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

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Cookie in hand. LSU commit Austin Deculus is moseying through registration at the Under Armour All-America Game. During his photo session he overhears a conversation about the upcoming College Football Playoff. Deculus loads up the sarcasm and inserts himself into the discussion

The massive offensive lineman musters a laugh and a eye roll before he starts.

“Washington will beat them,” he says, clearly not believing the words coming from his mouth. His facial expressions reveal one feeling but his words are simply part of his duty as an LSU-bound prospect.

Deculus’ words, disingenuous as they may have been, are the closest thing to Alabama-doubt that exits at the event.

Finding any player committed to any school to say that the Crimson Tide will fall short of the national title is difficult task. The nobody-believes-in-us narrative is not available to Nick Saban. Not this year.

Searching for outward hesitance is a meticulous task.

“Nobody can beat them,” said Notre Dame commit Brock Wright. ‘Definitely nobody in the playoff.”

The mention of the question pulls outsiders into the conversation. Ask one prospect if anyone can beat the Tide and another offers his opinion. After Wright offers his option on the matter, uncommitted punter Zachary Feagles, a New Jersey product, yells across a lunch table to get his strong take on record.

“Hell no,” Feagles said, “Nope. Hell no.”

Washington is without a commitment in this year’s Under Armour Game. West Coast-based prospects don’t give the Huskies any more of a chance against Bama. This brush is broad and the opinion, it seems, is sweeping.

“Nope, no way,” said California product Alijah Vera-Tucker, a USC commit. “No way for Washington. Maybe somebody else, and that’s maybe. It’s about the lines on both sides. Alabama is going to dominate on both lines.”

In order to get anything resembling a different opinion, you must rephrase the question. "Which school has the best chance to beat Alabama” gets a more nuanced response. Pose that question to an Alabama commit, like linebacker Markail Benton, and they pause to think before speaking

“I think it would be Clemson,” Benton said. “I mean, Clemson is scarier. Clemson has a good offense, but Alabama has a great defense if you haven’t heard.”

But prying and changing the question is the only way to get anything resembling an in-depth response. Some prospects committed to teams not in the playoffs simply laugh when presented with the possibility that the Tide may lose. Attempting to talk to an Alabama-bound player about such a scenario is asking for an are-you-stupid look.

Even the program’s rivals shrug off the situation. Tennessee commit Maleik Gray gets to the point after having a chuckle. His take is simple. And it’s not one you often hear from Volunteer players.

“They ain’t ever seen thoroughbreds like Alabama,” Gray said.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Day No. 3 of practice at the Under Armour All-America Game, like the previous two days, featured dozens of the nation’s top prospects. Below is a list of 12 players that stood out from the talented pack.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The third practice for the Under Armour All-America Game is complete. The contest features 90 of the top high school football prospects in the nation. The 247Sports team ranked the top 10 performers from Friday’s practice.

Alpha Dog: CB Justin Broiles

Oklahoma cornerback commit Justin Broiles was excellent in coverage on Friday. The 6-foot, 175-pound prospect came up with two interceptions during one-on-ones and dropped another earlier in the day. The Oklahoma City (Okla.) John Marshall star played with physicality and did a great job fighting for position against the receivers.

2. CB Kary Vincent

LSU cornerback commit Kary Vincent really excelled during seven-on-seven and one-on-ones. The Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial standout’s highlight play was sticking with a double move from wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, something very few, if any, defensive backs have accomplished all week. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Vincent also came up with an interception on Friday.

3. S Todd Harris

Plaquemine (La.) safety Todd Harris came up with a pair of interceptions during one-on-ones. The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect was excellent at diagnosing routes and jumping them to make plays on the ball. Harris showed he has the coverage skill of a cornerback on Friday.

4. OL Robert Hainsey

Notre Dame offensive line commit Robert Hainsey did not lose a one-on-one battle playing both right tackle and left guard. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Hainsey handled the speed rush off the edge from defensive end Luiji Vilain with good mobility. When the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy product moved inside, defensive tackle Greg Rogers’ quickness didn’t affect Hainsey, either.

5. WR Jalen Reagor

TCU commit Jalen Reagor was yet again stretching the field vertically on Friday. The first one-on-one rep from the Waxahachie (Texas) star was a bomb on which he sprinted past cornerback William Poole. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound prospect continues to get separation from defensive backs consistently.

6. WR Paulson Adebo

Paulson Adebo is committed to Notre Dame as a cornerback, but the 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect has worked out at wide receiver all week. Friday was by far his best performance. He was able to get behind the defense two times for long touchdown catches. While Adebo is not as polished as other receivers in the game, it’s clear he has some natural playmaking ability.

7. C Cesar Ruiz

Michigan center commit Cesar Ruiz stuffed five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson during one-on-ones to highlight his standout performance on Friday. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Ruiz showed his power and his ability to play with leverage. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy product also showed good mobility when getting to the second level during the scrimmage portion of the day.

8. DT Marvin Wilson

Bellaire (Texas) Episcopal five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson flashed his athletic ability with impressive spin moves on the inside during one-on-ones. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound prospect continues to be one of the better defensive linemen in Orlando for Sunday’s game.

9. WR Jeff Thomas

East St. Louis (Ill.) slot receiver Jeff Thomas used his quickness to shake free of defenders consistently on Friday for several catches. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound speedster was lethal in the red zone, using underneath routes when he hauled in several touchdown catches.

10. OL Isaiah Wilson

Georgia offensive tackle commit Isaiah Wilson did lose his first two reps against defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, one of the top overall performers this week, but he bounced back to win his next two battles with the five-star. Wilson is simply massive at 6-foot-7, 360-pound, and that length helps keep pass rushers at bay.

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Todd Harris

Down to LSU, Alabama, Mississippi and Arizona State, the Pelican State star was perhaps the top safety on either roster Friday. Harris is a free safety by trade and he impacts 7-on-7 and team sessions there, but he really excelled as a man-to-man defender during the early part of practice. He plays patient early in his backpedal and anticipates well enough to make plays on the football more times than not. Harris can be physical at the point of contact as well, displaying his coverage arsenal particularly well near the goal-line to cap the week.

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