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

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Tarik Black says Alabama is No. 1 

Alabama has convinced two top targets to push up their commitment dates in October and November in 5-star linebacker Dylan Moses and 4-star linebacker Chris Allen, respectively; now, the Tide may be looking to do that again in December.

Tarik Black, a 4-star wide receiver from Cheshire (Conn.) Academy, was originally set to announce his commitment at the Army All-American bowl in January, but he will now make his decision in the next two to three weeks.

On top of that, he told SEC Country that Alabama is his No. 1 school. He visited Tuscaloosa for the Mississippi State game earlier this month, and he revealed why he considers the Crimson Tide his No. 1 team at the moment.

“They have everything — wide receiver production, national championships, tradition and development from the coaching staff,” Black said.

If you follow Black on Twitter, you have likely seen him tweet many positive messages on his love for Alabama, such as this, this, this, this and this. He told SEC Country this summer that no matter what happened this fall in his recruitment, Alabama was locked in to his top 5.

“They’re in national championships every other year, if not every single year,” Black said in May. “It’s definitely a big deal to have them want me because not many kids from Connecticut can say that Alabama came to their school and is recruiting them. It’s definitely an honor.”

Despite all of that, Alabama was not and still isn’t considered the favorite by many in the recruiting industry to land his commitment in the coming weeks. That would be Michigan. The Wolverines are the overwhelming favorites for Black’s services, according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball.

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Where are the in-home visit pictures with Alabama coaches?

The contact period began on Sunday. What does that exactly mean? Coaches can now visit recruits off campus until Dec. 11.

This is the time of year where you see coaches in the living rooms of prospective athletes across the country. Last year, this is where we saw Nick Saban do the wobble at now freshman cornerback Jared Mayden’s home.

You may have seen pictures surface on social media on Monday, but no Alabama coaches were in any of the pictures you saw. Why? Well, Alabama is gearing up for another SEC Championship Game this weekend.

There’s been a lot of chatter over the past several days about how the game is unimportant to Alabama because its spot in the College Football Playoff is essentially locked up right now. Saban went on a mini rant on Monday to talk of the game’s importance and how it’s never OK to lose a game.

To further drive home the point of the game’s importance, Alabama coaches are not expected to make any in-home visits this week because of the preparation leading up to the game. Expect coaches to be in living rooms next week.

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Intriguing prospect back on the market

If you follow Alabama recruiting closely here at SEC Country, you’d know that arguably the biggest need for the Tide in the Class of 2017 is on the defensive line. Alabama only has one defensive lineman committed in this year’s class in 4-star defensive tackle Akial Byers, and the team would like to add at least three more on the line.

One of those prospects Alabama is interested in has reopened his recruitment after announcing his de-commitment from Maryland — 5-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh.

The nation’s No. 2 defensive end from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) visited Tuscaloosa for the Kentucky game in October with teammates Moses and Thomas Fletcher, both Alabama commits.

A source told SEC Country that Alabama has increased its communication with Kaindoh over the past several weeks, but I highly doubt that the reason why he de-committed from Maryland is because of that. Penn State hosted him on an official visit this past weekend, and the Nittany Lions should be considered the favorite here.

But, again, this is Alabama and the Tide can quickly become a favorite school for anyone, so he’s someone we’ll closely monitor now that he’s back on the market.

Kaindoh will announce his new commitment at the Under Armour All-American game on Jan. 1.

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The 2016 high school football season continues to approach its conclusion across America, as playoff fortunes dictate how far programs will advance toward winter. Developments in November set up some squads to challenge for state championships, while plenty of prep careers came to an end when seniors suffered defeat.

This final full month of the season cast a large spotlight on lauded recruits, especially those who rose above mounting pressure to deliver dynamic performances. We've placed the focus on several athletes who enjoyed a successful November while faced with do-or-die scenarios. 

From prolific passing efforts to defensive dominance, here's a glimpse as some of November's elite.

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QB Tua Tagovailoa

Class: 2017

High School: St. Louis (Honolulu)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 4 quarterback; No. 36 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama

Thousands of miles away from his future collegiate home in Tuscaloosa, Crimson Tide commit Tua Tagovailoa is now the man to chase for high school quarterbacks throughout Hawaii. He surpassed fellow St. Louis High School legend Timmy Chang atop the state's all-time passing yardage leaderboard, establishing a new career record (8,158 yards) while delivering his team a championship.

Tagovailoa tossed a 52-yard touchdown and rushed for a 30-yard score during St. Louis' 30-14 state title game victory over Kahuku High School, according to Billy Hull of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The face of a powerhouse program that previously produced Chang and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, he has solidified his place as a marquee figure in Hawaiian football history.

His postseason performance featured a 13-of-15 passing performance in the semifinal round, per Stacy Kaneshiro of ScoringLive.com, resulting in three touchdown throws and an 80-yard rushing score. It was a storybook senior year for Tagovailoa, who earned Elite 11 MVP honors this summer and will next form one of college football's most compelling quarterback tandems with Alabama freshman Jalen Hurts.

"If you wanna be the best you wanna compete against the best. ... So 'Bama it is," he tweeted earlier this week.

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RB Najee Harris

Class: 2017

High School: Antioch High School (Antioch, California)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 1 running back; No. 1 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama

Antioch High School heads into its first sectional title game since 1977 this weekend, according to Allen Payton of the Antioch Herald, boosted by the brilliance of scintillating senior Najee Harris. Committed to the Crimson Tide since his sophomore year, this 6'2", 221-pound phenom shows no signs of slowing despite a prep career defined by bell-cow duties.

He logged 63 rushing attempts during the past two playoff victories, rumbling for 569 yards and six scores, per MaxPreps. Harris added four receptions for 62 yards during a quarterfinal victory over San Ramon Valley High School.

"[Minnesota Vikings star] Adrian Peterson and [2015 Heisman Trophy winner] Derrick Henry are two that come to mind that I have scouted that I can compare him too," Erik Richards, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl national recruiting director, told B/R. "Najee is better out of the backfield than both of those U.S. Army Bowl alumni."

This is Harris' third consecutive season with at least 2,000 rushing yards. Through 12 games, he's tallied 2,596 yards and 33 scores.

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Ask any athlete who's gone through the recruiting process, and he most likely will say the same things to those who come after him.

Take your time. 

No need to rush.

This is your decision.

These are messages Baron Browning takes seriously, which is why the coveted 5-star linebacker from Kennedale, Texas, on Monday decided against announcing a verbal commitment originally scheduled for Tuesday. And in speaking with him, it's clear that Browning's just not ready to commit.

And that's fine.

Browning told Bleacher Report that while he wanted to commit Tuesday, there hasn't been enough for a school to completely separate itself from the rest of the pack. His decision to wait is good news for his top six schools, in alphabetical order, of Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, TCU and UCLA. It gives those schools—and, technically, the 34 other programs that offered him—a chance to make last-minute pitches in what is becoming the 11th hour of recruiting.

It's a shot for programs to deliver home run efforts to the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker, a player who can hold his own at outside linebacker, inside linebacker, safety and—at 6'4", 230 pounds—cornerback. Browning is an athlete who not only showed his strength in powerlifting competitions, but also showed his speed as a member of his high school track team, running a relay split in less than 10 seconds.

Nov. 29 was long expected to be the day that Browning committed, as the day also is his father's birthday. It would have made for a nice birthday gift, he said.

But making the right decision without feeling pressured is something that cannot be replaced when discussing college football recruiting. And Browning's father, Barry, a defensive back at TCU in the 1990s, fully understands the importance of not only making the decision, but also getting it right to where a decommitment doesn't follow.

"I think out of everybody, my dad's probably the most neutral. He's never tried to pressure me or tell me where I should go," Browning said on the Nov. 22 Recruitniks podcast courtesy of VSporto. "He's helped me decipher between the schools and information and navigate between what's real and what's fake with the schools."

Browning told Bleacher Report that he doesn't have a set date for a decision, but he will continue to do his research on all the teams in his top six. He has taken official visits to Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA, the most recent visit being at Ohio State, as he was in Columbus for the big showdown against Michigan.

There are the schools in his top six, and now that Tom Herman has been hired at Texas, some are wondering if the Longhorns can sneak into the conversation. Browning has expressed interest in the Longhorns, and with Herman's success at Houston and the recruiting lineage former head coach Charlie Strong set with the program, Texas could be an intriguing dark horse in Browning's race.

If he chooses TCU, he will follow the footsteps of his father, someone he greatly looks up to. Browning, however, has said on multiple occasions that proximity will not play a role in his decision. He lives minutes away from the TCU campus and roughly two-and-a-half hours away from the Texas campus.

What will matter in Browning's decision are X-factors like early playing time, a level of comfort on campus and the relationships with his position coach and strength and conditioning coach. Two extremely important things he values are a school's academic reputation and its networking within the alumni community.

"I'm pretty smart to know that football doesn't last forever," Browning said. "I want to really be financially set up and be able to have job opportunities for life after football. I want to be one of those guys who makes more money outside of football than he did playing it."

A decision could come at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7. It could come on national signing day in February. Or, Browning said, a decision could come in a few days.

He's not letting dates restrict his time to weigh all of his options. When it comes, it comes.

"I just want to make the right decision, that's all," he said.

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