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re: Class of 2017 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Say Your Goodbyes Edition
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:06 am to TideSaint
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:06 am to TideSaint
quote:
4. Auburn 34, Alabama 28
When: Nov. 30, 2013
If not for the "Kick Six," Alabama might have won three consecutive national titles and Nick Saban's already assured spot in college football heaven would have been a stone cold lock. Instead, one of the most unreal final plays ever is what will be remembered most from the greatest Iron Bowl in a long line of storied matchups between these in-state rivals.
Alabama led 21-7 in the first half but couldn't put host Auburn away, even after Amari Cooper caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from A.J. McCarron midway through the fourth quarter to go up 28-21. The Tigers tied it with 32 seconds left when Nick Marshall faked the run and threw a 39-yard pop pass to Sammy Coates for the game-tying TD.
The Crimson Tide got into Auburn territory but appeared to have run out the clock, only to have one second added by the officials. This allowed for a 57-yard field-goal attempt by backup kicker Adam Griffith.
Auburn sent Chris Davis into the end zone just in case the kick fell short, and it landed in his hands to start history. He managed to elude defenders all over the field, scoring from 109 yards away and sending Auburn to the SEC title game (and eventually the 2014 BCS title game against Florida State).
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Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:13 am to TideSaint
Did you have to bring that game back up.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:13 am to TideSaint
List without the 1993 Sugar Bowl between Bama and Miami.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:20 am to jatebe
quote:
It has been a whirlwind of a week for the nation’s No. 1 junior college wide receiver.
Stephen Guidry spent the first part of the week in Alabama, and subsequently told SEC Country that the defending national champions are his leading school.
However, the four-star wide receiver returned home on Wednesday for an unofficial and surprising visit to LSU’s campus, where he will also spend the weekend for the annual Bayou Picnic.
LSU wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig asked that Guidry make the stop at LSU, but it was head coach Les Miles who was waiting anxiously to greet the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Louisiana native.
“Coach Craig wanted me there, but I talked to Coach Miles, who was happy to see me and talk to me and told me what their plans are as far as how they want use me and how they see me playing in the home state,” Guidry told SEC Country.
“I’d be playing at home with over 100,000 people in there, with my mom and family, which every day is something I think about. My family wants what’s best for me, whether that’s leaving to go out of state or not.”
Guidry, who is currently enrolled at Hinds Community College (Raymond, Miss.), picked up an LSU offer earlier in May after Craig visited the wide receiver.
Guidry, then committed to South Carolina, re-opened his recruitment after that run-in.
Both LSU and Alabama were patiently waiting for an opportunity, and the highly sought-after wide receiver was appreciative of the SEC West schools’ effort.
“They (LSU) wanted me in high school, but unfortunately, I couldn’t go there,” Guidry explained, which led the receiver to play at McNeese State before transferring to Hinds C.C. in January.
“LSU is in my backyard, so automatically, I’m going to respect them. When Alabama offered, it was a dream. That’s a school I can see myself going to. LSU is always going to be a top school, but Alabama is leading because of the visit. It was just amazing. The coaches treated me like I was one of their own kids. Coach (Nick) Saban was strictly business. Every player he has coached has a national championship, and that’s something I take into consideration. I won a state championship in high school, and looking what he did this previous season is remarkable. It would be an honor to be coached by Nick Saban.”
With the Crimson Tide firmly entrenched as Guidry’s top school, his hometown Tigers have their work cut out for them.
However, Guidry named LSU as his No. 2 team, but first plans on taking in the Bayou Picnic and eventually making visits to both Auburn and Mississippi State before re-examining his options.
“LSU is probably second with the visit today (Wednesday),” Guidry said. “But I didn’t have a chance to see everything. Auburn and Mississippi State are making a big push, and I can’t wait to visit those two schools, where I feel like I can come in and thrive both on and off the field to make me become a better person.”
Among the most important factors in Guidry’s decision will be his relationship with the head coach and a good college setting.
He named Saban and Miles as two coaches who have “proven to care about their players,” which is something of the utmost importance to the wide receiver.
Equally as important is the ability to contribute early, which is an opportunity he believes he can seize at LSU as early as next year.
“They can see me in their system with a lot of one-on-one, throw-it-up and attack and the ball (plays), running the screen game with my speed and quickness, just going over a lot of defensive backs and safeties,” Guidry said. “They’re going to lose Travin (Dural) and Malachi (Dupre) after this year, and I’m looking at where I can contribute and make plays. I want to go somewhere I can play.”
Guidry will conduct further research this weekend when he returns to LSU for the Bayou Picnic alongside his family.
The receiver admitted his family’s thoughts of the campus will matter wholeheartedly, and this visit could very well aid his future decision.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my old teammate Patrick Queen, seeing Coach Craig and enjoying the things for my family and letting them see how they like it at LSU,” Guidry said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing them, hanging out and seeing some guys I went to high school and college with.”
LINK
So I guess he's not making a decision this Sunday.
This post was edited on 5/19/16 at 10:21 am
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:22 am to TideSaint
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STEPHENSON, Ga. — Alabama defensive end commit Aaron Sterling was shocked when he heard the news.
The man who was supposed to be his position coach at the next level, Bo Davis, had resigned amid alleged recruiting violations.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder hasn’t talked to Karl Dunbar, the new Crimson Tide defensive line coach, but Sterling believes Alabama is in good hands.
“It’s a new chapter for Alabama moving Dunbar from the NFL to college,” Sterling told SEC Country. “He should bring a huge impact because he was at the highest level.
“I know he can prepare me for the NFL.”
Despite the coaching change, Sterling’s commitment to Alabama is strong, he said. He stays in regular contact with outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley, and both have reassured him that he’s still a priority to the team.
The three-star prospect admitted that when SEC Country visited Stephenson High School several months ago, his commitment to Alabama was not as strong as it is now.
“I have been thinking about my commitment a lot more now and talking to my mom a lot,” Sterling said. “She really wants me to make sure I’m weighing all my options because once you sign that paper, it’s over with. She wants to make sure I make the right choice, and she thinks I am.”
Even though Sterling is strongly committed at this point, he said Georgia and Tennessee are still pursuing him. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker are not only recruiting him, but also contacting his mother frequently, too.
Sterling said if he had a top three at this point, Georgia and Tennessee would be in that group along with Alabama.
How Dunbar connects with Sterling may be key in whether the Crimson Tide can hold onto Sterling’s commitment through signing day.
“I don’t know what Georgia or Tennessee can do to flip me,” Sterling said. “Alabama is Alabama. It’s great there. The relationship I have with the coach who’s going to be coaching me for the next three to four years is going to be important to me at all of these schools. Whichever relationship is stronger is going to be key for me.”
Sterling is planning on visiting Alabama this summer for one of its camps, and hopes to meet with Dunbar then.
LINK
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:34 am to TideSaint
Guidry to LSU, Sterling will flip to Georgia.
Neither one will be major losses.
Neither one will be major losses.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 11:04 am to remaster916
All signs point to Guidry to Bama right now. He could commit any day.
This post was edited on 5/19/16 at 11:05 am
Posted on 5/19/16 at 11:53 am to remaster916
Guidry seems likely Bama bound.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:00 pm to TideSaint
A weekend with Dameyune Craig in his hear will change things. LSU bound.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:22 pm to TideSaint
quote:
15 biggest recruiting battles between LSU and Alabama in the Class of 2017
Year in and year out, the LSU-Alabama clash is a game circled on both teams’ calendars. Yet this rivalry has reach way beyond the gridiron.
LSU and Alabama largely recruit the same prospects and often trespass on the other program’s turf.
Nick Saban, who lifted LSU to a BCS national championship in 2003, still has major ties in the state of Louisiana. Often, the pursuit of recruits leads to battles between Saban’s Tide teams and Les Miles’ in-state Tigers.
Like many former and future recruiting cycles, the Class of 2017 features a high volume of prospects that are considering both LSU and Alabama.
As many as 15 prospects in this upcoming class could be deciding between these two SEC West powers leading up to National Signing Day on Feb. 1, 2017.
Here’s a guide to each of those 15 prized recruits, their decision-making process and where both the Tide and Tigers currently fit into their recruiting interests.
LINK
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:22 pm to TideSaint
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5-star WR Devonta Smith
One of the nation’s budding wide receiver prospects, Devonta Smith recently achieved five-star status, which was largely overdue.
The 6-foot-1, 160-pounder out of Amite (La.) High School has long been linked to Alabama ever since he decommitted from UGA last year.
The five-star wide receiver has informed SEC Country that all the schools recruiting him are on an even playing field heading into the summer, but Alabama and Florida State are considered the frontrunners.
LSU, however, has quietly made significant strides this spring thanks to the addition of wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig. Craig has made several visits to Smith’s school this spring and was in attendance for his spring game, making it clear that the wide receiver is the Tigers’ top priority.
With Alabama seemingly in the lead and LSU closing the gap, Smith could be forced to decide between his in-state team and ‘Bama down the road.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:23 pm to TideSaint
quote:
5-star OLB Dylan Moses
While Texas is currently the No. 1 team in Dylan Moses’ top schools list, don’t count out the Tide or the Tigers just yet.
Since rescinding his pledge from LSU, Alabama has been Moses’ clear-cut top choice between the two. He has been on Alabama’s campus time and time again and holds the program in high regard.
It would not come as a shock to again see the Tide surge to the top of his list.
It would also not be surprising if LSU — where the five-star outside linebacker committed to early in his high school career — also took that honor.
The addition of Dave Aranda on the Tigers’ staff has revitalized Moses’ interest in his hometown team, and he’s wildly intrigued by the prospect of wearing No. 7 once Leonard Fournette moves on.
There is a strong belief that LSU will continue to climb up Moses’ list, but not without a lot of pressure from ‘Bama.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
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4-star JUCO WR Stephen Guidry
The nation’s top junior college wide receiver has already divvied up his week with stops in both Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Baton Rouge, La.
The four-star prospect out of Hinds Community College (Raymond, Miss.) told SEC Country that the Crimson Tide is his leading school, but he’s facing immense pressure from Craig and Miles to return to The Boot.
Stephen Guidry is also very high on both Auburn and Mississippi State, but it seems as if LSU and Alabama are going to be neck-and-neck with the wideout until after he completes all of his visits.
The Tide should be considered the favorite, but LSU has the ability to make up ground — and quickly — with the prized Louisiana native.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
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5-star DT Marvin Wilson
It’s already been a bit of a roller-coaster of a recruitment with the five-star defensive tackle.
Marvin Wilson has been courted by LSU and Alabama, as well as Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Florida State. The Texas native has never shied away from his fondness for the Tigers and Tide, though.
Wilson maintains a strong relationship with LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, which is why the Tigers will be in the thick of the race for the prized defensive tackle until he makes up his mind.
Alabama lost a step with the loss of defensive line coach Bo Davis, which led Wilson to tell SEC Country that he was no longer considering the Tide.
However, the hire of Karl Dunbar boosted ‘Bama’s stock, and yet again both SEC West powers are going to be in the hunt for Wilson.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:25 pm to TideSaint
quote:
4-star ATH Bruce Jordan-Swilling
One of the nation’s premier athletes has been back and forth between LSU and Alabama this spring.
Bruce Jordan-Swilling, who is deciding between playing either running back or outside linebacker at the collegiate level, included both LSU and Alabama among his top 10 schools.
Jordan-Swilling is being courted as a running back by Alabama, but has the option to play on either side of the ball at LSU.
Whether that makes a difference to Louisiana’s No. 6 prospect remains to be seen.
Of course, both LSU and ‘Bama are also chasing after Jordan-Swilling’s brother, Tre’ Swilling, which could ultimately add a twist to the decision.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:26 pm to TideSaint
quote:
5-star RB Cam Akers
The nation’s No. 2 running back has always been linked to Alabama, but the Tigers have been quick to pounce in recent weeks.
Cam Akers attended the LSU spring game and is expected to be on hand for the Bayou Picnic this weekend after LSU running backs coach Jabbar Juluke watched his spring game last weekend.
The former Alabama commit affirmed his interest in the school after re-opening his recruitment, but it’s clear that LSU has gained ground this spring.
LSU is on the hunt for running backs in the 2017 recruiting class, and Akers fits the bill.
The five-star is certainly an Alabama lean, but it appears we’re a long way away from this battle being over.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:27 pm to TideSaint
quote:
4-star Safety Grant Delpit
One of the fastest-rising safety prospects in the country, Grant Delpit included both LSU and Alabama in his recently-released top schools list.
However, the four-star prospect from Houston has a special place in his heart for the Tigers.
Delpit is a New Orleans native and was displaced by Hurricane Katrina when he was 6 years old. He has family ties in the state, and they are certainly rooting for the elite safety prospect to play his college ball at Tiger Stadium.
The nation’s No. 11 safety named LSU his leader after making multiple visits to the campus this spring and before a slew of offers from national powerhouses such as Alabama, Florida, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame came in.
Consider LSU the favorite, but Delpit has a lot to sort out in the coming months.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:27 pm to TideSaint
quote:
4-star OLB Chris Allen
Christopher Allen plays his high school football just minutes away from the LSU campus, but it’s Alabama that is the strong favorite at this stage in his recruitment.
The four-star outside linebacker has named the Crimson Tide his leading school after making multiple stops in Tuscaloosa, Ala., this spring.
Allen has also been a regular presence at nearby LSU, as he is developing a relationship with Aranda and learning how he might be utilized in that defense should he commit there.
LSU remains among the top schools for the Baton Rouge, La., native, but behind the Crimson Tide. Allen plans on making several more visits over the spring and summer before waiting until winter — and possibly signing day — to finalize his decision.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:28 pm to TideSaint
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5-star DT Tyler Shelvin
The LSU defensive tackle commit could subtly emerge as one of the biggest recruiting battles this fall.
Tyler Shelvin has long been an LSU pledge, but wavered slightly earlier this spring after he visited Alabama and did not receive as much communication from the Tigers coaches as he would have liked.
However, the five-star returned to LSU’s campus days later and conversed with Orgeron, re-affirming his commitment to the in-state school.
With a new defensive line coach on board, though, expect Alabama to continue to nudge at Shelvin and see if they can bring him back on campus this summer or fall.
Shelvin named the Tide his No. 2 school, which means there isn’t much separating LSU and Alabama at this stage.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 12:28 pm to TideSaint
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4-star JUCO DE Isaiah Buggs
One of the SEC’s most sought-after defensive ends in this year’s class, Isaiah Buggs could very well wind up choosing between LSU and ‘Bama when it’s all said and done.
A four-star junior college prospect from Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C., Buggs is a Ruston, La., native who was courted by LSU coming out of high school.
The Tigers were always thought of as Buggs’ leader, but a disconnect between the prospect and the coaches led to Buggs excluding LSU from his top schools list that he released in April.
LSU was quick to make up ground, though, bringing Buggs on campus for the spring game followed by Orgeron traveling to Mississippi to watch the defensive lineman compete during practice.
Expect LSU to seize the momentum with Buggs, who is far and away the top defensive end target for the team in the Class of 2017. Alabama, however, won’t make it easy.
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