re: Class of 2017 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Say Your Goodbyes Edition

quote:

---

Bama3714

---

quote:

---

I feel fairly confident that the Finebaum thing was staged. Those two have a pretty good relationship.

---

quote:

---

I wish he could get here sooner

---

quote:

---

It’s not uncommon for a high school football team to have multiple Division I athletes, but it’s rare to see two 5-star teammates in the same graduating class.

That’s what you’ll find at Episcopal High School in Houston, home to offensive tackle Walker Little and Marvin Wilson, the nation’s consensus No. 1 defensive tackle. They’re both rated 5-star recruits by 247Sports and Rivals.

Little and Wilson have been teammates since 2013, and it didn’t take long for their talent to show up.

“I came off the line one time,” Wilson said, “and Walker lifted me in the air and dropped me on the ground. That’s when I realized how good he was.”

Little blossomed sooner than Wilson, who had a basketball background growing up. But once he settled in with football, Episcopal practices became heavyweight sparring sessions.

“Our coach has always matched us up,” Little said. “We do it all the time, and the competition is second to none. He’s gotten me prepared for so many camps and big games.”

Little and Wilson shined last week at The Opening, Nike’s annual summer camp for elite football recruits. Wilson won MVP honors for the defensive line group, while Little was named one of the top five offensive linemen at the event.

“Guys had to adapt to competition (at The Opening). I go against it every day,” Wilson said. “We’ve had some tough, intense battles. We really go at it, but it’s been the best feeling ever.

“We might talk trash on the field, but we’re cool right after practice. I go over to his house and we play 2K. That’s my guy.”

Both players said they split practice reps “50-50.” The exceptions are when one of them breaks out a new technique.

“He’s gotten me a couple times with that,” Little said. “I get him every once and a while. We’re pretty even usually, but it’s fun when we try a different move.”

Little and Wilson broke down each other’s game to SEC Country.

Little: “Marvin has crazy ability. Just his combination of size and speed. He’ll bull rush you as well as anyone in the country, but he can get around you just as quickly. He’s hard to stop.”

Wilson: “Watch out for Walker’s kick step. He’s real quick off the ball and he has long arms. That’s what makes him stand out over everybody else. He’s big and can move, so it’s not easy to get around him.”

Each of them hold more than two dozen scholarship offers, and the similar schools they’re considering include Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas.

“It’s been a special recruiting process with him, just having someone there who knows what you’re going through,” Little said. “I bounce things off him and we talk about coaches. It helps out and make the process a lot better.”

Little and Wilson don’t care whether they play together in college, but they know they’ll be ready for the next level.

“I’ll be more prepared than most freshmen,” Wilson said. “We compete in practice, in the weight room, in workouts — everything that goes into playing college football. I think he’ll have me more ready than anybody. We just push each other.”

---

quote:

---

What the McKinney de-commitment means

Xavier McKinney, a 4-star safety from Roswell (Ga.) High School, reopened his recruitment Thursday afternoon on the heels of telling SEC Country a month ago that Florida and Clemson were tied for second for his services.

“Florida is a great place to be,” McKinney said at the Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament in June. “Of course, they are ‘DBU’ and have all of those great defensive backs. Clemson has a family-based community and that’s what I’m looking for.”

Clemson should be the considered the favorite to land McKinney right now, because his current Roswell teammate, 4-star cornerback LeAnthony Williams, is committed to the Tigers and his former teammate Tre Lamar is a freshman linebacker for the Tigers. Those two have been recruiting McKinney hard for Clemson.

It needs to be said that McKinney was not pushed out of Alabama’s class. This decision was made on his own, a source told SEC Country. The Alabama staff was very high on McKinney and wanted him in the 2017 class.

With the loss of McKinney, Alabama is down to 14 commitments. The Crimson Tide remains No. 3 in the 2017 team rankings behind Ohio State and Georgia.

---

quote:

---

Excellent news coming in the secondary?

JaCoby Stevens, a 5-star safety from Oakland High School (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), will make his commitment known by the end of the month. Sources believe this has become a two-team race, with Alabama and Georgia are the potential suitors for Stevens.

Several months ago, Stevens looked to be a shoe-in for the Bulldogs. At one point, Stevens named Georgia his leader and said the Bulldogs held a giant lead over the rest of the field.

“Georgia is still recruiting me the hardest right now,” Stevens said to DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell back in April. “By far. .. You could say no one is gaining any ground on Georgia right now.”

Since then, Alabama has slowly cut into that lead Georgia once held. Here’s what he had to say about Alabama three weeks ago on the heels of a visit to Tuscaloosa.

“Alabama is a pretty good school. It’s a school that I am definitely considering at this point,” Stevens said. “I can’t really say what Alabama’s chances of getting me are. I can’t say it’s a great or bad chance right now because I need to go back in the lab and compare all of the schools.”

Sources have told SEC Country that Alabama has been gaining confidence in where it stands with Stevens as his announcement approaches.

---

quote:

---

Paul Finebaum Verified account ?@finebaum Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban will join me next Tuesday in studio.

---