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re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition
Posted on 2/23/19 at 7:36 pm to TidalSurge1
Posted on 2/23/19 at 7:36 pm to TidalSurge1
2019 SEC recruiting maps: Where each school got its signees (al.com)
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The 2019 recruiting cycle ended earlier this month when SEC schools -- and every other major college program -- secured its latest batch of recruits.
Where did they all come from? Take a look at AL.com's recruiting maps (and be aware junior college players are listed by their hometowns, not where they played their juco football, and rankings are according to the 247 Composite):
>>> Skipping forward to Alabama >>>
Alabama
Alabama signed players from nine different states and the District of Columbia in its 27-member class
SEC ranking: 1st
National ranking: 1st
Check out Alabama's complete class
Posted on 3/7/19 at 6:52 am to TidalSurge1
Posted on 3/7/19 at 3:54 pm to TidalSurge1
Best in Class: Recruits explain why Alabama was No. 1 yet again (247Sports | incl. video)
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Nick Saban opened his National Signing Day press conference with the idea of team recruiting. He spoke about his assistant coaches, the administration and even the University facility and how they shape official visits.
It’s a nice message, and in many ways it’s true. But it’s also a deflection of praise. Crimson Tide signees will tell you the No. 1 reason they’re heading to Alabama is its 67-year-old head coach.
“I feel as long as Coach Saban is there, I’m going to be taken care of,” four-star corner Brandon Turnage told 247Sports. “He’s going to bring in the best and have us coached by the best. You’ve got to just trust him.”
Turnage speaks about trust following a three-year Crimson Tide recruitment that included a trio of primary recruiters. Almost every member of Alabama’s No. 1 overall 2019 class saw their primary recruiter shift at least once. Alabama added six new assistants following the 2017 season, and the Tide lost both of their coordinators this offseason for the second time in three years.
Alabama did not grant assistant coaching interviews for this “Best in Class” story, per Saban’s policy. Perhaps that’s appropriate. This is truly Saban’s class in the end. “It’s just people wanting to play for Nick Saban and wanting to be around the best of the best,” four-star defensive tackle Byron Young said.
Alabama’s 2019 haul put the Tide on top for the eighth time in nine seasons, bouncing back from a sub-par 2018 class (by Alabama standards) when it finished fifth in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings. Twenty-six of Alabama’s 27 signees this cycle ranked as four-star prospects or better. The only player who didn’t, Will Reichard, ranked as the No. 1 overall kicker.
Posted on 3/7/19 at 3:55 pm to TidalSurge1
quote:
DeMatha Catholic (Md.) safety DeMarcco Hellams said it’s an easy explanation as to why so many high-profile players pick the Tide. “The factory of producing great NFL players who have great NFL careers, the opportunity to be coached by the greatest coach in college football history and the opportunity to play in the toughest conference in the country,” Hellams said.
Any time a No. 1 class comes together competition is a key unifier, and this group isn’t any different. Turnage said nothing is promised at Alabama. You’re not guaranteed playing time. You’re not guaranteed a special teams spot. Competition, Top247 athlete vs. Top247 athlete, occurs across the board.
Finding athletes who embrace the idea of iron sharpening iron is the annual key to Alabama’s top-ranked classes. But it all comes back to Saban at the end of the day.
Hellams vividly remembers his first visit with Saban. It’s the moment he arrived. “It means you’re the real deal,” Hellams said with a laugh. “Great college coaches don’t waste valuable recruiting time on guys they’re not sure of. Sitting and talking with Coach Saban made me hungrier. It makes me push harder so I know when I’m under a coach like that I get everything I possibly can from him.”
Turnage didn’t care about his assistant coach’s nametag much in recruiting, because he knows Saban will be at Alabama. In much the same way the Crimson Tide are an NFL factory, the program’s turned into similar feeder program for coaches: “It’s a pit stop,” Turnage said.
The one constant is Saban.
Turnage is quick to point out there’s another constant – winning. Alabama’s won 10-plus games for 11 years running, earning five national championships in that stretch. A juggernaut in recruiting and on the field, the Tide are college football’s premier program. It’s why four and five-star recruits flock to Alabama year after year.
“Who wants to lose?” Turnage said.
Posted on 8/11/21 at 10:01 am to jodeaux
quote:
Anyway, you're all flailing now because you know its ending. We're on the rise and you're the past. That's ok, it happens.
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