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

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I think we know by Monday about walker

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Nearly a dozen signal callers have been talked about as serious prospects to fill Alabama’s quarterback vacancy in the 2018 recruiting class, but, just a few days out from National Signing Day, the Tide has yet to secure a commitment from any one of them.

On Friday, Princeton commit Brevin White opted to stick with his pledge to the Ivy League Tigers after the Tide put a late offer on the table for the Lancaster (Calif.) Parclete product.

"I just wanted to stick with my heart. I wanted to lay out what’s important to me and what school offers me the best opportunity to achieve goals on an off field. Alabama is a great school and a great opportunity, but Princeton checks more boxes," White told CBS Sports’ Barton Simmons.

The four-star quarterback committed to Princeton last summer. The Tide was the only school to get White questioning that decision late.

"The overall consensus is Princeton is once in lifetime experience," he said. "Obviously you're going to get a great education, but I figure part of it, too, is the friends that you make are going to last a lifetime. Almost everyone you meet is going to be best friends the rest of your life. You're going to be offered a big variety of things to do with a Princeton alumni network as well."

Alabama still has some options at the position in three-star Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona Brock Purdy and four-star, in-state signal caller James Foster. The Tide is also hosting Braxton Barker, the son of former Tide quarterback Jay Barker, on campus Saturday. The Spain Park (Ala.) standout holds a preferred walk-on offer from UA.

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Word is he already told Saban he was decommiting when Saban pushed for an answer on his in home..but who knows. 

I DONT expect Walker in this class

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A few streaks are in jeopardy as Part II of the 2018 recruiting season winds down.

There's Alabama's seven-year run of No. 1 signing classes in peril as it currently checks in at sixth in the 247Sports composite.

Within that is the whole quarterback situation. As National Signing Day approaches Wednesday, the Crimson Tide's remaining quarterback prospects are limited. On Friday, one of the Alabama's top targets, Brevin White, stuck with Princeton instead of flipping to the Tide.

White's decision increases the chances of a quarterback-less class for Alabama -- ending a 13-year streak of signing at least one passer a year. It was 2004 when that last happened because John Parker Wilson grayshirted. There hasn't been drama in this in a while as the last five quarterback signees enrolled in January.

Alabama is still pursuing James Foster of Montgomery and Brock Purdy of Gilbert, Ariz. It would also be difficult to call the Tide the favorite to land either, too.

Why is this the case and what is means leads to a few different conversations.

The whole dynamic of the quarterback room in Tuscaloosa certainly is a factor. Having a rising junior and sophomore-to-be in the hunt for the starting job this spring and summer creates a much different market from a few years ago. Alabama landed four- and five-stars from 2014-16 with seniors in the position and competition certain.

That changed when true freshman Jalen Hurts won the gig in 2016. Adding Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones to the mix last year created a three-man operation with nobody even approaching their 20th birthday.

"I think if you're looking at the one area they're missing in this class it's quarterback," said Mike Farrell, the national scouting director for Rivals. "People say, 'Well, who cares. You have Tua.' But you always need quarterbacks. I'm a proponent of taking a quarterback in every class."

Nick Saban in December said he'd like to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster and they were still hoping to sign one in February. As of now, the Tide still has three.

Having young, qualified players already in place certainly is a factor. Purdy's high school coach previously told AL.com that the opportunity to play early is a big factor in his decision that includes Boise State, Iowa State and UCF.

Alabama also took a swing at then-Ohio State commit Emory Jones of Franklin, Ga., before he flipped and signed with Florida in December. The No. 9 quarterback in the 247Sports composite was arguably the highest-profile target for Alabama's 2018 class.

Farrell said the youthful quarterback situation in Tuscaloosa isn't necessarily the stop sign for rising stars these days. He pointed to Georgia as the top example. Even with the Bulldogs returning true freshman Jake Fromm, the Bulldogs signed No. 2 QB Justin Fields in December. Clemson got No. 1 quarterback Trevor Lawrence a year after signing No. 2 QB Hunter Johnson and Kelly Bryant returning as the starter.

"I don't know why," Farrell said, "but these quarterbacks these days don't seem to care."

He then pointed to Tagovailoa signing with the Tide last February.

"It is crazy, for a kid like Tua to not care about that, it's pretty impressive because (Blake) Barnett lost the job and transferred what (a few) games later. That's the mentality of most of these kids these days. So, they're very lucky that Tua is not one of those guys who is like, 'Well, I'm not going to sit behind him for two years. Forget it. I'm out.' So, I think they're in good shape because of his maturity. Maybe they will land a quarterback down the stretch."

There's also the staff consistency situation.

JC Shurburtt, former national scouting director for 247Sports, said even Alabama can take a hit having three offensive coordinators in three years.

"I don't think Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence were going to Alabama because of the depth chart," he said, "but I think when you look at it from the standpoint of what do you do if one transfers and one gets hurt?

Farrell had another theory on Alabama's quarterback recruiting situation.

"I think they might have been a little bit too picky when it came to finding their quarterback," Farrell said. "And maybe that works out. Maybe in the 2019 class, they end up getting two good ones. One of them will pan out and the other one will transfer and they'll be good to go. But I'm just old school when it comes to quarterbacks. Get one in every class."

It can also get complicated keeping everyone happy with several young, high-end recruits coming in at the same time. Farrell pointed to Texas A&M signing Kenny Hill (2013), Kyle Allen (2014) and Kyler Murray (2015) in consecutive years.

All three were gone by 2016.

"What is Mac Jones thinking right now?" Farrell said. "Is he ever going to play? That could be the same for one of the two quarterbacks in 2019. That's where you get into depth issues and problems."

There's still time and a few quarterback names remain in the mix for Alabama's 2018 signing class. It's a tangled web with more than one factor in play.

"I think you can make up for it, especially when you have a brand name like Alabama," Farrell said. "Again, who am I to say you should take one every year because Georgia did that and now (Jacob) Eason is leaving. Sometimes, you can't avoid it."

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