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

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Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, Tex,/Episcopal) took to Twitter indicating LSU is out.

He provided depth on his tweet.

"For now until (LSU) gets their coaching situation sorted out," Wilson said.

Wilson said he's still considering Florida State, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Alabama.

The Crystal Ball reads 54-percent for Texas, 21-percent for LSU, eight-percent for Florida State, eight-percent for Alabama and four-percent for Texas A&M.

The five-star recruit is ranked as the nation's No. 1 defensive tackle and the No. 3 overall prospect in the country in the 2017 class by 247SportsComposite.

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HIGHSTOWN, N.J. - Quarterback, Allan Walters, claims 18 verbal offers. He lists high interest in several of his verbal tenders including Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Rutgers.

Walters (6-1, 200) said he hopes to visit several SEC programs including Alabama and Ole Miss this winter before making his college choice.

He’s hoping to visit Rutgers and Texas Tech this fall.

Walters shared his thoughts on some of those programs.

Vanderbilt: “It’s a great academic school. They hold a high standard. It’s very similar to my school. It’s in a great area, in Nashville, that has so many connections to everything. They play in the SEC. I’m building on the relationships there.”

?Texas Tech: “I didn’t know too much about them. I reached out to them on my own. I started talking to coach (Kliff) Kingsbury. We’ve started talking more. We’ve talked about his offense. Their offense is great. He’s a great young mind. I really like his mentality. He’s a player’s coach.”

Rutgers: “I like the new staff a lot. I talk to them every day. They run an uptempo offense and spreads it out. That fits me really well. (This staff is a bunch of) young guys that I really connect with. They are probably the best staff I have a relationship with.”

This summer, Walters went by Texas A&M.

The Crystal Ball reads 33-percent for Michigan, 25-percent for Alabama, 25-percent for Ole Miss, eight-percent for Rutgers and eight-percent foggy.

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Moses visiting Alabama this weekend

The timing of LSU’s firing of Les Miles is perfect for Alabama recruiting when it comes to its chances with Dylan Moses, the nation’s No. 1 outside linebacker.

Moses, a 5-star prospect from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), will take his first of five official visits this weekend when he travels to Alabama for the team’s game against Kentucky. The Tide get the first chance to impress Moses after the Miles firing, and that’s important.

As written about by SEC Country for several months now, it would be of the biggest recruiting shocks if Moses didn’t sign with LSU, but that all depended on whether Miles was the Tigers’ coach in 2017. Moses has been close with Miles ever since the prospect was an eighth-grader. LSU was his first offer and he was once committed to the program. Not only is Moses close with Miles but also his children. Now, there’s a major unknown with LSU’s future.

Let’s not forget that when the LSU administration tried to fire Miles at the end of last season, Moses went so far as to say he was not considering the Tigers because of the uncertainty. He also thought it was “wrong” how LSU was treating Miles.

Who was Moses’ leader at that time? Alabama.

“They lead because of their defense,” Moses told SEC Country back in December.“For me, I see myself in it, thriving and being pushed to the absolute limit. I also think Nick Saban is a fantastic coach and can adapt to any situation. If I could learn everything he has to teach me and master it, I feel like I can improve not only as a great player but later on as a better man as well. It’s not just about football with him.”

Moses has since backed off his declaration of Alabama leading for his signature, but he did tell SEC Country a few weeks ago that the Tide are recruiting him the hardest. A source close to the Alabama program told SEC Country that the Tide are indeed going all out in order to land Moses’ commitment come Dec. 15, which is when he’ll announce his decision.

The Tide have three linebackers committed in the Class of 2017, but they would like to add at least one more at the position. Not one of the three commits (4-star talents VanDarius Cowan, Markail Benton and Gary Johnson) is being recruited as an outside linebacker. Moses is viewed as one of the team’s top targets at OLB.

The Under Armour All-American will spend 48 hours on Alabama’s campus this weekend, and you can be assured that the Tide staff will be rolling out the red carpet for him. If I were to venture a guess, the LSU situation will be brought up at some point this weekend. Good thing for Alabama is that Saban, who Moses is very fond of, isn’t going anywhere.

With LSU proceeding with the inevitable and firing Miles, it does help the Tigers’ chances of getting Moses on board. A plan should be in place well before that commitment date. But now with Miles out as coach, Alabama’s chances with Moses have significantly increased.

Something interesting with Moses

If you follow Moses on Twitter, you have likely seen him have a lot of positive tweets lately surrounding the University of Houston and the city itself.

So what, you ask?

Tom Herman is Houston’s coach, who happens to be one of the favorites to land the vacant LSU job. Has Moses been paying more attention to Houston because he saw the Miles firing inevitably happening and knew Herman was on or near the top of LSU’s wish list? Possibly.

Moses is from Baton Rouge, La., so LSU is very near and dear to his heart. He has pictured himself wearing the prized No. 7 jersey at LSU and has said how great it would be if the Tigers won a national championship.

Perhaps the recent Houston love is Moses way of showing everyone that he would approve of Herman as LSU’s next coach. Let’s be honest, would Moses seriously consider the Cougars with Alabama, UCLA, Ohio State, Texas and several others in hot pursuit? It’s highly unlikely. That’s not a slight of Houston at all. It did pick up a 5-star commitment in Ed Oliver in 2016, but he is from Houston, so there’s a difference between adding him and adding Moses.

It’s still very early in this new situation to know where Moses’ recruitment stands, but these next three months until his commitment are going to be very interesting.

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The final weekend of September featured a significant shakeup in college football rankings as teams continue to carve out an identity for 2016. It also set the stage for high school standouts to serve up statements in the form of individual dominance.

Prospects who hope to eventually shine on a national stage continue to carry their respective prep programs through the opening stretch of this season. Postseason implications are always present, along with the opportunity for increased collegiate interest, so each matchup carries plenty of intrigue.

Our weekly rundown of highly productive recruits rolls toward October with an examination of performances ranging from prolific passing attacks to devastating defensive efforts.

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5-star RB Cam Akers

Class: 2017

High School: Clinton (Clinton, Mississippi)

Size: 5'11", 213 lbs

Composite Ranking: No. 2 running back; No. 8 overall

Recruitment Status: Offers include Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Tennessee

Though he's received the majority of his high school snaps at quarterback, Cam Akers belongs in the discussion of athletes who warrant consideration as this cycle's premier rusher. His latest performance further showcased those skills, as Akers turned 19 carries into 203 yards and two scores, according to Will Sammon of The Clarion-Ledger.

Touchdown runs of 67 and 71 yards augmented an impressive aerial effort (12-of-22 passing for 192 yards), enabling Clinton High School to remain unbeaten with a 30-21 win over Madison Central High School. Akers, a former Alabama Crimson Tide commit, has gained at least 100 yards on the ground in four of five games this fall.

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With a bye week on the schedule, a number of prospects from IMG Academy will be in Tuscaloosa over the weekend.

Five-star linebacker Dylan Moses and Tide long snapper commit Thomas Fletchers' official visits have been known for a while, but it's who they are bringing with them that might get Bama fans excited.

According to a Tweet from 2019 linebacker Zac Smith, 2017 four-star defensive end and Maryland commit Joshua Kaindoh, 2017 four-star defensive end and Georgia commit Robert Beal, 2019 four-star athlete and Bama commit Trey Sanders, as well as Smith are all traveling to Tuscaloosa as well.

BamaOnLine has yet to confirm Kaindoh's visit as he's expected to officially visit Maryland over the weekend.

Beal's visit will be an official, taking the total for the weekend to four if you include four-star linebacker Jacob Phillips from Nashville.

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