joker' cleats, the 'Christmas' cleats. He had the 'Breast Cancer' cleats."

As Joiner discusses life as a sneakerhead, he's sporting pink cleats, worn earlier against Jackson-Olin in a summer non-contact scrimmage.

Of course, Air Jordan has a permanent place in Joiner's closest. "They're just good-looking shoes," he said.

Here's a list of Joiner's favorites in the Air Jordan Shoe Series:

Air Jordan I - "Notorious" - 1984-85

Air Jordan III - "Gotta Be the Shoes" - 1988

Air Jordan VI - "Promised Land" - 1991

Air Jordan XI - "Class Act" - 1996

Air Jordan XIII - "Black Cat Pounces" - 1998

Joiner said he sold most of his basketball shoes after deciding as a junior to focus on football. Still, Joiner has held on to his Nike Kobe EYBL sneakers.

"They're like neon purple, neon pink, neon green with like gold on the bottom," Joiner said, smiling. "They're pretty nice."

His favorite pair?

The Adidas Yeezys in all-black.

1,000 YARDS?

Would you buy a pair of HJ1s? (Hard Joiner's first signature shoe)

A few years from now, your kids, the next generation of sneakerheads, may promise to clean their room every day for a year if you buy the shoes associated with their favorite NFL star. Watch out Big Baller Brand.

Pro football or not, Joiner is interested in a future in sports marketing, a career journey which could lead him to Nike.

Said Joiner: "Marketing is a cool way to show a different side of you."

Not that Joiner is in a rush to embark on his marketing career. Up first is football. He has trimmed his college recruiting list to Michigan State and LSU, his final two options. Both schools are competing to earn his commitment and even more important, his signature of National Signing Day 2018.

But first, Joiner's senior season at Mountain Brook.

Joiner will try to post the first 1,000-yard rushing campaign of his high school career. As a junior, Joiner rushed for nearly 800 yards. He will share the backfield with AJ Gates.

Joiner will attempt to blend speed, scores and of course, style en route to Mountain Brook's latest playoff run.

"People ask me all the time: 'What cleats are you wearing today?'" Joiner said, setting up his own punch line. "I'm like, 'I don't know yet.'"

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Inside Hoover wide receiver George Pickens' early pledge to Auburn (AL.com)

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A strong spring helped Hoover junior receiver George Pickens establish himself as one of the state's top 2019 recruits.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Pickens also made a big decision, committing to Auburn after performing well at a camp.

Pickens doesn't have much varsity experience. Last year, he starred in junior varsity games on Monday and also gave the first team defense some practice competition.

"He did some really nice things during practice," Hoover coach Josh Niblett said. "He ran a lot of (scout team) look against our 1D (first team defense) and they struggled stopping him."

Pickens will be a starter this fall at the Z-receiver position, opposite fellow Auburn commit Shedrick Jackson. But Niblett said they would try to use Pickens to create mismatches anywhere they can.

Hoover, the defending Class 7A champions, visits Georgia power Grayson in Loganville, Ga., on Friday to open the season.

"George's ball skills are second to none," Niblett said. "He's got good speed. He's got good length. For a guy who can play the ball in the air like he can, it's pretty amazing.

"Growing up, you could always tell that George has tried to work on his skill. That's what has given him a chance to be a difference-maker on the field."

Pickens' brother, Chris Humes, played for Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey at Spain Park. Many commitments this early in someone's high school career don't last. However, Niblett feels Pickens made the wise decision.

"I thought he was smart," Niblett said. "You're going to play at Auburn and if that's where you want to play, go play. Now, you can relax and concentrate on being the best high school player you can be, enjoy your junior and senior year and you don't have to worry about the stress of people bugging you all the time."

Even after last season, where Pickens didn't get much varsity experience, Niblett got the word out. Pickens then earned his major offers with strong performances in camps and spring practice.

Now, the four-star recruit is Auburn's first class of 2019 pledge.

He's also not the only talented receiver for the Bucs. Niblett said senior Martavius Hollifield is behind Pickens and senior Shaw Niblett is behind Jackson on the outside.

He mentioned inside receivers Jacquez Allen, Zach Elam, Jack Henry Milligan, Tim Booker, Xavier Long and Nick Davis as having chances to play this fall.

"This group's got a chance to be really special," Niblett said.

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Why Quanderrius Robinson's Auburn workout ended with tears (AL.com)

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Quanderrius Robinson enters this sophomore season at Jackson-Olin with one or two career tackles and one college football offer (thanks, Auburn!).

Robinson's emergence into college football recruiting is far from not normal, given his lack of playing time and experience on the high school level. But his measurables are just as atypical. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. Robinson is also energetic and coachable. And he's gearing up for a big fall.

So for the third time in as many seasons, Jackson-Olin enters the fall with another SEC recruit. Not long ago, the Mustangs were one of the losing programs in Birmingham City Schools. No more.

Linebacker TD Moultry (Class of 2017), now at Auburn, created the winning foundation. Defensive end/Wildcat quarterback Coynis Miller (Class of 2018) aims this season to continue the tradition. Meanwhile, Robinson and others will be charged with making sure SEC schools continue to stop by the campus to scout big-time talent.

It's quite a burden for Robinson, who this offseason moved from outside linebacker to free safety. But he loves challenges.

"One minute, I'm sitting right here, watching players play," said Robinson, who last season was a backup to Moultry and Montez Coleman. "Good players. Next thing I know, I'm one of the players they expect to make big plays.

"I'll get my chance."

So far, so good for Robinson, who performed well enough last month in front of Auburn coaches to earn his first college football scholarship offer.

Entering the trip, Robinson said he was nervous. But one of his coaches told him to treat the private workout like another football practice at Jackson-Olin. He did, plus more.

Robinson said he has a habit of starting slow. Cold feet, his size 13 cleats looking instead of reacting.

Not during the Auburn workout. Backpedaling. Flipping of the hips. Changing directions. He did it all. And fast.

"I was happy, I was impressed by what I did," Robinson said. "Never thought I'd do something like that. I was kind of crying. I tried not to cry, but I had never experienced anything like that before."

The next day, Robinson worked out at Alabama. He didn't leave with an offer, but he left with plenty to ponder. Some of the drills have helped his backpedaling, drills he shared with teammates back in Birmingham.

And he got a better sense of what it takes to play college football. "Everything has to be urgent," he said. "There's no walking."

Even during a high school workout.

"We were doing a drill, right. ... Backpedal, flip your hips, flip backwards then run back out the opposite way. I was a little bit too slow to get out there. (A coach told him) 'Come on. We're on a fast tempo. You got to hurry up, especially if you're thinking about coming to Alabama, or any college.'

"It's a quick tempo. Auburn is too, but it was slower than Alabama."

Robinson is still learning to play free safety, a position he switched to because of Jackson-Olin's need at the position. He's being recruited as an outside linebacker.

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Thanks for that last bit there Quanderrius...