re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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Andrew Bone ?@AndrewJBone 1m
Ronnie Harrison, four-star defensive back from Florida HS in Tallahassee, has flipped his commitment from #UNC to #Alabama. @TideSports

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Alabama snagged its 20th commitment in the class of 2015 on Tuesday with the announcement of four-star Ronnie Harrison. The defensive back projection picked the Crimson Tide over LSU and the school he had been committed to for more than a year, North Carolina.

Nick Saban will have another versatile defensive back at his disposal.
6-foot-2, 205-pound Tallahassee (Fla.) Florida State University School athlete Ronnie Harrison announced his commitment to Alabama on Tuesday, switching his verbal from North Carolina.
A member of the Scout 300 and ranked as a safety, the senior becomes the fifth projected defensive back on the UA's 2015 commitment list. He was visited multiple times by Alabama assistants in the spring before camping and earning a scholarship offer in June.
Harrison brought his family to Tuscaloosa with him for a closer look in July, and earned their approval in the process.
”The whole trip was great," he said on July 21. "I just enjoyed getting one-on-one time with Coach Smart, Coach Thompson and Coach Saban with my mom. It gave me a chance to look at the depth chart and see where I fit in. I was able to see the whole campus and meet the academic reps and everything.
”Coach Saban and Coach Smart, they are great coaches and they put defensive backs in the league every year and I can be the next one to come out of Bama.”
Alabama retains its No. 1 team recruiting ranking on Scout following Tuesday's news.

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Harrison rolls with the Tide

Alabama has landed its 20th commitment in the 2015 class with Tallahassee (Fla.) Florida State Univ. School safety Ronnie Harrison announcing his pledge to the Tide moments ago. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder was previously committed to North Carolina and chose the Tide over the Tarheels and LSU.

Harrison is Alabama's 20th commitment.

Harrison, whose Crystal Ball was 85% in favor of Alabama at the time of his announcement, shared his reasons for flipping to the Tide with BOL.

"Just Coach (Kirby) Smart and Coach (Nick) Saban. They both coach the DB's and Coach Saban is a defensive-minded coach. I'll be working with him every day. They put guys in the league. It's DB-U over there. They put guys in the league and really teach their DB's how to play the game. I want to be a part of that. They also compete and win championships every year at Alabama. I want to go over there and contribute and be the next one to come out of there," he said.

The fast-rising safety says the decision process wasn't easy.

"It's been really hard. I committed to North Carolina a year ago. They were like my fourth offer, but my first offer from a big school. I felt at home, so I committed. Ever since then, they've been treating me like family and all of the fans have been treating me like family. Now that I have to leave them and go somewhere else, it's really hard. It's been weighing on my conscience, but I had to do what's best for me and my family. It's been fun, but it's been hard, too."

Harrison last visited Tuscaloosa on July 18 with his mother and brother and says the trip was key.

"It was very big for them to get my family over there to see the place and meet Coach Saban and Coach Smart. They got to actually see Alabama and not listen to what everybody says about it, but see it for themselves.

"They were just shocked. They had heard so many bad things about Alabama- all kinds of street talk and stuff like that- to actually get up there and see it for themselves, they were shocked that it was what it was. They like Coach Saban and how he runs his team. They like what he does with his players off the field. They like Coach Smart's plan for me. They like Coach (Lance) Thompson, too. A lot of coaches showed us a lot of love when we were there. They really liked the visit."

Harrison shared his own personal thoughts on the Tide's head man.

"(Saban's) a great coach and has a great plan for all of his players. He's more worried about off the field with academics, character, and how we carry ourselves. Football will come. That's what you get recruited for. But he wants to make sure we're good in school as well."

Tide assistants Lance Thompson and Kirby Smart recruited Harrison for the Tide.

"They did a great job. Coach Thompson- me and him have been talking for about a year. He's been talking to me for a while trying to get me to go to camp. I was supposed to go last year, but couldn't go because I had a basketball tournament. I went this year and did what I did. Coach Smart saw what I could do. Ever since then we've been talking and our relationship is great, as well.

The Sunshine State prospect is versatile within the defensive backfield, but sees himself as a safety in Alabama's defense.

"They're kind of deep at corner, so safety would where I get the fastest impact. I think they're losing two or three this year and lost two last year.

The new Alabama commit hopes to return to Tuscaloosa prior to the summer ending.

"I'm definitely trying to get back before school starts one more time, since I committed there. I don't know when that will be, but I'm definitely trying to do that soon."

Harrison says he plans to take his official visits and has a few in mind.

"I'm still going to take my officials. Alabama for sure, LSU, probably Notre Dame. Those are the only ones I really know right now."

Harrison has seen his stock steadily rise over the course of the summer camp circuit, most recently turning in a top performance at LSU's camp. The new Top247 member talked about his rising stock.

"It's been great. All the glory to God. I couldn't do it without him. I've been having fun all summer. I know I can play and people back home know I can play, but people out there in the world didn't know about me. I've been to some camps, had fun, and shown what I can do."

Harrison becomes the Tide's third commitment from the state of Florida, joining teammates Calvin Ridley and Shawn Burgess-Becker. He plans to graduate in December and enroll in January. He ranks as the no. 149 overall prospect and no. 7 safety in the 2015 cycle according to 247Sports.

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Tyler Donohue ?@TDsTake 12m
Between the 2014 and 2015 classes, Alabama is reloading its secondary. Combined, the Crimson Tide have landed 3 5-star DBs and 5 4-star DBs.

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