re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition

Pretty cool insight on our crazy arse week recruiting kickers:

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First of all, my days covering recruiting have come and gone.

Having done it in the past, I have a great appreciation for what Tim, Hank, Shane, etc ... go through to get you guys the latest news on UA targets. It's not an easy job at all, especially as we move deeper into the social media era.

Instead, my insight on Eddy Pineiro and how his commitment to Alabama came about is based on having spent the last 12 days on the college kicking camp circuit with our oldest daughter, Savannah, who is a rising senior kicker at Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa.

A while back, we mapped out a circuit that began with Troy a week ago Sunday and took us to UA last Saturday before wrapping up the weekend at Florida on Sunday. She finished a four-camp stretch at Mississippi State this morning, having spent the last two days in Starkville.

Anyway, I went to the UA camp expecting -- like most everyone else -- that Tucker McCann would commit to Nick Saban by the end of the day. By lunch time, however, it was pretty clear to me that it was Pineiro who stole the show during a morning competition that featured five top talents as identified by Chris Sailer Kicking, the training academy responsible for administering Alabama's camp.

The quintet that kicked in the indoor facility for Saban and special teams coordinator Bobby Williams that morning included Pineiro and McCann. Pineiro was the best of the five during the morning session. So much so that offensive line coach and Miami area recruiter Mario Cristobal made it a point to spend time with Pineiro and his father, Eddy, Sr., when it was over.

The scene illustrated the delicate nature of recruiting in that McCann came to Tuscaloosa as the perceived "guy" only to see Pineiro, who made a 65-yard field goal and had multiple kickoffs of 85 yards, put on the kind of pyrotechnics show that is usually reserved for the Fourth of July.

Pineiro's performance earned him a trip to Saban's office. How that sat with McCann I don't know, but it did make me wonder how "commit-able" his reported offer was.

Understand, none of this is to knock McCann because as someone who knows a little bit about kicking, his talent is obvious. To be sure, Missouri is getting a two-way (kicker/punter) guy who will be very good at the next level. For all I know, he may very well have had the green light to commit to UA at anytime.

More than anything, I liked how McCann bounced back in the afternoon to win the last man standing competition. To me, that said something about his ability to put the negative in the rear view mirror and focus on the next kick.

After the camp ended, I wondered what the events of the day would mean for Pineiro, McCann and the situation in general. Before leaving UA, Pineiro indicated that it would be mid-week before he heard more from the Alabama staff. When I didn't hear of McCann committing by the time my daughter and I reached Florida at around midnight Saturday, I figured the spot was more open than I had previously believed.

Upon our arrival at UF Sunday morning, there was a lot of talk among campers and the Florida staff about Pineiro stopping by on his way back to Miami. Shortly thereafter, the specialists were held in the team meeting room at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for an extended period of time.

They were told by the kicking coach contracted out by UF to administer the camp that the delay was due to the "field being set up". In actuality, Pineiro was in the stadium kicking privately for the UF staff. He was good enough to get an offer from Jim McElwain on the spot.

When McCann committed to Mizzou on Monday, I thought Pineiro might hear something prior to mid-week. Instead, word came that Canadian JJ Molson was kicking for Saban on Wednesday. Apparently, he was offered after the workout.

At that point, my daughter and I were in Starkville when word began to spread that Molson had been offered by UA. It's here where I learned that kicker moms have more scoop on kickers than anyone else in the recruiting process.

And, really, it's not even close.

When Molson's UA offer was mentioned at dinner inside the MSU athletics cafeteria Wednesday evening, a camp-circuit-seasoned mom quickly informed the rest of us that Molson would be going to UCLA because that's where his mother wanted him to go.

As we learned Thursday morning, "Kicker Mom" was on point with her info. Instinctively, I thought about asking her if she wanted her own kicker recruiting site on 247sports.com before deciding against it.

Given the Molson news, it came as no surprise that UA got back around to Pineiro, who added a Miami offer early in the week. And it came as even less of a surprise that he wasted no time in committing once he got the call.

After all, it was clear during his time at camp last Saturday that he and his dad were all but set on UA, something that was reinforced when he didn't jump on offers from either UF or hometown UM.

So, in the end, my daughter and I had a great seat to a commitment. Oh, and she had a great run in her own right, winning the last man standing competition at Troy before finishing tied for fourth in the same competition at UA, where she received All-Saban team honors for her efforts.

As for me, I learned that when "Kicker Mom" speaks, you can take it to the bank. Unlike some of the kickers I saw over the last 12 days, she's automatic.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The first two days of Florida State's Jimbo Fisher Football Camp featured three workouts and dozens of college-bound prospects competing against each other for pride and recognition. A Wednesday afternoon workout was followed by two Thursday practices that produced a number of impressive individual performances. Below is a list of prospects that stood out during the event's first two days.

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1 DB
Nigel Knott
Madison (Miss.) Germantown

Recruiting wrap: Knott intends to visit USC, Oregon and possibly Texas this offseason. Florida State, Alabama and Oregon are thought to be the frontrunners in his recruitment.

Performance: Knott played both ways on Thursday, but shined more brightly as a defensive back. He is clearly a pure cover corner capable of quickly flipping his hips to stay with receivers even on double moves. Knott lost just one rep during the morning one-on-one session and took away an entire side of the field during 7-on-7. Knott turned in the second day's most dominant performance and became the talk of the camp from an early juncture. He also ran a 4.31 hand-timed 40-yard dash at the end of camp.

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Really, really want to land this kid.

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14 QB
Jake Fromm (2017)
Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County

Recruiting wrap: Fromm has a handful of offers but has yet to name a favorite in the process.

Performance: Fromm had one of the strongest arms on day No. 2 of camp. He spins it well and the ball jumps out of his hands. He is prone to deep drops and needs to develop his feet. Physically, however, he's beyond solid. He can make every throw and has nice arm mechanics. Fromm didn't earn an offer on the spot, but he certainly has caught the eye of the FSU coaching staff.

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Both have stardom written all over them.

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We all think Eason is a great QB, but there is no guarantee that he turns out to be a great QB in college.

It will be interesting to see how solid Hockman's commitment is if Eason solidifies the starting job as a freshman.

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Bailey Hockman to UGA

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Someone on BOL stated that Bailey Hockman has tried to commit to Bama on multiple occasions but was told it was too early.

With that said, I can't recall a QB commitment being earlier than the summer prior to their graduation year.

Wtf is with this serial down voter?

I guess some loser georgia fans. They gave 4 down votes to a post about hockman not being able to commit to bama. Pretty sad lurking on another teams recruiting board down voting things