re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Top247 offensive lineman Penei Sewell is still down to four -- Alabama, Oregon, Utah and USC. Sewell said he couldn't help but think about blocking for Tua Tagovailoa while watching the Crimson Tide win the national championship last week. There likely won't be any more in-home meetings with coaches as Sewell plans to take time once he returns to the mainland to mull his choice. He said his most recent phone conversation was over the weekend with Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal.

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Why Isaac Taylor-Stuart‘s visit to Alabama is important 

Coach Nick Saban told reporters last month that Alabama would like to sign five defensive backs in the 2018 class. The Tide currently have three signed in 4-star prospects Jalyn Armour-Davis, Josh Jobe and JUCO prospect Saivion Smith.

Want to see how thin the secondary is heading into the offseason? Here’s the breakdown of how the roster will look next season:

Seniors: None

Juniors: Saivion Smith (CB), Shyheim Carter (star), Trevon Diggs (CB), Jared Mayden (S), Deionte Thompson (S)

Sophomores: Xavier McKinney (S), Kyriq McDonald (star), Daniel Wright (S), Nigel Knott (CB)

Freshmen: Jayln Armour-Davis (CB), Josh Jobe (CB or S)

That’s it, guys. That’s why it’s so important for the Tide to nail these last two signees. Here are the prospects the Tide are still after in the secondary:

5-star cornerback Tyson Campbell

5-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr.

5-star cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart

3-star cornerback Eddie Smith

Campbell appears to be leaning toward Georgia. Surtain is likely going to LSU barring something unforeseen. Both prospects will visit Tuscaloosa this weekend, and it’s a great time for them to visit because the national championship parade is on Saturday. The campus will be buzzing. But the Tide have ground to make up heading into this visit.

That’s why the news late Monday night that Taylor-Stuart has set his official visit to Alabama for next weekend is huge. Heading into his junior season, Taylor-Stuart listed Alabama as his leader for several months after his first-ever trip to Tuscaloosa. The Tide lost the top spot over time, but that was just because he hadn’t been able to make it back. Taylor-Stuart lives in San Diego, so, obviously, it’s not an easy trip for him to make.

It should also be noted that with the staff addition of Jeff Banks, Alabama hired Taylor-Stuart’s primary recruiter at Texas A&M. There are some people who believed the Aggies were the favorites to land Taylor-Stuart before Banks’ departure.

The Tide have turned up the heat on Taylor-Stuart lately, especially after losing Nadab Joseph, who flipped from Alabama to Georgia during the Dec. 20-22 early signing period after Alabama didn’t send him a letter of intent because of academic concerns. Outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi is Taylor-Stuart’s primary recruiter.

“I’m hearing a lot from Coach Lupoi,” Taylor-Stuart said. “We talk pretty much every day. We have been talking a lot, and he’s been saying how he needs to get me down there. I’m working on that.

“He’s just been telling me, ‘Isaac, we need you. We have too many DBs leaving for the draft. We need you to come here and be an impact player.’”

Alabama will likely have a much better understanding of where it stands with Campbell and Surtain after this visit. If we see a new defensive back target emerge after this weekend, we’ll know the Tide likely don’t feel good about one or both players.

With the secondary as thin as will be next season, I can’t see the Tide striking out on each of the 5-star corners. But, right now, Taylor-Stuart seems like the likeliest addition. He’s one of my picks to be in this class.

I also think Eddie Smith will end up choosing Alabama. Smith was offered by the Tide earlier this month, and he’ll visit next weekend. It’s hard to imagine him going elsewhere now that he has this offer.

So, to recap, I think the Tide’s 2018 class in the secondary will be: 5-star corner Taylor-Stuart; 4-star corners Armour-Davis, Jobe and Saivion Smith; and 3-star cornerback Eddie Smith.

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Justyn Ross

It is down to Alabama, Auburn and Clemson for the five-star wide receiver and he has visits to Alabama and Auburn set for the next two weekends. Ross took his official visit to Clemson during the season and the Tigers have really been trending since. Alabama is the school many are talking about behind the scenes and you cannot rule Auburn out either. Clemson still seems to be a in a good spot with Alabama currently running No. 2.

Prediction: Clemson

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Quay Walker

Even though Walker has been committed to Alabama for seven months, his recruitment may have some drama left. Walker is fresh off a visit Tennessee and the Vols made a big move in this race. Alabama will have him on campus this weekend and although it looks like he will not end up in Tuscaloosa, you can never rule the Tide out. Georgia was once thought to be Alabama's biggest threat and the Bulldogs will receive an official visit still, but the Vols have some real momentum right now. This one could be one of the more entertaining finishes this cycle.

Prediction: Tennessee

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The first day of rankings meetings is always an intense one as we go through each position, prospect by prospect, and argue it out as to who should be ranked where. As this is our last rankings update of the 2018 cycle, things are even more intense. Here are five guys that our group of analysts debated the most.

WR Jaylen Waddle – Waddle isn’t a huge receiver, but he’s not small, either. Should he move up from his No. 86 ranking and is he five-star worthy? If so, where does he rank among a loaded and deep group of five-stars? We went back on forth on this one.

TE Brevin Jordan – Is Jordan the top tight end in the country? He’s not very tall but he’s extremely quick. Should we go with taller, more traditional tight ends like Luke Ford and Jeremy Ruckert or do you bank on the shorter Jordan becoming the next Evan Engram?

OT Nick Petit-Frere – He came into the meeting ranked as the No. 7 offensive tackle and No. 67 prospect overall and the debate was intense about whether he was a five-star talent and where he should rank. He’s moving up after his final eval at Under Armour week, that’s not a secret, but how high will he move up?

S Caden Sterns – Some think he’s a safety who can play corner and he could be special while others feel he’s ranked about where he belongs at No. 56 overall. Again this is a group effort and the majority wins; if there’s a deadlock, I get to make the call. What did we do with Sterns?

CB Tyson Campbell – Some love him and think he’s a can’t-miss and others think he lacks consistency and gives up way too many big plays. So which thought process won out?

The 2018 final rankings will be released next week.

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Five-star cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart breaks down his top schools as he nears his decision.

Schools mentioned:

USC
Alabama
Georgia
Texas A&M
Tennessee

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The NCAA’s first early signing period for football on Dec. 20 took many of the state of Alabama’s top seniors off the market.

However, there are some intriguing athletes and big-time prospects who have yet to sign a national letter-of-intent.

Here is a list of the top available seniors, according to AL.com. The list does not include any players who have signed but does include verbal commitments.

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