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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:45 pm to TideSaint
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:45 pm to TideSaint
2019 4-star DT Travon Walker on Alabama:
He says Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are recruiting him the hardest.
quote:
Alabama: "I like there physical style of play and the atmosphere. I also like (defensive backs) coach (Derrick) Ansley. He's expects a lot from his players and helps them get better."
He says Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are recruiting him the hardest.
5
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:46 pm to TideSaint
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:46 pm to TideSaint
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The Top Five
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4. DeMarvion Overshown, Arp (Texas)
One of the top defensive prospects in Texas for the 2018 class thanks to his outstanding frame potential for the safety position, his overall athleticism, and his willingness to sell out physically on every snap. Overshown is a big hit waiting to happen at the back end of the defense. He has above average ball skills as he plays Texas Class 3A (small-school) football so he plays both ways and in the return game. Overshown flashes great closing speed. He can improve the technical aspects of playing in the secondary, but his natural body control suggests his fluidity will continue to get better as he develops. Overshown is a high-ceiling prospect and one of the nation's top safeties. He has all of the top offers.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:46 pm to TideSaint
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5. Leon O'Neal, Cypress (Texas) Springs
Nice looking prospect physically at the safety position, long arms and the frame to add positive weight without losing speed. He has the ability to play deep and defend the pass, but he will also fly up and make tackles. He is a physical player who has some pop when he makes a hit and he looks like he enjoys to deliver those blows. He plays with some edge. He has many of the tools any Power Five program is looking for and an offer list that reflects that. He has good feet for a prospect his size and he displays good instincts that allow him to close quickly.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:47 pm to TideSaint
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Best of the Rest
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10. Joseph Foucha, New Orleans (La.) McDonogh
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:52 pm to TideSaint
Ohio State has gotten 6 CBs for Max Wray today.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:53 pm to TideSaint
Ok I watched the film for the QB we offered last night.
Meh.
Meh.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 8:50 pm to YStar
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This can't be right.... not according to Huddie.
I wonder where he transfers next?
They've been practicing for three weeks. Silly to speculate that he's not going to pan out.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 9:14 pm to Evolved Simian
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They've been practicing for three weeks. Silly to speculate that he's not going to pan out.
Uh that kid transferred a couple weeks into the season because he lost the starting job.
If you think he's going to patiently wait in ASU (unless he's the for the social life?) then you're drunk and should go home.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:26 am to TideSaint
Demetric Warren put in a CB for QB Justin Fields to Florida State. I know it doesn't involve us, but if someone out there thinks he may flip from Penn State it should at least allow us to get into the conversation IMO. 
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:28 am to TideSaint
We got another CB for Dominick Wood-Anderson.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:29 am to TideSaint
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3-star CB Chris Smith says to expect a top list of schools in the next week or so.
“Alabama has a very good shot to make that list,” he said.
At 5-foot-10.5, 169 pounds, Smith is rated the No. 43 cornerback and the No. 480 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:48 am to TideSaint
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The NCAA Division I Council begins meeting today in Indianapolis, with a number of potentially sweeping changes for college football being put up for a vote.
Any legislation enacted by the Division I Council today faces final approval from the NCAA Board of Directors, but this could be a watershed week for college football recruiting and coaching.
Here's an overview of the proposed pieces of legislation:
1. Early signing period proposal: Currently, only mid-year junior college transfers are allowed to sign with four-year schools during the mid-December signing period. The new proposal would open that 72-hour period to high school seniors, creating a second signing period in addition to the one that already begins on the first Wednesday in February. A third proposed signing date -- in June prior to a recruit's senior year of high school -- was previously voted down. At the American Football Coaches Association convention in San Antonio in January, dozens of FBS coaches spoke out in favor of adding the December signing period. (NOTE: The Division I Council can only recommend the change to the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which governs the National Letter of Intent program. The CCA would then have the enact the change on its own).
2. 10th assistant coach for football effective date: The ability of FBS programs to hire a 10th on-field assistant coach -- they are now limited to nine -- was first proposed last year, with the thought it would be effective immediately once approved by the Division I Council. A handful of schools hired qualified assistant coaches in off-field roles, with the thought they could be moved on-field once the 10th assistant coach legislation was passed. However, some schools expressed concern that having to make an immediate hire of a coach with a six-figure salary would tax athletic department budgets. The proposal before the D1 Council this week would make the addition of the 10th assistant coach effective on Jan. 8, 2018.
3. Early official visit limitations -- Under this proposal, football recruits could take official visits only in April of their junior year of high school. Currently, those visits can take place any time from April 1 through late June.
4. Signing limit exemption -- Under this proposal, if a signee becomes injured or ill to the point that he or she must give up football, that signee would not count toward that year's recruiting class signing limit of 25. In the past, schools were not able to replace a signee who was deemed unable to continue playing football prior to participating in organized team activities.
5. Hiring of "Individuals Associated With Prospective Student-Athletes" -- This is a controversial proposal, about which Gus Malzahn, Nick Saban and other FBS coaches have already spoken out. Under this proposal, a school cannot hire a high school, prep school, junior college coach or "other individual associated with" prospective student-athletes to an off-field or strength & conditioning position for a two-year period before a prospect enrolls and a two-year period after. This means no more high school coaches getting hired as analysts by college programs where a prominent player from that school signs, the route to college football taken by Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze and Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, among others. If college programs want to hire a high school coach, they would have to do so to an on-field position.
6. Removing FCS programs from signing limit -- Currently, FCS schools can sign up to 30 recruits each year. The proposal would remove that limit, with the rationale being that FCS schools are not typically guilty of over-signing. The 25-player recruiting class limit for FBS schools would remain in place.
7. The end of satellite camps -- Under this proposal, an individual FBS school's camps or clinics would be limited to a 10-day period in June or July. No more month-long camp tour, a la Michigan's Jim Harbaugh last year. In addition, the dead period between the last Wednesday in June and the end of July would be removed for FCS programs only. Currently, FCS programs can only hold camps or clinics during July or during weeks that include days in June (for example, May 28-June 3). Because camps are such a big recruiting tool at the FCS level, not allowing recruiting camps during the bulk of June were viewed as an unnecessary restriction.
LINK
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:53 am to TideSaint
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Todd Wofford has coached a few Division I players in Georgia over the years and had some go play at Alabama - notably quarterback Blake Sims.
He's not shy about putting his star quarterback, Jarren Williams, up there and beyond.
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but he could end up being the best player I've ever coached," Wofford said. "He's a great passer, but he can run when he needs to. He's got that 'it factor.'"
Williams came to Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., last January and thrived. He threw for 2,618 yards with 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions while rushing for 396 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. The first interception didn't come until the eighth game of the season and was on a tipped pass.
The 6-foot-3, 211-pound Williams committed to Kentucky last summer, but his recruitment has blown up since film from his junior season came out. Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Florida State and Tennessee were among his bigger offers.
On Tuesday, when he and his father made the trip to Alabama, Williams got the Alabama offer. The Crimson Tide coaches have not gotten a quarterback committed in this class yet. Several offers have been extended, but a commitment likely won't come until new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and maybe even Saban see the quarterbacks throw in person.
Daboll and the Alabama assistants can go out and evaluate later this month, and Wofford said they plan to be at a Central Gwinnett spring practice and likely their spring game.
Blessed to recieve my 21st offer from the University of Alabama pic.twitter.com/ijp5JJMko3
-- Jarren Williams (@Jarren2Williams) April 11, 2017
Wofford said Williams and his father "loved" the visit to Alabama and met with Saban for around 45 minutes. They were pleased with how the offense will have a New England Patriots feel to it, since that's where Daboll has coached, but they want a quarterback with some speed.
One of Wofford's former players in Adonis Thomas left Alabama after one season and is now at Florida State, but he has high praise for Saban and Alabama because of Sims' positive experience with the school as a quarterback.
Williams is only listed as a three-star recruit in the 247Sports composite, but is likely to jump up in recruiting rankings after the spring.
"He plays with a chip on his shoulder," Wofford said. "There are four quarterbacks in this state who can play anywhere, and I use that to motivate him."
Wofford was also referring to five-star recruits Trevor Lawrence (Clemson commit), Emory Jones (Ohio State) and four-star Justin Fields (Penn State), who are in Georgia, but he feels Williams is right up there with them.
Williams kept his Alabama visit low key, but did tweet out his offer on Tuesday. Wofford said Williams will go to Kentucky's spring game on Friday and may be done with visits. He didn't rule out the possibility of Williams going to Alabama's spring game on April 22 since it's only around four hours away from home.
"He wants to be 100 percent sure of his decision before his senior season, and he wants to go camp at a couple of places before then," Wofford said, noting that he'll get a better feel for the coaches in that type of setting.
LINK
For whatever TideSaint's word is worth, I wasn't too impressed with Williams' film.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 9:56 am to TideSaint
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If college programs want to hire a high school coach, they would have to do so to an on-field position.
I get why, but I am not a huge fan of this
Coaches like Pruitt would almost for have their opportunities vanish. It would have required Alabama to shut off the Hoover to Bama pipeline for 2 whole years
A good coach's connections are in the state and their school typically pumps out talent. He isn't likely to get hired by a school that doesn't recruit his kids, but no school wants to hire the guy and shut them out of recruitment
This post was edited on 4/13/17 at 9:58 am
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:06 am to GenesChin
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I get why, but I am not a huge fan of this
Yeah that one is stupid.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:09 am to TideSaint
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When Phidarian Mathis committed to Alabama the day before National Signing Day in February, the nation’s No. 7 defensive tackle prospect cited his lack of a relationship with LSU defensive line coach Pete Jenkins as the main reason why the Crimson Tide beat out the in-state Tigers.
Some reporters, he said, wrote that he never met with Jenkins while on any recruiting trip. That ticked him off because it wasn’t true.
“That was a lie right there,” Mathis told SEC Country. “I never said that.
“I guess they got me wrong. What I meant was I just felt like he didn’t recruit me as well as (Alabama defensive line) Coach (Karl) Dunbar did. Coach Dunbar was just around more. I know Coach Jenkins became the defensive line coach kind of late, but I just felt like if he was going to coach me, I just needed to talk to him more.”
Before the Neville (La.) High School product committed to Alabama, Mathis said he spoke to Ed Orgeron that morning to tell him that he wasn’t going to choose LSU. There wasn’t anything Orgeron could have said to make him reconsider. Mathis decided Alabama was the school for him after his final official visit to TCU the weekend before signing day.
“Coach O told me that if I changed my mind before tomorrow (signing day), give him a call,” Mathis said. “He wasn’t mad or anything. He just asked if that’s what I wanted to do and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ ”
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound prospect was down to Alabama, LSU and TCU for months before picking the Crimson Tide. He admits that there were people in his community that wanted him to choose LSU just because it was located in Louisiana.
“That’s the thing — I feel like a football player, basketball player or whatever player — you don’t have to chase your dreams only right here in Louisiana,” Mathis said. “That’s the way I look at it. I love Alabama. You can be successful wherever.”
The following is a Q&A with Mathis for SEC Country’s Alabama recruiting rewind series.
Question: If you could give a junior ONE piece of advice about the recruiting process, what would you tell them?
Answer: “I would tell them to stay humble. You should weigh out your options and make sure you take all of the visits you can so you can hear what everyone has to say. Just be yourself and don’t get big-headed with all of the offers you may get.”
Q: LSU came in second for you. What could it have done a little better to get your commitment?
A: “They recruited me very hard. I think Alabama just recruited me the hardest. I fell in love with the place and just liked everything about the school. I thank LSU for recruiting me, but I just felt more at home at Alabama.”
Q: What did Alabama do, specifically, to recruit you harder than LSU?
A: “They texted me every single day and stayed in good contact. The way they showed love to me — checking up on me every day to make sure I was all right was what I wanted to see. It wasn’t all about football to them.”
Q: What was the most creative thing a school did to get your attention during the recruiting process?
A: “When I showed up at TCU, they had my junior and senior highlights rolling on the screens as I walked around the facility. That was amazing to me. They had my highlights on TV screens. I had to look twice and said, ‘That’s me?’ That was super nice.”
Q: Which school was it the hardest to say no to?
A: “LSU, because it’s the home school. Everybody around here wanted me to go to LSU, but I had to do what was best for me. When I chose Alabama, my family supported me 100 percent. They love Alabama and everyone is rolling with me.”
Q: What are you doing to train before you get to Alabama?
A: “I’m in the process of still working out with my old team. I do some running on my own. As badly as I want to be there right now, I’m still putting in the work like the guys who are there now. I’m still on the grind with my team. We have one of the best programs in Louisiana.”
LINK
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:13 am to TideSaint
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Welcome to SEC Country’s daily Roll Tide-ings, a rundown of everything happening in Alabama Crimson Tide recruiting with Chris Kirschner. Today, we discuss the latest with Kentucky quarterback commit Jarren Williams, who was offered by Alabama earlier this week.
LINK
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:14 am to TideSaint
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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A Rivals.com article written on April 25, 2016, is still getting at least three clicks a week because of Kentucky quarterback commit Jarren Williams, who was offered by Alabama earlier this week.
Before Williams works out with his Central Gwinnett High School teammates and before he meets with his trainer Quincy Avery, Williams pulls out his iPhone and reads what was written about him on that day and thinks about how far he’s come.
Williams attended the Rivals Five-Star Challenge last year and struggled. He was rated as the worst quarterback in attendance. It was so bad that the author of the story said it’s hard to project him as a quarterback in college.
That’s fueled him.
“I still read it to this day. I use that as motivation,” Williams told SEC Country. “I still have it saved in my phone. I look at it 3-4 times a week. That’s motivation to me. I love it.”
Since attending that camp, Williams has committed to Kentucky and picked up offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and plenty more along the way. Williams didn’t have a personal quarterback trainer when he went to the Rivals camp. He credits Avery and Todd Wofford, the head coach at Central Gwinnett, for developing him into the quarterback he is today.
“My mechanics weren’t crisp back then,” Williams said. “I never had a trainer. My form wasn’t good. They wrote that they couldn’t see me playing the position at all in college. I was so upset because I’m a competitor, so I did something about it.
“Coach Wofford was always there for me. My trainer really cleaned me up, too. Before him, I would just go throw with my teammates and not work on anything. He really helped me with my form.”
Alabama offered Williams a scholarship during a visit to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. Nick Saban told Williams that he has what he’s looking for in his potential Class of 2018 quarterback. Saban wants a combination of a pro-style passer and a dual-threat quarterback.
That’s what Williams is, according to Wofford.
“He has all of the physical abilities that Alabama is looking for,” Wofford said. “He’s 6-foot-3 and has a very strong, accurate arm. On top of that, he can run. He’s not an athlete playing quarterback. He’s a quarterback who can pass and who also happens to be athletic enough to run. He has that ‘it’ factor. I think that’s something Nick Saban likes.”
No offense to Mr. Williams but his mechanics still aren't that great.
This post was edited on 4/13/17 at 10:17 am
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:14 am to TideSaint
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The familiarity with Alabama
When Williams was 10 years old, he won the Saban Award.
Williams attended one of Saban’s football camps for younger kids and was presented that award, which was given to the best player in attendance. The nation’s No. 18 dual-threat quarterback was able to vividly recall stepping into Alabama’s indoor facility at that age and being wowed by it. He had just begun to play quarterback the year prior when he outgrew running back, so winning the award at that camp was one of Williams’ first moments of validation that he could play the position.
Revisiting Tuscaloosa on Tuesday was Williams’ first time meeting Saban since the camp. The coach didn’t remember the interaction back then, but they had a good laugh about how it’s come full circle now.
Coach Wofford also is very familiar with Alabama.
Before coming to Central Gwinnett, Wofford was the offensive coordinator at Gainesville (Ga.) High School, home of Alabama national champion quarterback Blake Sims. Wofford was very involved in Sims’ recruiting process and became very aware of what kind of athlete and person Saban is seeking.
“Jarren is a disciplined kid, and Nick Saban is the definition of a disciplinarian type of coach,” Wofford said. “He’s just one of those guys who can be the face of any program he goes to. He’s one of those types of players Coach Saban would go for.”
Sims and Williams are two totally different players, though. Sims committed to Alabama as an athlete. He was a running back from 2010-13 before becoming the team’s starting quarterback in 2014. That’s the main difference between the two players. There’s sometimes a negative connotation with the phrase “dual-threat” because some fans think that player is just an athlete who can also throw, but that’s not Williams.
“Blake was more of a runner who could also pass. Jarren is more of a passer who could also run,” Wofford said. “Right now, at this time in high school, Jarren is a more polished passer than what Blake was. On the flip side, Blake could play any position on the field. He returned kicks for us. Those are the differences between the two.”
Williams didn’t throw his first interception last season until the eighth game of the season, and that came on a tipped pass. He finished his junior season throwing for 2,618 yards with 26 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while rushing for 396 yards and 9 touchdowns in 11 games.
Not bad for someone who almost a year ago was practically written off as a passer.
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