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

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Jackson hoping to hear from Alabama

HOOVER, Ala. — Shedrick Jackson was offered by Auburn on Thursday, and it certainly was a big deal for his recruitment because of his last name. Jackson is the nephew of Auburn legend Bo Jackson. But the younger Jackson’s recruitment isn’t as cut-and-dried as you’d think it would be.

“I really try to block it out,” Jackson told SEC Country. “That’s really not something I think about all the time just because Bo Jackson’s my uncle. I’m Shedrick Jackson. I need to make my own decisions.”

Alabama hasn’t offered Jackson, a 3-star wide receiver from Hoover High School, but he’s hoping to hear from the Crimson Tide. Jackson said he was in contact with Billy Napier when he was still on staff. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and wide receivers coach Mike Locksley haven’t talked to Jackson just yet.

“I went on one visit there,” Jackson said. “That was a while ago — after sophomore year going into junior year. I also went to a game this past season. It was the Western Kentucky game. I would text Coach Napier. Since he left, it’s been iffy.”

He admits, though, that if the Crimson Tide got into the mix, he would have a lot of thinking to do.

“It would be great to get recognized by those coaches, probably the best in the country, especially Coach (Nick) Saban.

“It would be a tough decision. People think that if I got an Auburn offer, which I have, that it’s 100 percent that I’m going there. In my mind, that’s not really what I’m thinking. I’m picking the school that has the most to offer for me and my future.”

Wide receiver is not a giant position of need for Alabama in the Class of 2018, so the only way I see Alabama extending an offer Jackson’s way is if it misses out on several of its top targets such as 5-star prospect Justyn Ross, 4-star prospect Seth Williams and losing out on 4-star prospect Xavier Williams, who is currently committed to the Tide.

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Day 1 on the road took us from Auburn through Birmingham to Hunstville.

Alabama recruiting reporter Chris Kirschner and Auburn recruiting reporter Benjamin Wolk launched the journey from Central High School in Phenix City, Ala. A slight Easter Monday audible — no school in a few Birmingham districts — forced us to reschedule with 4-star Jackson-Olin defensive tackle Coynis Miller and 4-star safety Myles Mason for Wednesday.

Hoover High wide receiver Shedrick Jackson and Mountain Brook running back Harold Joiner became the focus of today’s Birmingham excursion. Both prospects are major wants for Auburn and targets who could receive a growing interest from Alabama.

Check out the quick-hitter of what we learned from these three prospects. Come back later in the week for more detailed updates from Ross, Jackson and Joiner.

Programming note: We will be in the Huntsville area Tuesday before returning to Birmingham to gather more of the area’s top recruiting targets Tuesday evening before heading to Montgomery for the night.

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4-star RB Harold Joiner, Mountain Brook

Kirschner: Although Joiner has the versatility to play many positions on the field, Joiner is set on playing running back at the next level. What’s interesting about that is, if he knew he was finished growing, he would already be committed to LSU. Joiner says he won’t make a decision until at least late October. He’s waiting to see if he will grow some more. If he does, he’ll likely have to switch to wide receiver or tight end. In that case, LSU wouldn’t be as likely an option. I’ve never heard of a prospect who doesn’t want to continue growing. He wants to stay at 6-foot-3, so he can play running back in college.

Wolk: What can this guy not do? In his 30 minutes with SEC Country, Joiner did multiple backflips and threw a football nearly 60 yards with a perfect spiral. It’s no wonder some programs can’t figure out what position they want the former basketball standout to play. LSU has made running back more clear than any other school, but Joiner (only 16) knows he might not be done growing. At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, Joiner has accepted if he grows, he will be forced away from the running back position altogether. If that happens, it could alter his recruitment. For now, LSU is sitting pretty for the running back version of Joiner.

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Out-of-state recruiting is becoming more important in today’s world of college football and we are seeing more schools march deep into enemy territory and pull top prospects away with more regularity. This week we take a look at five of the biggest talent-producing states in recruiting and what schools have done the best job raiding them since 2012. Here is a look at Georgia.

Note: None of these lists include JUCO or Prep School prospects and focuses on four- and five-star prospects

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5. ALABAMA

With Georgia producing elite talent on an annual basis, you can be sure Alabama is mining the state for elite recruits regularly. While the Tide have only signed four recruits that were four- or five-stars from Georgia since 2014, these have included Dallas Warmack, Adonis Thomas, who transferred to Florida State, and most recently Xavier McKinney. The Tide’s most successful season in Georgia over the last six classes was back in 2012 when Kenyan Drake and Dalvin Tomlinson were part of a group of five. With four-star running back Dameon Pierce already a part of the class of 2018, you can be sure that the Tide will pick and choose their targets in Georgia for years to come. Alabama has signed 11 prospects ranked four-stars or higher since 2012 and that doesn’t include Georgia native Reuben Foster, who played his senior year in Alabama and thus doesn’t count.

Farrell’s take: It’s not a shocker for Alabama to appear on any list when it comes to out-of-state recruiting of four- and five-stars and I’m actually surprised that it hasn't pulled more kids out of Georgia. The Tide are always a massive threat for the biggest names and are hard to hold off, but in recent years they haven’t had as much overall success in the Peach State.

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Will Alabama finish atop the SEC recruiting rankings for an eighth straight year?

Florida finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in 2010 and Auburn was No. 2, leaving Alabama with the third best class that cycle. Alabama has been No. 1 in the SEC every year since; that streak has been going strong for seven years.

Will the Crimson Tide continue their dominance in 2018? If you look at the rankings now, Alabama is outside of the top 25, but expect to see them back near the top as we get closer to National Signing Day in February.

Kentucky and Mississippi State are ahead of Alabama today, but do not get used to that. But Ed Orgeron and LSU could fight Nick Saban and the Tide for the top class in the SEC, so this is a streak we are going to keep our eye on.

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