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

quote:

---

Bruce Feldman just tweeted that Butch Jones has taken the Purdue job. Chalk another 5* up to our class. Welcome to Alabama, Trey Smith!

---

That was actually a fake account........

Nick Saban Talks About Hiring Lane Kiffin

quote:

---

So, he is not recruiting, talking to players, making decisions, or talking to the media. Interesting.

---

quote:

---

So Kiffins basically the scapegoat for Bamas 9-4 record next year?

---

quote:

---

I think the scariest thing for Bama fans with this hire is Saban thinks he actually made the right choice.

---

quote:

---

To me, the mere fact that this hire has to be explained and/or justified is quite telling.

Personally, I think saban just wanted someone that he could control more easily. Kiffin is so desperate for relevance right now that he's willing to be anybody's bitch.

---

quote:

---

So, people ask him to be a jerk and a cry-baby and to cheat and pay players and to be entitled?

Who hires an OC who can't do anything but devise an offense and can't deal with others on a basic level?

Will he not recruit?

I'm all for giving people 5th chances, but it seems like Saban could have hired anyone and he picks a guy who has been a complete disaster everywhere he has been. I guess that how you handle yourself doesn't matter. You'll just get another job. Nice life lesson to his players who he seems to be having problems with entitlement attitudes settling in.

---

quote:

---

Trust me if things go south on the offensive side of the ball Kiffin will be the first one thrown under the bus by Saban. I would not be thrilled by this hire at all to much trouble has followed this cat around no matter where he has been. But hey as a Tiger fan I love it

---

quote:

---

Not really. The gumps immediately jumped to his defense and embraced Kiffy with open arms.

It seems more like Saban is trying to explain the hire to himself.

---

quote:

---

It is a bad hire. It doesn't matter what I want. Lane Kiffen comes with a ton of baggage and has been a disaster everywhere he has gone. Look at how USC fired him. They were done with him. Everyone has been like that. He lies, cheats, and distorts reality to benefit himself. Al Davis was right about the guy and everywhere he has been has proven that.

When you hire a guy with that track record, it is a bad hire. When you put him in the spotlight at Alabama, it is a bad hire. Can he perform well? Yes. It is possible. But, it is still a bad hire.

How much positive publicity has Alabama gotten out of this? What, is Kiffen going to help them finally go undefeated? They did that without him. Win a National Championship? They did it without him. There are lots of OCs who could come in with a bunch of 5 stars and build a good offense. Do they need him for recruiting? No. They had #1 classes without him.

Kiffen is a bad hire because his baggage is so heavy that he can only bring you down. Their offense was not the problem this past year. They averaged over 30 ppg in their 2 losses but gave up almost 39 ppg in those games. Their problem is their defense and how it is structured and that all rests on Saban's shoulders. So, to fix things, he hires Lane Kiffen.

It is a horrible hire and a dumb move. Saban needs to figure out how to stop a high powered offense before he thinks that Kiffen will be change they need.

Bad hire.

---

quote:

---

ou are comparing Cam Cameron to Lane Kiffen?

Another gump idiot in here today.

---

quote:

---

Yeah, but last year all of the Bama fans were telling us that Cameron would not be any good because he had been fired. They didn't care about his track record or why he was fired or that Baltimore's offense got worse after he left or who he had developed in the past or anything. It was just that he was fired so he must be terrible.

LSU's offense set records.

Bama fans only see things through Crimson colored glasses, so they can't see the truth. They were wrong about Cameron and they will be wrong about Kiffen. Kiffen has failed everywhere he has been and the reasons that he was fired are completely different from Cameron. But, say whatever makes you feel better, I guess.

Alabama fans hated Lane Kiffen and thought he was a complete loser before a few days ago. What changed? Oh yeah.

---

quote:

---

No. I am saying he is a bad hire. You were successful without him with much safer OCs. This guy is a proven disaster everywhere he goes. The Risk/Reward ratio is totally skewed. You aren't desperate. Your offense wasn't your problem. This hire is completely un-Sabanlike. And, because of the High Risk - Low Comparative Reward, it is a really bad hire.

He might be successful next year. So what? You have had good offenses for years now. Your offense was not your problem. You could have gotten anyone to do a good job with less baggage than Kiffen. Does Alabama now need to score 50 ppg to win? If so, then what is Saban there for? It makes no sense.

Kiffen WILL blow up and take the program with him down a notch. It will happen. It has never NOT happened. His good offenses at USC were full of players getting paid and now USC has suffered terribly from sanctions. He was a part of that mess, too.

How is this a good hire? Because your offense scores 28 against Auburn or 35 against Oklahoma? Or, because you averaged 40 ppg? You have done that already without him.

Kiffen might be fine next year but at some point his character is going to show. It always does. If you don't believe that, then you don't pay attention to human nature. And, Saban can't control his character.

---

quote:

---

But that's exactly what I mean. When damn near everyone else in the world is saying "What the frick?!", then that's not a good sign at all.

It's just puzzling because it seems like saban could have chosen from a number of OCs with consistent track records. I think his head may be starting to reach the point where it's a little too far up his own arse.

---

quote:

---

I am going to not let my hate show through okay. I don't like the hire, and let me say in all honesty I would not want him at LSU at all. There is nothing in him that makes me worried he is at Bama nothing. Your best offenses since Sabear has been there was with Nussmier.

---

quote:

---

Until Kiffin proves otherwise it IS a bad hire.

---

quote:

---

The ship is taking on water

AU and OU put a crack in the foundation

---

I thought I might have made an appearance in there. I was struggling with the full embrace, but became resolute in time.

Wish Breyon and Brandon Gaddy weren't a package deal, both just decommitted from Tennessee.

Breyon is a load at 6-5 335, powerful base. Brandon isn't bad, he is just a little harder to project. More athletic, his highlights are hilarious for a guy that big

I think in regards to Browning that OSU made an impression on the visit, one that anyone that has followed him expected would happen. OSU has been in the drivers seat for so long. The fact he is an EE and they were not able to get him to commit on Tuesday says a lot. I believe all OSU did way stay the execution per se hoping for a pardon to get him. But Saban getting the last in home before the dead period I believe will seal the deal. Again the visit only postponed an announcement if the visit was a home run I believe he would have committed to OSU yesterday. Not saying he does not end up there but UA is definitely not out of the picture.

Official visit solidifies top JUCO offensive tackle Elliot Baker's commitment to Alabama

Elliot Baker's decision to officially visit other schools was a surprise, given how long the top junior college offensive tackle had been committed to Alabama.

But Baker, a four-star offensive tackle from City College of San Francisco, maintained that he is "100 percent solid" to Alabama after his official visit for the Iron Bowl.

He took an official visit to Texas A&M two weeks prior and said he wasn't sure if he would make any other visits. The 6-foot-7, 295-pound Baker is ranked as the No. 3 junior college recruit in the 247Sports composite, but the two ahead of him (quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Blake Barnett) are not playing football this fall in junior college.

It was Baker's second trip to Tuscaloosa, as he committed to Alabama in early June. He brought his mother, who made her first recruiting trip with Baker.

"I really enjoyed myself," Baker said. "We had a great time. She was blown away by it all."

Baker said he will get to Tuscaloosa around Jan. 5 for the start of the spring semester. Alabama should have one starting tackle spot open as Cam Robinson is likely to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.

LINK

I was just told this will be the strongest class of Saban's tenure.

It is my understanding that the class is full - the 6 silent commits are in and the staff feels very positive about them.

quote:

---

think blake barnett would follow Lane to oregon

---

My gut feeling is yes.

Also, props to Bama Chick and anyone bumping the Kiffin hire threads. Solid gold.

FWIW insiders at OSU said the delaying of the decision was good news for OSU and bad news for Bama. Said going into the visit he was going to Bama and them getting him to delay was good for OSU.

To me it sounds like this. Browning last week was set on Bama. He got to OSU, spoke to Meyer, and I believe Bama got another stud at OLB during that timeline. Also sounds like his parents, especially Mom, like OSU more than Bama. Some or all of those factors may have weighed in.

Jeff Thomas to Illinois looks like. Seems his grades weren't in order because Bama wanted him right?

No offense but figured Illinois was a harder school to get into than Bama? What's his deal or did he become a pass for Bama since they can get a comparable talent without issues?