re: 2020 FB Recruiting & Roster

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Note on Robinson to follow up on that Article @Big Gucci Sosa just shared. He told me at the Opening that he wants to get away from home. He has planned a couple of visits to Tennessee but they fell through because of some stuff out home. But he is very interested in leaving the state due to an interesting home dynamic. Nebraska’s had a lot of his attention for a while.

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I wonder what big LSU event is happening that caused Saban to force him to commit today.

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Quandarrius Robinson just committed!

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Tide assistant Karl Scott is the area recruiter for Birmingham. He along with new assistant Sal Sunseri joined together to land the elite outside linebacker.

The latter recruited Robinson at Florida, and was a welcome addition by the four-star 'backer when he arrived in Tuscaloosa.

“The knowledge,” Robinson said when describing Sunseri. “He’s a cool guy. He can be your best friend, your dad, your grandpa all at once. He’s just a cool guy, a guy you want to be around all the time … except for when you mess up at practice, then you might want to run away.”

The 6-foot-4.5, 217-pounder is ranked the No. 5 outside linebacker and the No. 53 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Here's 247Sports' evaluation of the in-state talent:

"You can’t teach 6-4 with great length. Has gone from a high school safety to a defensive end from sophomore to junior year. Still evolving on the edge, but he’s explosive. A good athlete, he is a pass rusher learning to put his hand on the ground on the prep level. Probably projects better as a standup outside linebacker that can blitz but also be a presence dropping in coverage. Continuing to add weight and strength will obviously be important. The skill set is there to be one of the best outside linebacker/weak-side defensive ends in the country. Should be an impact Power 5 starter and a future NFL Draft selection." (via 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong)

This story will be updated

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Alabama landed the second Top100 linebacker in as many days on Tuesday with LINK ]Quandarrius Robinson joining the Crimson Tide.

The 6-foot-4.5, 217-pounder from Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin is rated the No. 5 outside linebacker and the No. 53 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.

247Sports' Charles Power gives his eval of the latest Tide pledge:

"Of the five Opening Regionals I went to this spring, Robinson was easily among the more impressive athletes. He worked out with the linebackers and was the most fluid player in the group, despite checking in at 6-foot-5, 217 pounds. He's a first off the bus type with a big frame and outstanding length to go with the high-end athleticism (4.60 40). The combination of size, athleticism and positional versatility as a linebacker and potential pass rusher makes him one of the more unique and higher upside defenders in the cycle. Robinson has a ton of physical potential that he's just starting to realize and I'm very interested to see how it translates over to the field this fall."

Alabama sits with 20 commitments in its No. 2-ranked recruiting class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.

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Demouy Kennedy was once committed to Auburn. Quindarrius Robinson was, too.

Now, both highly ranked in-state linebackers are committed to Alabama.

Both committed in person too, and they somewhat surprised the crowd with the timing of their commitments.

Most thought Robinson was an Alabama lean, but Kennedy went into camp Saturday with LSU on top of his list. Getting Kennedy on campus Saturday, then Robinson in town Tuesday led to each making their decisions.

That is how quick the Tide can turn things in recruiting. Nick Saban and his staff know how to close.

Robinson is the No. 1 prospect in the state and a Rivals100 talent. Kennedy is the No. 5 prospect in the state and a Rivals250 talent. Both are athletes. Both can rush the quarterback. Both can move around. Both will be players in Tuscaloosa.

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Demouy Kennedy

RIVALS TAKE: "If you just turn tape of Kennedy on you quickly see violence. If you see him play, practice or work out live, then you see energy and aggression. Kennedy is a very explosive linebacker with great closing speed. He is a linebacker who could play inside or outside at the next level, depending on scheme.

"It looks like Alabama likes him on the inside in its 3-4 defense, and he could be great up the middle. He loves contact. As a pass rusher, he closes on the quarterback very well and comes off the edge with speed. Kennedy is another one who loves the game and has the frame to add very good weight. He is strong, but will continue to fill out his frame, and that will better his game against the run. He can improve shedding blocks and working his hands more. He checks a lot of boxes, and Kennedy - like Robinson - still has a lot of room to develop." — Simmons

COACH'S TAKE: "I always compare him to CJ Mosley. Demouy is the best athlete I have ever coached. He just has a great mindset. He is the hardest worker we have and we coach him harder than anyone else. That is what he wants. He wants to be pushed and coached hard. He is very driven and his upside is amazing if he stays healthy.

"He is so explosive out of his breaks. He plays violent, he doesn't mind hitting and he is a very physical young man. He always goes full speed and I really love the way he bends and explodes out of the cuts.

"Overall, he is quiet, but he is very driven. He is always grinding, he understands what it takes to be really good and he doesn't mind working for it." — Eric Collier, Theodore head coach

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WHY IT'S BIG FOR ALABAMA

The Crimson Tide has been able to dip into Texas time and time again over the past couple of recruiting cycles and pluck some of the best prospects out of Texas and Texas A&M's backyards, and a commitment from McCutchin early on is certainly going to remind fans of Nick Saban's unparalleled ability to recruit nationally. He is the first member of Alabama's 2021 recruiting class, but the trend has been present for several years already.

Alabama holds a commitment from Rivals100 linebacker Drew Sanders, one of the key pieces in the 2020 class. In 2019, the Tide made a late push to steal four-star cornerback Marcus Banks out of A&M's hands. The same goes for Jeffery Carter.

A similar set of circumstances occurred with five-star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle out of the Houston area back in 2018. He was nearly a lock to land at Texas A&M, but Alabama made a splash on National Signing Day.

Now, the attention shifts to McCutchin, a prospect who attends high school in Austin minutes away from the University of Texas. McCutchin picked up an offer from the Longhorns just more than two weeks after Alabama made its move. The rising junior cornerback had made visits to both Alabama and Texas over the past year, but ultimately found a home in T-Town.

So, what is the Tide getting in McCutchin?

McCutchin has good size to be a boundary cornerback (6-foot-1, 175) with a frame to tack on some more muscle. He's a physically impressive prospect with noticeable length and long arms, which allows him to challenge receivers at the line of scrimmage and disrupt passing lanes in coverage.

McCutchin is able to play press-man and play off-coverage. Often let alone to cover on an island, he makes a bevy of instinctive plays due largely to his speed and short-area quickness. While McCutchin is able to gain an advantage with his ability to effectively jam receivers, he's a smooth, natural cover corner with fluid hips and can shadow pass-catchers. He has excellent range and tends to play the ball at his highest point.

At this time, we are unclear what McCutchin's 40 time is, but on tape, his speed is evident. He has previously recorded a 36.6-inch vertical jump.

Given his ability to cover in different formats, McCutchin can freelance a bit at corner, which shows his football IQ. He can make plays while trailing receivers and over the top. He consistently plays the ball, which is critical.

McCutchin is also a very physical defensive back, which is atypical for the position. When playing off, his elite short-area quickness allows him to not only break on the ball but deliver huge hits to receivers attempting to secure passes. His fantastic make-up speed menaces pass-catchers. McCutchin also tends to shed blockers and dart to ball-carriers to make tackles in the run game, where he's a huge asset.

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Now that the spring evaluation period is over and much of the camp season has passed, Rivals.com has updated the 2020 rankings. That means there were some big changes across the country affecting the Rivals100, Rivals250, position rankings and state rankings. We take a look at five storylines from new state rankings.

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