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re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:17 pm to chattabama
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:17 pm to chattabama
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Texas 5-star defensive back Deontay Anderson is one of the most coveted athletes in the Class of 2016. He's a top-five safety nationally, and his efforts over the spring could make him a top-25 player overall (he's currently No. 31 in the 247Sports composite ratings).
More than 30 schools reportedly have offered, but Anderson announced his top 10 on Wednesday. According to his tweet, Anderson is leaving his options to four of the Power Five conferences, choosing not to play in the Big Ten:
The list may or may not change as the spring approaches, but of the 10 schools, four will be watched closely. If Anderson chooses to stay in the Lone Star State, expect another recruiting battle between bitter rivals Texas and Texas A&M.
If he chooses to leave the state, however, keep your eyes on LSU and Alabama. Both schools have had success in recruiting top defensive backs from Texas. For many defensive backs, playing in the SEC means lining up against some of the best receivers.
Texas A&M has seen Anderson on two unofficial visits since October, most recently at its junior day on Jan. 25. Anderson has built a good relationship with the Aggies coaching staff. Texas also is an option, as his relationship with the Longhorns coaching staff is solid. Additionally, Anderson's high school teammate and 4-star receiver Reggie Hemphill-Mapps is already a commit and will be doing some player recruiting within the Manvel High School locker room.
And then there are LSU and Alabama. Both teams each year are grouped in the usual suspects competing for a national championship. In addition, early playing time has been good to Texas defensive backs at both schools. Anderson watched players like Tony Brown and Maurice Smith (Alabama) and Jalen Mills and Jamal Adams (LSU) get decent minutes in 2014.
If there's a wild card of the bunch, you have to look at TCU. With the explosive year the Horned Frogs had in 2014—particularly the dominant performance against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl— more of the best in-state players are giving the program a second look.
Anderson is aware of what the TCU coaching staff does with its defensive players, and the prospect of working with head coach Gary Patterson, safeties coach Chad Glasgow and the rest of the staff could be a positive.
Additionally, Anderson has another teammate committed to TCU. D'Eriq King, a 4-star quarterback/athlete, gave his pledge to the Horned Frogs on Jan. 17.
There's still plenty of time for Anderson to make a decision—and he definitely has options. All 10 schools are considered contenders right now, but look for the spring season to separate the contenders from the pretenders.
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Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:21 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'0", 164 lbs
High School: Central, Phenix City, Alabama
247 Ranking: No. 7 CB/No. 87 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 91/100
John Broussard is a hot topic in the SEC, as LSU, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Georgia all have offered. The race for Broussard, however, may come down to the two in-state schools, Alabama and Auburn. Per 247Sports, Auburn has a slight edge over LSU in the Crystal Ball predictions, but there's plenty of time for Broussard to make a decision.
While Auburn is trending in the Crystal Ball, Alabama would be considered the favorite if you're focusing on unofficial visits. Per 247Sports, Broussard has visited Alabama three times since September, but his latest trip was to Auburn for an unofficial visit last weekend
Bleacher Report Analysis
Broussard is one of those cornerbacks who can mirror the wide receiver lining up against him. That's a great trait to have as a defensive back. Broussard isn't the biggest cornerback, but he's got length, and he uses it to his advantage with pass breakups (36/40). Don't be fooled by his size; he likes to get physical with receivers as well.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:21 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'0", 175 lbs
High School: Westlake, Atlanta
247 Ranking: No. 6 S/No. 77 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 88/100
Nigel Warrior is nearing 20 offers, but Georgia is the in-state team to keep an eye on. Tennessee also is a school to watch, as the Volunteers are showing heavy interest in the nation's No. 6 safety. Ohio State and Michigan State are in the race as well.
Warrior last picked up an offer from LSU on Feb. 15. Florida State offered days before. Per 247Sports, he took an unofficial visit to Ohio State and also camped at Tennessee over the summer.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Warrior is one of those defenders with a lean frame but a muscular build. He is a tackler-first defensive back, but he does a solid job of defending receivers and tight ends in passing situations. He is becoming more of a mentally sound defender, someone who makes plays instinctively without thought.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:22 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'2", 175 lbs
High School: Coconut Creek, Pompano Beach, Florida
247 Ranking: No. 5 CB/No. 46 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 94/100
Trayvon Mullen has more than 30 offers, and his recruiting process is wide open. In-state schools Miami, Florida and Florida State may be the teams in the hunt early, but Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and a host of other programs are very much alive.
Ole Miss is the latest school to offer Mullen, according to 247Sports. Since October, he has visited Miami twice (once on a junior day), Florida State once and LSU once.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Mullen is one of those players who can go from great to elite at any given time. He has sprinter's speed (20/20), which allows him to shine as a cover cornerback. If a coach is looking to play a more athletic secondary, Mullen could line up at safety effectively. His quickness and overall length make him an intriguing prospect.
From reading on LSU sites, it appears that Mullen is a Corndog lean.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:23 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'0", 185 lbs
High School: Kentwood HS, Kentwood, Louisiana
247 Ranking: No. 3 CB/No. 32 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 92/100
Committed to Alabama
Alabama has been a magnet for 5-star talent, and the Crimson Tide added to the resume in landing Shyheim Carter. Although Carter is an Alabama commit, he is keeping his recruiting ajar, and a school such as LSU should be one to watch.
Per 247Sports, he has been on four Alabama unofficial visits since July, but he's also made two trips to LSU and a third for a summer camp.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Carter's strongest assets on the football field are his versatility and athleticism, which makes him effective on both sides of the ball. He can score touchdowns as a receiver or running back, but it's his ball-hawking skills (19/20) that make him a prime candidate to be an SEC cornerback.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:24 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'1", 192 lbs
High School: Manvel HS, Manvel, Texas
247 Ranking: No. 3 S/No. 31 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 93/100
Deontay Anderson has more than 30 offers, the latest coming from Oklahoma. Anderson is wanted from coast to coast, but according to 247Sports, LSU and Texas A&M are the two schools catching his eye early. Alabama, Texas and USC are three other schools in the hunt for Anderson.
Anderson was in attendance for Texas A&M's junior day on Jan. 25. He also has made unofficial visits to Texas A&M, Texas, LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss and Florida, per 247Sports.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Anderson is a player who appears to go all-out every play. He is athletic in passing situations and physical during run plays. He's a big-bodied safety who frustrates receivers with his ability to cover a receiver no matter how big or small he is (37/40). Anderson loves to deliver the big hit, but look for him to improve as a more well-rounded defensive back, particularly with one-on-one coverage skills.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:25 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 5'11", 183 lbs
High School: Nacogdoches HS, Nacogdoches, Texas
247 Ranking: No. 1 S/No. 20 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 94/100
Brandon Jones has more than 30 offers and could be one of those athletes who reaches the 50-offer mark by the time he is deep into his senior year. Jones is expected to be the centerpiece of another exciting in-state recruiting battle between Texas and Texas A&M, but there are plenty of other schools that will be fighting for him as well. LSU could be a major contender.
Per 247Sports, Jones on Dec. 1 named a top 10 of Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. It should be noted that he has taken several unofficial trips to Texas A&M.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Jones is the hybrid defensive back college coaches are looking for. He tackles well as a safety, but he also covers as well as a cornerback. Jones shows his awareness and instincts well, particularly in zone coverages. He doesn't make many mistakes, but when he does guess wrong, he has solid makeup speed that bails him out of trouble (18/20).
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:26 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 5'10", 170 lbs
High School: Ocean Leakes, Virginia Beach, Virginia
247 Ranking: No. 2 CB/No. 16 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 94/100
Levonta Taylor has more than 30 offers, the latest coming from Florida State and Florida, according to 247Sports. Early predictions for the 5-star cornerback say he will stay in-state and play at Virginia, but his process is still very early.
Taylor has made unofficial visits to Tennessee and Florida State, in addition to Virginia. He has offers from all three schools, as well as Georgia, LSU, Michigan, UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and a host of other programs.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Taylor is a cornerback with quality speed (19/20) and solid change of direction. His makeup speed is a major asset, as he can bait a quarterback, assuming he has a receiver open. He has good hips, which are needed to cover complicated receiver routes. Taylor is a true cover corner who's only going to get better in one-on-one and zone coverages.
He reminds me of Cyrus Jones.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:26 pm to chattabama
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Height/Weight: 6'1", 175 lbs
High School: IMG Academy, St. Petersburg, Florida
247 Ranking: No. 1 CB/No. 6 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 95/100
Per 247Sports, Pitt is the latest school to offer Saivion Smith, but the elite defensive back has offers from all over the country. Smith has SEC offers from LSU, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. He also has offers from Florida State, UCLA, Notre Dame and defending national champion Ohio State.
He most recently went to Clemson's junior day, per 247Sports. Smith's recruiting process is wide open, as roughly 20 schools will battle to land the nation's top-ranked cornerback.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Smith is one of those do-it-all athletes who happens to do everything well. He shines as a cornerback because of his athleticism and ability to react in coverage (37/40), but he also is as talented on the offensive side of the ball, using his size and speed to win battles against his competitors. As an athlete in general, Smith is a playmaker when the ball is in his hands (20/20).
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:28 pm to chattabama
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The battles that play out on the recruiting trail are often an extension of the rivalries that are heated on the gridiron every fall.
It’s not uncommon for Alabama and Auburn to fight over top prospects. Ditto for USC and UCLA, Michigan and Ohio State and the Sunshine State’s big three, to name a few.
Even schools such as Texas and Texas A&M—whose on-field rivalry ended when the Aggies joined the SEC—are still bitter foes when it comes to fighting over top talent.
Which 2016 prospects are already caught up in the tug of war between rival schools?
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:29 pm to chattabama
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Over the years, the wars between Nick Saban and Les Miles over recruits have been just as fierce and entertaining as the battles between LSU and Alabama on the field.
The Tide have had success going into Louisiana and poaching top talent, and the prize that Saban and his staff have early eyes on in the 2016 class is 5-star offensive lineman Willie Allen.
The 6’8”, 300-pound Allen rates as the nation’s fourth-best offensive tackle prospect, and his most recent visit was to LSU earlier this month for a junior-day event.
However, he visited the Tide last summer for a camp, and Alabama appears to be a real threat to pull him away from the Pelican State, as noted by Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:30 pm to chattabama
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Fans across the country know how intense the Iron Bowl is. However, they are just recently starting to discover how intense the recruiting wars between Alabama and Auburn are, as well.
The top 2016 prospect in the Yellowhammer State is 5-star linebacker Lyndell Wilson—who rates as the nation’s No. 8 player overall in the 2016 class.
According to Justin Hokanson of AuburnUndercover, Wilson admits both schools are very active with him.
"Alabama and Auburn, they are coming hard," Wilson told Hokanson.
Wilson has a number of ties to both schools, so his recruitment has the makings of becoming the next chapter in a saga between the Tide and Tigers that never takes a day off.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:36 pm to chattabama
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College Football QBs Most Likely to Transfer Before the Start of Summer
By Greg Wallace , Featured Columnist Feb 20, 2015
Could Cooper Bateman be the next Alabama QB on his way out of Tuscaloosa?
Second verse, same as the first. Well, with less highly touted transfers, at least. Last spring, Alabama had a huge quarterback derby to replace graduated AJ McCarron, with five candidates competing during spring practice. The specter of Jake Coker (transferring from Florida State as a graduate transfer) loomed over all of them: It was believed that no matter who won, Coker would be the favorite once he arrived in May.
That wasn’t the case. Senior Blake Sims won the job, and although he split reps with Coker early on, he claimed the job as his own, throwing for 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while leading Alabama to an SEC title.
Now, Sims is gone, and Coker is left to battle with another talented group of young quarterbacks. A year ago, Coker threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns against no interceptions, getting mostly mop-up duty following the first month of the season.
His competitors include sophomore Cooper Bateman, junior Alec Morris, redshirt freshman David Cornwell and 5-star recruit and early enrollee Blake Barnett. They’ll be battling to run an offense that will also be trying to replace Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Amari Cooper and tailback T.J. Yeldon (bruising junior Derrick Henry is in line to become the top tailback).
Although we all know what assumptions do, let’s assume that Coker wins the job this time around. That would leave four scholarship quarterbacks behind him. Alabama lost a pair of quarterbacks to transfers following the 2013 season in Parker McLeod and Luke Del Rio but none after last season. The depth chart would have to thin out some, right?
If Bateman doesn’t win the job, look for him or Morris to make the move out of Tuscaloosa.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:38 pm to chattabama
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15 Bold Predictions for 2015 Spring Football
By Brian Pedersen , Featured Columnist Feb 19, 2015
Coker Locks Up the Job
Jake Coker's transfer from Florida State to Alabama was a huge deal last year, at least from a media standpoint. When all was said and done, he was a clear second to Blake Sims in the battle to be the Crimson Tide's quarterback.
Now he gets another shot to win the job, as the senior heads into spring ball as the only passer on the roster with any game experience. Yet with several other candidates in line to challenge him, including 5-star prospect Blake Barnett (who enrolled early), the daily grind of spring practice is going to be well-chronicled.
Coker doesn't plan to track what's being written, however.
"If there's one thing I've learned over the years, you can't worry about all the other stuff outside," Coker told Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "I just try to go to practice and not read anything. Just stick to the program."
Unless Barnett lights up the world this spring and summer, Coker should end up being Alabama's starter. But rather than have it be a winner by default, look for him to impress Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin enough in March and April to take away all the suspense and claim the gig long before the preseason.
Posted on 2/22/15 at 11:42 pm to chattabama
B/R ranks Alabama as having the toughest schedule. That UGA/AR/TAMU/UT stretch will be brutal.
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Ranking College Football's 25 Hardest Schedules for 2015
By Greg Wallace , Featured Columnist Feb 18, 2015
1. Alabama
1. Alabama John Bazemore/Associated Press
Derrick Henry and Alabama face the nation's toughest schedule this fall.
This fall, Alabama should be one of the nation’s best teams, again. That’s no surprise, given Nick Saban’s track record with the Crimson Tide, which includes a trio of national title rings. But if the Tide are to make another trip to the College Football Playoff, they will have earned the right given a tough schedule.
The Tide open with a potentially tough neutral-site game against Wisconsin at AT&T Stadium. And following a home opener against Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss (which upended ‘Bama last season in Oxford) comes calling for the SEC opener.
This year, Alabama draws Georgia from the SEC East and must travel to Athens for what will be a difficult environment. That’s followed by a visit from improving Arkansas and a trip to Kyle Field to face off with Texas A&M, followed by the annual rivalry showdown with Tennessee.
Following an open date, Alabama hosts LSU for what is annually one of the season’s hardest-hitting games and then must travel to Starkville to face off with Mississippi State. And, of course, the season ends with the Iron Bowl in Auburn. Alabama is a talented bunch, but this is the nation’s most challenging schedule.
Posted on 2/23/15 at 12:03 am to chattabama
Posted on 2/23/15 at 12:07 am to chattabama
Posted on 2/23/15 at 12:10 am to chattabama
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Juice @D_4Charlot · 5h 5 hours ago
Officially be in Tuscaloosa on May 24...
Posted on 2/23/15 at 12:11 am to chattabama
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Darius Whitfield?? @OnTop_of_2016 · 8h 8 hours ago
It Goes Down In Death Valley
Whitfield visited LSU this weekend. Will Ignont was there as well. Sounds like Steele is trying to get LSU a foothold in Alabama.
Posted on 2/23/15 at 12:22 am to chattabama
Nothing too earth shattering on the Ben Davis BOL article.
Says he talked with Saban and Smart and then went to the basketball game (thanks, Anthony Grant).
Also spoke with Lupoi and Bo Davis. They said they'd keep recruiting him hard.
Only briefly ran into Mack and Davidson. Said it would be cool to play with them, but everyone has to do what's best for themselves.
Says he talked with Saban and Smart and then went to the basketball game (thanks, Anthony Grant).
Also spoke with Lupoi and Bo Davis. They said they'd keep recruiting him hard.
Only briefly ran into Mack and Davidson. Said it would be cool to play with them, but everyone has to do what's best for themselves.
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