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

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Welcome back to this week’s edition of the Alabama recruiting mailbag. I am your host, Chris Kirschner.

Several SEC Country readers submitted questions to my Twitter (@ChrisK_AJC), and below you’ll find the top questions asked.

It was a big weekend of visitors for Alabama, so let’s get to the questions.

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What’s your prediction on where Stevens, Isaiah Wilson and Jedrick Wills commit to?

(From @GWright02)

This is a tough one considering all three of these elite prospects are going to continue to get pursued by the nation’s top programs until they sign their letter of intent.

The importance of this visit for Stevens cannot be overstated. He told me a few weeks ago that he wasn’t going to visit Alabama again because he wanted to visit Clemson, LSU and Tennessee before he made his commitment. It’s possible those trips don’t happen.

I believe Stevens’ recruitment is down to two teams, with Georgia being the other team Alabama needs to worry about. He had the Bulldogs on top for several months and was set on them until recently. Because he took this trip to Tuscaloosa, that tells me how interested Stevens is in Alabama. My pick is Alabama.

Wilson, a 5-star offensive tackle from Brooklyn, N.Y., is currently in Tuscaloosa and has been since Thursday. He’ll stay until Sunday. This is the second trip to Tuscaloosa this offseason for the nation’s No. 7 tackle. His first trip to Alabama was back in April for A-Day.

To get an elite prospect who lives over 1,000 miles away from Bryant-Denny Stadium to visit multiple times is very encouraging for the team’s chances. You can guarantee that the Crimson Tide are going to feel very confident with where they stand with Wilson come Sunday when he heads home. It’s very likely Alabama becomes the favorite here after this weekend. Also, he frequently talks to 5-star offensive tackle commit Alex Leatherwood, who has been recruiting his friend very hard. After this weekend, my pick is Alabama, although my confidence level is not strong. Michigan, Southern California and Georgia are also in the mix.

I am very confident in predicting Wills, a 4-star offensive tackle from Lexington, Ky., in Alabama’s class. I was told by someone very close to the situation that he could be a Crimson Tide commit as early as in a few weeks. He was on campus earlier this week for camp. Alabama has made up tons of ground here in recent weeks, again, Leatherwood’s recruiting efforts have been huge here.

A note on the offensive linemen: This offensive line haul for Alabama could potentially be the best in the Nick Saban era. The tide have commitments from Leatherwood and the nation’s No. 1 junior college offensive tackle Elliot Baker. They are likely adding 4-star offensive guard Kendall Randolph on Aug. 2, which is when he announces, and could Wilson and Wills. Also, 5-star Trey Smith is strongly considering Alabama, too. There’s not going to be another class with a better offensive line than Alabama.

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Who is Alabama looking at as its last LB?

(From @cometoBama)

Alabama has three 4-star commitments at linebacker: Gary Johnson (MLB), VanDarius Cowan (ILB) and Markail Benton (ILB). The Crimson Tide would like to add at least one more at the position.

The likeliest add at linebacker is Chris Allen, a 4-star prospect from Southern University Lab High School (Baton Rouge, La.). Allen has named Alabama his leader since February and hasn’t budged from that stance even with taking trips elsewhere, most notably LSU. Allen was back in Tuscaloosa earlier this week for Nick Saban’s Football Camp (or NSFC, if you’ve seen people use the acronym on Twitter). The Crimson Tide are still in prime position to land Allen, who doesn’t expect to make a decision any time soon.

Another name Alabama fans should pay close attention to is 4-star Jarez Parks from Sebastian River High School (Sebastian, Fla.). Parks was in Tuscaloosa multiple days this week and attended the team’s invite-only cookout Friday. A source close to the situation told me that the confidence level in landing Parks is growing, but the belief is that he will ultimately stay in state. Florida was his childhood favorite school.

One of the team’s top targets, Chase Young, committed to Ohio State Friday night at the Buckeyes’ premier camp. Young had visited Tuscaloosa earlier this week for camp as well.

It should be noted that the names above are being recruited at the JACK position, which is a hybrid of defensive end and outside linebacker.

Three-star Monty Rice from James Clemens High School (Madison, Ala.) is a name Tide fans should keep an eye on. It’s very possible he ends up in this class along with his teammates, 4-star defensive end LaBryan Ray and 3-star defensive back Kyriq McDonald. Those guys have talked about the possibility of playing with each other in college, and it’s something they would love to do. But there are several names ahead of Rice at this time at his position. It may take some time for him to get in this class.

Five-stars Baron Browning and Dylan Moses, while both of those guys are interested in Alabama, I don’t see them in this class. Browning is likely headed for Ohio State or UCLA and Moses is going to LSU, as long as Les Miles remains the coach there.

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Alabama has emerged as one of the nation’s top players’ favorite schools, but the Crimson Tide’s chances at landing a commitment took a bit of a hit.

JaCoby Stevens, the nation’s No. 2 safety from Oakland High School (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), was expected to be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Crimson Tide’s invite-only cookout, but the family didn’t make it in, according to a source. A reason for why Stevens no-showed was not given, but his high school team participated in a 7-on-7 tournament in Tennessee early Saturday morning. His father told SEC Country on Thursday that he and his son would be there on Friday for the cookout.

It remains to be seen if he will take another visit to Alabama before his commitment, which is expected by the end of the month or during the first week in August. This trip would have given the Crimson Tide a ton of momentum coming off the heels of the staff sending four coaches (Jeremy Pruitt, Lane Kiffin, Derrick Ansley, Mike Locksley) to see him last Sunday at a satellite camp he participated in.

SEC Country was told by someone close to the situation before the expected trip that Georgia was still viewed as the favorite. The Bulldogs held the lead for several months until recently when Stevens decided to back off of publicly naming a leader.

Stevens’ commitment is expected to come down to Alabama and Georgia. Auburn and LSU are also in the mix, but they are behind the Tide and Bulldogs at this time.

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Originally set to announce a commitment on Aug. 1, Ruggs says that's no longer the plan.

"I have delayed my decision," he said. "I have a couple schools I would like to return to and see again."

Riggs didn't identify a new date that he plans to announce nor did he name the schools he wants to see again. He visited Auburn on Saturday and Penn State last week.

While Ruggs says the Tide is not the team to beat and every program is equal, Alabama has emerged as the presumed favorite for the star in-state wideout.

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