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

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The path for playing time and Alabama's need for four-star Miami athlete Christopher "C.J." Henderson got bigger on Friday when Alabama starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey declared for the NFL Draft.

Henderson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback from Christopher Columbus High School, was Alabama's lone official visitor. His coach, Chris Merritt, spoke with Henderson briefly on Sunday and relayed to AL.com that Henderson's visit went great.

According to Merritt, Henderson will make an official visit to Florida next weekend and then make his decision. Miami, a school where Henderson was once committed, is also in the mix. It's likely a Florida-Alabama race.

"He was born, raised and grew up there (in Miami)," Merritt told AL.com. "I think they're going to be in it, somewhat. That's where his first commitment was to and then Florida is a place that he's always been attracted to. I think it was the interest in the University of Florida that got him to decommit.

"When (ex-Crimson Tide assistant) Mario (Cristobal) started putting on the press with Alabama, it picked up. I really don't know what he'll do, to be honest. It could go one way or the other."

But Cristobal is heading to be an assistant coach at Oregon. However, judging by Henderson's social media account, he felt plenty of love from the Alabama coaching staff this weekend. 

"I'd have to talk to him a little bit more (to see if Cristobal leaving has an effect)," Merritt said. "I don't know how much of an effect it was, to be honest with you."

Alabama signed four cornerbacks last year, but there won't be much experience at the position opposite returning starter Anthony Averett. One of the four, Jared Mayden, was listed on the safety depth chart before the Clemson game.

Merritt has had several players recruited by Alabama, including Chicago Bears safety Deon Bush, but even Bush saw a clearer path to playing time at Miami and signed there.

Alabama has four defensive backs committed. Kyriq McDonald, Daniel Wright and Xavier McKinney project as safeties or, in McDonald's case, possibly a nickel.

Junior college defensive back Jhavonte Dean is listed as an Alabama commit, but may not be for much longer. He officially visited Miami this weekend and has not scheduled an Alabama official visit.

"I can't even call it a knock, but that's been a concern by all the kids I've had that Alabama has recruited, that the possibility of getting on the field is tough with their depth and the quality of kids Alabama recruits each year," Merritt said. "I'm sure (Humphrey leaving) helps the cause."

If Alabama signs a true corner in this class, Henderson looks like the best bet. 

"There aren't too many kids with his length and speed," Merritt said. "You're talking about a corner that's 6'2 that's going to be one of the top three or four fastest kids in the state of Florida."

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About Jhavonte Dean ...

Dean took an official visit to Miami this past weekend — the school where I believe he’ll ultimately enroll. He left that visit still committed to the Crimson Tide. I thought a flip to the Hurricanes was likely, but he told SEC Country that wasn’t on his mind.

“I wasn’t planning on flipping my commitment,” Dean said.

So, what’s the deal with Dean? I really don’t know. He hasn’t visited Tuscaloosa since he committed to Alabama back in July and still hasn’t set an official visit, even though signing day is in two weeks.

Even though he didn’t flip his commitment this past weekend, I still expect it to happen at some point over the next two weeks. Multiple sources close to the Alabama program have told SEC Country that they don’t expect Dean to ink with the Tide and they expect it to be a mutual parting of ways.

Sunday’s de-commitment out of nowhere 

I was expecting a de-commitment on Sunday (Dean), and instead, a different Alabama commit backed off his pledge to the Tide.

Brandon Ruiz, the nation’s No. 2 kicker from Williams Field High School (Gilbert, Ariz.), seemingly out of nowhere backed off his commitment to Alabama. This comes after Ruiz told reporters in San Antonio less than two weeks ago at the Army Bowl that his recruitment was over and Alabama was going to be the school he represented. That’s not happening now.

Ruiz, according to a source close to Alabama, decided to de-commit because he wants to stay closer to home. Arizona State is his likely destination now. It’s not the first time Ruiz backed out of leaving home for another school. He was close to leaving Arizona to play at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas but backed out because he didn’t want to leave home.

Though he’s only a kicker, this de-commitment serves as a big blow to Alabama’s recruiting class. Ruiz was the only kicker Alabama was recruiting and now it’s left without one with just two weeks to go until signing day. This is the second year in a row that Alabama has lost one of the nation’s top kickers late in the recruiting process. Eddy Pineiro flipped to Florida last year.

A source close to Alabama said the team is going to look for another kicker in the Class of 2017 but will not offer a specialist a scholarship unless he is “great.” A preferred walk-on offer is the likeliest option for Alabama now that Ruiz is out of the picture.

If the Tide go the preferred walk-on route, that gives Alabama one more scholarship to use for a potential extra defensive lineman or wherever the team sees fit. As it has been written countless times on this website, numbers are very tight in Alabama’s class with the Tide already having 25 commitments and outstanding needs still needing to be filled.

In my latest class projection, I have Alabama signing 28 recruits and only three defensive linemen. Ruiz’s de-commitment now gives Alabama the luxury of signing an extra defensive lineman. Perhaps that guarantees a spot for 4-star defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis, who is down to Alabama and LSU, if he wants in. The open spot could also make sure Alabama has room for 4-star wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith, no matter what.

The loss of Ruiz is a big one — there’s no way to sugarcoat it. Alabama has only one kicker on its roster heading into 2017, and Andy Pappanastos has only made one field goal in a game since 2012. But Ruiz’s departure could mean Alabama lucked its way into signing another highly rated player who it may have had to pass on because numbers are just so tight.

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...Early look at some official visitors for Alabama upcoming this weekend, and these are confirmed to AL.com (mostly at all-star events) and not a complete list: James Clemens DL LaBryan Ray, Lee-Montgomery WR Henry Ruggs III, Amite, La., WR Devonta Smith, Monroe, La., DT Phidarian Mathis, Baton Rouge, La., LB Chris Allen (Alabama commit), Phenix City LB Markail Benton (Alabama commit), Jacksonville, Fla., QB Mac Jones (Alabama commit), with 247Sports reporting other Alabama commits Kedrick James, Akial Byers, Plaquemine, La., DB Todd Harris (who alluded to this at Under Armour game to us) and Lakeland, Fla., WR James Robinson...

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