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

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John Garcia, Jr. ?@JohnGarcia_Jr 3h3 hours ago
Former #UGA QB and Scout 4-star Jacob Park DID NOT visit #Bama this weekend.

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Quinnen Williams, Defensive tackle, Birmingham (Ala.) Wenonah

Most prospects who back off of a commitment take their time in coming to a second verbal pledge, but not Quinnen Williams. The Birmingham (Ala.) Wenonah star, projected as the top defensive tackle in Alabama, backed off of his Auburn pledge during the first week of June. On the month's final day, he'll make his next decision.

The Tigers, which he referred to as a dream school upon committing in January, remain in the mix. Other finalists also reside in the SEC West in Alabama and Mississippi State. Williams wants to get his recruitment behind him in order to focus on the Wenonah Dragons' 2015 campaign.

With multiple trips to Auburn and Tuscaloosa, the local feeling is to be the latest recruiting chapter of the Iron Bowl rivalry. Will it be 'Bama, where Williams spent four days around the time he backed off of the pledge. Or the program he's always envisioned himself representing in AU?

Fans find out on the morning of June 30.

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Star-Studded DE Discusses Top 8
Derek Young
Recruiting Reporter
Wichita (Kan.) East DE Xavier Kelly, one of the top pass rushers in the nation, shares his thoughts on his final group of schools...

One of the more heavily pursued prospects in the 2016 class in the entire nation is Xavier Kelly, a defensive end of Wichita (Kan.) East. He's taken numerous visits, and shrunk his extensive offer sheet down to eight school.s. He announced his final group via twitter.

XAVIER KELLY
East HS / 6'5" / 230 lbs
POSITION
DE
DE RANK
20
INTEREST
27
AnalysisHe's a prototype pass rushing defensive end. He has the speed off of the edge that is rare to find and that is what makes his value so high as a prospect. He is also a tremendous tester posting a 4.55 40-yard dash at The Opening in Dallas. Combine his testing numbers with what you see on tape and you see why offers have just poured in. Saying he is a pass rusher, does not mean that he is a finesse player. A freakish athlete with high upside. -GP


Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, Michigan, Georgia, Kansas State, Oregon, and TCU have made the first cut for Kelly. He gave his general thoughts on his favorites.

"Those are the eight and they are all even," Kelly said. "There's no favorites within that group. I have visited all of them but Oregon. I do want to check them out and visit for a game this season, which would most likely be an official visit. I'll also probably visit Alabama, Michigan, and Florida State again. I really want to visit all of them again, though."

Kelly's visit to Tuscaloosa was a positive one for the Crimson Tide.

"I feel like Alabama sets the bill academically and with football," he shared. "That's a very good fit for me. It's a big-time program in the SEC. That's a big conference where top football is played, and they produce a ton of NFL talent."

The Seminoles have an assistant on the staff from Kansas, which gives them a built-in connection with the star-studded senior.

"Florida State has great academics as well," Kelly noted. "That's a big-time football program that I fit in well with. They want me to play the 'Buck' position, and that's a perfect spot for me. Coach Miller is from Kansas so we have those ties, too."

Florida State isn't the only program with ties to Kelly, as Michigan has an advantage on their side as well.

"Jim Harbaugh is their new coach and he has a lot of NFL experience," he discussed about the Wolverines. "He can translate that to the college game, and I can gain a lot of knowledge from what he has to offer. I have a lot of family on my father's side that lives in Detroit. That's not too far away so I'll have them there to support me if I went there. Their academics stand out."

Clemson doesn't make their presence felt on the recruiting trail in Kansas all that much, but they couldn't hold back from pursuing Kelly.

"I like Clemson," Kelly admitted. "They have a strong family atmosphere and good academics. They don't offer junior college players so you don't have to worry about being replaced by an older player that enters the program when you're a junior or senior. They're all about getting a degree and they're very strict on academics. They have a very high graduation rate."

The draw to the SEC has Kelly favoring Georgia after his visit to Athens.

"They're another program in the SEC that produces a ton of NFL players every year," Kelly expained about the Bulldogs. "I have a lot of family from Georgia, too. They can come support me since it's not too far from them. They're a big-time program with good academics."

Kelly has yet to make the trip to Eugene but he's intrigued to see the Duck campus.

"Oregon is a big-time program," he stated. "They recruit me very hard, possibly the hardest. They seem like they really need me and want me there. I like their look from the outside. I need to find out what it's like on the inside."

The Horned Frogs have recruited nationally and defeated some of the nation's best programs for prospects in the 2016 and 2017 classes, and will try to do the same with the Wichita blue-chipper.

"TCU is a private school so they have great academics," Kelly pointed out. "Their student-teacher ratio is very low. Big universities have around 100 students in a class, but at TCU there may only be 20 or so. Teachers can really focus on the students there and get to know them personally. It's a big-time program that is at the top of the Big 12. It'd be a great fit for me."

The final school to make the cut for the four-star and Scout 300 member is Kansas State, the local program that originally collected his verbal commitment.

"Kansas State is a legitimately strong football program in the Big 12," Kelly told Scout. "It's close to my hometown so I could have family and friends that could come watch me play on a regular basis. It's right down the street. They have strong academics as well. They recruit me very hard and have an amazing family atmosphere. They're all about family there. Coach Snyder is big on academics and making sure that you get your degree."

Kelly will make his verbal commitment on January 9 at the U.S. Army All-America Game.

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Jimmy Stein ?@LJSLaw 2h2 hours ago
Each year there is a point in recruiting it looks like we will end with 49 commitments. Today is that point for me.

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