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

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Check out how members of the AL.com A-List performed this week

Players' college commitments, if applicable, are in parentheses.

Stats were acquired by AL.com unless otherwise noted. This post will be updated if more stats become available.

1. LaBryan Ray, DL, James Clemens - Ray and James Clemens beat Grissom 69-7. Ray played just three possessions in the blowout.

2. Nico Collins, WR, Clay-Chalkville - Collins had six catches for 112 yards and a 20-yard touchdown, and sealed the game with an interception in a big 23-20 region win at Gardendale.

3. Austin Troxell, OL, Madison Academy - Troxell (Auburn) is out for the season with a knee injury, but Madison Academy beat DAR 49-28.

4. Markail Benton, LB, Central-Phenix City - Benton (Alabama) and the Red Devils beat Enterprise 43-24. Benton had six tackles.

5. Ryan Johnson, DL, St. Paul's - Johnson shifted from his normal defensive line spot back to middle linebacker as the Saints tried to slow down Jackson's running attack. The move worked pretty well in a 28-21 win. He finished with six tackles, two assists and a batted down pass.

6. Brian Robinson, RB, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa - Robinson (Alabama) rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns in a 61-0 win over Paul Bryant.

7. Will Ignont, LB, Buckhorn - Ignont had three tackles, two for a loss and a sack and pass breakup in Buckhorn's 40-14 loss to Gadsden City.

8. Kendall Randolph, OL, Bob Jones - Randolph (Alabama) and Bob Jones lost a 59-49 thriller at Hewitt-Trussville.

9. Alaric Williams, RB/ATH, Southside-Gadsden - Williams (Auburn) ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, per the Anniston Star, in his first game since Week 2 after a knee injury in a 24-21 loss to Oxford.

10. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Lee-Montgomery - Ruggs caught four passes for 104 yards and a score, rushed four times for 71 yards and a score and hit his only pass attempt for 37 yards in a 41-13 win over Jeff Davis as Lee clinched a playoff spot and stayed undefeated.

11. T.D. Moultry, LB, Jackson-Olin - Moultry (Auburn) and Jackson-Olin face Ramsay at 5 p.m. Saturday at Legion Field

12. Chadarius Townsend, QB/ATH, Tanner - Townsend (Alabama) rushed 11 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns and tossed a 67-yard scoring pass in a 58-20 win over Cleveland.

13. Justin Thomas, DL, Spanish Fort - Thomas (LSU) and the Toros defense had trouble containing Florida quarterback commit Kadarius Toney, who powered Blount to a 25-0 victory over the Toros.

14. Malcolm Askew, QB/ATH, McAdory - Askew (Auburn) and McAdory beat Brookwood 54-15. Askew went 5-of-7 for 127 yards and a touchdown and ran three times for 94 yards and two touchdowns with a long of 72.

15. Neil Farrell, DL, Murphy - Farrell (LSU) had six tackles, including three for a loss, two assists and three sacks in a 21-20 win over Foley on Thursday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. He preserved the Panthers' win by hauling down Foley QB Chris Armstrong in the backfield on a two-point conversion attempt with no time left on the clock.

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Dylan Moses told SEC Country in a phone interview Monday afternoon that he’s relieved his recruitment is over. After spending five years in the national spotlight, he feels like committing to Alabama is the right choice.

Moses, the nation’s No. 1 outside linebacker, committed to the Crimson Tide on Sunday, but he actually told the Alabama staff three days prior to his shocking announcement that he was going to choose the Tide.

He made it official Sunday morning at Nick Saban’s house during breakfast.

“We were just walking around his house. It was just me and him talking,” Moses said. “I told him I wanted to commit and then we sat down and started talking. He said he was going to honor (my commitment). Then he said I was one of the highest guys on his list and he’s glad he has me a part of the team now.”

Alabama would not have had him on the team if it wasn’t for LSU’s decision to fire Les Miles two weeks ago. Moses, for almost all of his recruiting process, was a strong LSU lean due in part because of his relationship with Miles.

Moses has described Miles as a family friend, and he would have played for The Mad Hatter if he was the Tigers coach in 2017.

“Oh yeah. No doubt. That would have been the school I would have went to if Les Miles was still there,” Moses said. “It’s a done deal (now). He’s gone. I still have a relationship with him, but I haven’t spoken to him since he was fired. I’m still going to keep a close connection with him.”

The Under Armour All-American also said that Alabama has always been a school he’s considered ever since he got offered by the Tide back in eighth grade, but again, he would not have been playing for Alabama if it wasn’t for Miles now being unemployed.

“I always told myself that if Les Miles was to ever leave LSU, Alabama would be my second choice,” Moses said. “That’s how it’s always been. When I got on that visit, it just reassured me that that was the place I wanted to be. What place would you rather be that than the place with the greatest college coach? For me, I had no choice but to go there. I love it there.”

One of the biggest reasons why Moses loves Alabama so much is because of Tide linebacker Reuben Foster. Moses describes Foster as his “big brother.” Foster was assigned to be Moses’ host for his official visit.

Foster told him about what to expect if he chose Alabama. He told him about how he needed to be patient with the coaching staff if he didn’t play immediately as a freshman.

Then Foster told him what Moses had been wanting to hear. The star linebacker told him he wanted him to follow in his footsteps and commit to Alabama.

“When Reubuen came to me and told me he wanted me there, that right there just clicked in my mind,” Moses said. “He told me that the night before. When your idol football player comes and tell you that, that just sealed the deal.

“When he said that, it made me so happy inside. It made me just want to commit off of that. On top of that, I was thinking about once I finally got wearing his number and honoring him. That was one of my thoughts, but I’m still thinking about it. At the same time, just being in the same presence as him was great.”

There were lots of questions about whether or not Moses is serious about his commitment, but he said his recruitment is over.

He even direct messaged several coaches elsewhere and told them he was no longer going to make his scheduled official visits.

“I am very serious. I am not taking any more visits,” Moses said. “If I take another visit, it’s going to be to Alabama. That’s about it.”

The IMG Academy star said he is going to start recruiting other players, but he’s not going to be open about his efforts. He said only after they commit to Alabama will he say he helped land that player for the Tide.

The LSU coaching staff did reach out to the Moses camp, but not Moses himself. Several LSU coaches called his parents to see what happened and if there was anything they could do to change his mind.

It won’t be happening though.

“I am 100 percent committed to Alabama.”

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Tweet from Leatherwood. He better watch out or Harbaugh will want to spend the night

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Five-star linebacker Dylan Moses was back at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Monday following an official visit to Alabama over the weekend where he abruptly ended the recruiting process.

The blue-chip recruit was naturally wearing a Crimson Tide sweatshirt representing his future school as he walked in for team meetings.

“I said I haven’t seen you smile that big since you been here,” IMG Coach Kevin Wright said. “He was pretty jacked today.”

No question Nick Saban is too.

The nation’s No. 1 outside linebacker per 247Sports and No. 4 recruit overall committed Saban and Alabama over LSU, the first two programs to offer him a scholarship back in eighth grade.

Like just about everyone else, Wright was “surprised” with the timing of the 6-foot-2 ½, 235-pound Moses’s college decision. When Moses left for Tuscaloosa the plan was to take all five officials before deciding. However the firing of Les Miles at LSU and a great visit to Alabama packaged together, sealed the deal for Saban and his staff.

“What a great fit for him really,” Wright said.

Moses is the most athletic linebacker in the country and it's not debatable. This summer at The Opening he clocked a 4.56 laser-time 40-yard dash with a ridiculous 4.09 shuttle.

“Is there anybody that does a better job with player development and you have a guy with as many physical tools that he has,” Wright said. “At Alabama he’ll go into a system where the player development is as good as it gets and he won’t be thrown to the wolves early. He won’t have to play early if he’s not ready. Their track record with guys as physically talented as he is, is pretty darn good.

“He’ll fit good with that system with what they do because he’s a hybrid guy.”

Alabama has the nation's No. 2 recruiting class per 247Sports with Moses one of four five-stars in the fold. The Crimson Tide are battling to sign the country's No. 1 haul for a seventh-straight year.

Before Moses arrived at IMG, he was a do-everything guy at Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab. He starred at running back and linebacker and didn’t leave the field for special teams.

“Somebody said this to me the other day, the improvement he’s made here as a linebacker from spring practice to right now, that’s because he has been able to focus for the first time in his life on position. He’s been a talented player all over.”

In addition to his raw ability, Moses brings a high-football IQ to the equation.

“Thing about Dylan, first of all he’s mature beyond his years,” Wright said. “When you talk to him he’s a really humble kid, really locked in, knows what he wants to do and he goes about his business every day. You won’t find a more locked in guy than he is.”

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