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

Who cares about walker....the last rb that was committed to uga and switched to us just won the heisman. I think emmons gone wreck shite

I keep thinking 2009 our staff was hyper focused on winning the title and that is why our recruiting was lackluster. I am hoping we get the same results this year. It will be disappointing if we have this kind of class and are one and done in the playoffs.

All I care about is getting Ben Davis. He's the Mosley of the 2016 class.

We already have a great future OT in Jonah Williams, a 2 year starter Oline in Baldwin, and three very capable DTs in the class. If you look back at all the DTs that are being graded as first or second rounders this year and next year for Alabama, most got there from mid 4 star grades. It is more about work for defensive linemen than it is the recruiting stars. No doubt that eventually those kids will make an impact on the field.

We could use some more work on corners and safeties, but it isn't like we're hurting with Humphrey/Brown/Minkah/Jones all being pretty damn young.

WRs are also young with Foster/Stewart/Ridley/Sims all having 2-3 more years to play. We are likely to pick up little Ridley and probably Richards.

The biggest need is linebacker. Hopefully Ben Davis and Mack Wilson solve this issue.

Correct. Walker not viewed as an elite back.

I honestly don't know what our board looks like at Rb right now. I do know that we have some questions about Devin White's weight and whether he could be a three down back or not.

A couple people that I respect have said that other than Emmons, the RB crop is horrible nationally this year, and that we would very likely look for a grad transfer. I don't know this was just opinion or an informed statement.

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Hearing anything about Kiffin?

Apparently we won't give Fromm's family a straight answer on whether he is coming back. This is from what I can gather about an article on 247.

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Fromm is 2017 though right? Be pretty hard to give an answer on that year.

All I give a shite about is Ben Davis and Mack Wilson. Like you said Baldwin and Williams set us up at OT. Little is really good but 2 5 star OTs is legit. Doubt we get him but a great get that would be a surprise would be AJ Brown.

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All I give a shite about is Ben Davis and Mack Wilson. Like you said Baldwin and Williams set us up at OT. Little is really good but 2 5 star OTs is legit. Doubt we get him but a great get that would be a surprise would be AJ Brown.

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Agreed. If we get those two we will be fine. Throw in a surprise from Brown or whomever and I will take it. You guys have to remember that we are loaded in every position and have 5*s sitting on the bench waiting to play.

Alabama officially inks five-star JUCO offensive tackle Charles Baldwin

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Few college programs knew of Charles Baldwin when he was playing high school ball in Windsor, Connecticut a few years ago. One major power eventually offered, but it was too late.

"Coming out of high school, Florida State had offered me pretty late in the recruiting process," he said. "It was the year after they won the national championship and I thought, 'this football thing could work for me.' So I started working hard my junior year and my coaches let me know it could get me anywhere.

"When I found out I had to go to JUCO, to get my academics right, I thought going somewhere big was a high possibility."

The vision was realized on Wednesday morning as Baldwin sent in the paperwork to officially become the Alabama Crimson Tide's first class of 2016 signee.

"It felt real good, I didn't have a signing day in high school," he said. "Now I know all the hard work paid off and I was able to sign today to a big-time university. So I feel real good."

Next up was a conversation between the new Scout JUCO 100 five-star out of ASA College and his soon-to-be position coach, Mario Cristobal.

"He was just real excited, he's excited to finalize it and put it to paper," Baldwin said. "He was so fired up, saying they got my papers when they were at an offensive staff meeting, that I didn't even do much talking. I just told him I was looking forward to getting there and getting right to work."

The NJCAA All-American selection, who played more left tackle than right tackle this season, will take his final exams at ASA shortly after the new year. By the end of January's first week he'll be trekking to Tuscaloosa to move in.

Several late phone calls and campaigns from other schools were fielded before all was said and done, however.

"A couple schools had been talking to me late, Oklahoma definitely did, they were probably after me the hardest," Baldwin said. "I had Arkansas, Ole Miss and others. I just told them I was committed to 'Bama and had been for a while. 'That's where my heart is. It best fits me so that's where I'll be going.'"

Relieved to be done with the recruiting process, only a few weeks remain in between inking crimson and enrolling. After that point Baldwin's focus shifts to doing just what he did after high school.

"My goals there are to come in, work hard and do what I'm told, learn the playbook and hopefully everything just falls in line from there," he said.

Baldwin is the No. 3 overall junior college football prospect in the cycle.

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Tide or Die87

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Calm down Nancy.

So, regarding this Fromm/Kiffin info...

Fromm's dad did sort of a clear the air type interview with 247.

* He basically made a point to let everyone know that Kirby was not trying to steal him from Alabama. He said Kirby only wanted to let him know that Georgia wanted him if things didn't work out with Alabama.

Well, why would things possibly not work out???

* The answer is the OC situation. Kiffin evaluated and targeted Jake early on. After Jake committed, Kiffin was sort of distanced from the recruiting relationship. Jake's dad thinks this is because there is a chance that Kiffin would be moving on after the season. As such, Kirby became the point man on Jake's recruitment.

* Jake's dad went on to say that the way Alabama treats recruits is a little different from most other schools. He describes it as a situation where if Bama wants you and you want Bama then its all good. But if you don't want to be at Alabama, then Alabama says ok, cool... next man up. As such, he feels like there is not much ongoing communication between the staff and the commits.

* He pretty much sums it up by saying Alabama is playing for a championship right now and that is the clear focus of the program. He didnt raise Jake to be a guy that commits and then flips or decommits. The OC situation is something that he sees as a potential issue if something significant (i.e. play-style) changes. But right now Jake is solid to Alabama.

TIFWIW, but if it's true about he and Kirby already being homies, this sounds like a set the table for a flip but don't make it seem like Kirby did it kind of interview to me. The Kiffin stuff is interesting but I think that's just a red herring... JMO, of course.