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

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At the start of his final high school season, it's a bit difficult envisioning Jones calling a campus home beyond Texas. Still, one potential landing spot among his three out-of-state alternatives stands out.

Alabama has been in the mix for a while, securing a spot on his top-10 list last winter. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban extended a scholarship near the end of Jones' sophomore year, and defensive backs coach Mel Tucker is a diligent recruiter. Alabama enjoyed recent success on the Texas recruiting trail, especially in its search for secondary stars. The Crimson Tide signed 5-star Lone Star State cornerbacks Tony Brown and Kendall Sheffield in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Extended efforts in the territory this cycle have produced three 4-star commitments from Texas. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, offensive lineman Chris Owens and defensive tackle Kendell Jones each spurned in-state schools with an Alabama pledge.

Immense depth in the defensive backfield is an element that every safety or cornerback must consider before committing to the Crimson Tide. Jones is talented enough to surge past holdovers on plenty of college rosters, so don't be shocked if he takes his chances in Tuscaloosa.

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Brandon Jones B/R LINK

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Q: Dexter Lawrence made a bit of history as a defensive tackle being No. 1 overall in the last release. He drops to No. 3 overall and is now second at his position to Rashan Gary. What led to that shift?

A: That was a tough one. It really was a split decision. We saw Dexter in the spring and he was as quick as ever, tremendous rip move, awesome balance and huge. We saw Rashan in the spring and he’s also a massive kid. He comes off ball quicker than Lawrence and is more of a pure pass rusher who can beat you with quickness off the snap.

We saw them at marquee events in the summer and the thing that stood out more was Gary’s motor. It never ever stops. He just goes 100% every drill. Every play he does not stop until the whistle blows. He finishes plays as quickly as he starts them. Nothing against Dexter. He’s such a dominant a player … They are 1A and 1B at defensive tackle and both have a chance to be No. 1 in the end.

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LINK

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Jeffrey Simmons, a defensive end from Mississippi, moved into the rankings at No. 56. We got our first chance to lay eyeballs on him. He’s an outstanding defensive end. He’s one of those Mississippi secrets, a guys who would have emerged around Alabama-Mississippi all-star time. Luckily enough, there are so many events and so many camps we were able to find him. He’s on his way up.

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same link

Nice work man.

I know you've posted a couple tidbits about Jeffrey Simmons' performance from Friday night, but they don't mention just how dominant he was. This is what he did in that game:

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Simmons was a one-man wrecking crew in a 26-20 2 OT win over Starkville, rolling up five sacks, recovering a fumble and blocking a critical field goal attempt late to extend the game so Noxubee County could pull off the thrilling win. At least one long-time southeastern high school football authority figure called the performance the most dominant he had ever seen in person by one individual.

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Ridiculous stat line.

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That was quick... I just exchanged texts with a good source close to the situation. The resulting conversation lead me to quickly change my Crystal Ball from FSU to Alabama.

The CB for FSU was done back in June. FSU was sitting in the driver seat after the three day visit. Knott was planning on announcing two weeks later at The Opening, but that got pushed back and so did FSU's chances.

I feel confident about my Bama prediction. We'll have to see what transpires over the next 4 weeks.

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Jake Fromm will probably be our 2017 QB:

Fromm went on to talk about his discussions with the Tide staff, as far as their timetable for the ’17 recruiting cycle.

“They’re kind of being patient with it,” Fromm said. “I don’t think they want a guy to commit too early with the history they’ve had with guys committing early. They definitely say I’m the number one guy left. We just have to see where it goes, take time and be patient with it.”

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I can dig it.

BOL posted a "Recruiting Rewind" story (which I don't understand how you can "rewind" a class that hasn't finished yet, but that's neither here nor there) that details our commitments and targets. Here's a summary:

QB: Jalen Hurts - Don't expect a 2nd QB in this class. It was Pass or nothing.

RB: BJ Emmons - He's firm. Likely additions: Devin White, Elijah Holyfield and Abdul Adams.

WR: TJ Simmons - 100% committed. Expect 2-3 more in this class. Likely additions: Mykel Jones, Cavin Ridley, AJ Brown, Devin Duvernay, Darnell Salomon and Demetris Robertson.

TE: Brendan Scales and Miller Forristall - Both appear to be solid. Don't expect another TE. Nick Eubanks would probably join if his brother would have qualified.

OT: Jonah Williams and Charles Baldwin - They called Williams the most solid commitment in history. Want to add one more HS OT in the class. Likely additions: Greg Little, Jauan Williams and Jean Delance.

OG: Chris Owens and Deonte Brown - Both firm. Don't expect another OG in this class even though Terrance Davis will take an OV to Alabama.

DE: Khalid Kareem - Firm to UA. Expect at least two more DEs in the class. Likely additions: Jeffery Simmons and Terrell Hall.

DT: Raekwon Davis, Kendell Jones and Quinnen Williams - They say Davis is firm even though he is being pushed by LSU. They also say he is recruiting for Alabama (hopefully not like Rico McGraw supposedly was), most notably Jeffery Simmons. Expect one more DT in this class. Likely additions: Rashard Lawrence, Michail Carter, Dexter Lawrence and Rashan Gary.

ILB: Jaquan Yulee - Solid. They predict one more ILB in this class. Likely addition: Dontavious Jackson.

OLB: Riley Cole - Solid. Expect two more in this class. Likely additions: Ben Davis and Mack Wilson.

CB: None. Expect at least one in the class. Likely additions: Nigel Knott, Mecole Hardman and Eric Cuffee.

S: Joshua Perry and Shawn Jennings - Both appear to be solid. Expect one more. Likely additions: Nigel Warrior (they say he can play CB too), Brandon Jones, Brandon Burton and Jaquelle Green.

K: Eddie Pineiro - GOAT.

We've gotten 6 CBs for Nigel Knott since he set his announcement date.

TJ Simmons tidbit:

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Simmons did plenty of damage in his two-plus quarters of work in the opener. On the first play of the game, he turned a short hitch into a 45-yard catch-and-run. He later caught touchdown passes of 35 and 37 yards, finishing with four catches for 151 yards.

"T.J. is a different level player," Clay-Chalkville coach Jerry Hood said. "The first play, they had him tackled and he breaks it for a (long) gain. He's just an unbelievable talent."

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Just looked up the location of Noxubee County, didn't realize it was so close to Tuscaloosa!