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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:01 am to TideSaint
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:01 am to TideSaint
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Sidney Lanier quarterback James Foster, a Missouri commit, was invited to the Elite 11 finals on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Foster was invited based on his performance at the Atlanta Opening Regional and his junior film. Foster committed to Missouri last month.
Foster joins Jack West of Saraland as quarterbacks from Alabama who will compete in the Elite 11 finals. The Elite 11 finals will be held June 2-4 in Los Angeles and of 24 finalists, 12 will head to Beaverton, Ore., for The Opening Finals with around 140 of the country's top prospects in late June.
Central-Phenix city receiver Justyn Ross is the only in-state prospect who has earned an Opening finals invite so far. More will be added.
LINK
Good for him.
1
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:03 am to TideSaint
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It's mid-May, and Alabama has just three commitments and Auburn has six.
It's a far cry from 2014, when Alabama had around 15 at this time and was ranked No. 1 in the recruiting rankings from nearly start to finish.
In the 2018 team rankings, Alabama is 48th, just ahead of Northern Illinois and behind the likes of Colorado, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Cincinnati.
Auburn is 26th, behind Kansas, Kentucky, Northwestern and Minnesota.
That will change soon.
It's almost camp season, where many prospects who report offers from power 5 programs may not have the actual go-ahead to commit until they put on a good showing at camp.
Alabama's first high school camp is June 4-6. Expect plenty of in-state standouts like Park Crossing OL Tank Jenkins, Pleasant Grove DB Myles Mason and Austin ATH Asa Martin to be on hand, along with many national recruits.
Expect commitments to come at camp or not long after.
Auburn's first camp is June 8, and its second one is June 15. A player like Muscle Shoals DB Jordyn Peters impressed at one of these last year and earned his scholarship.
Expect commitments to come at a camp or not long after.
Of course, plenty of prospects can go ahead and commit right now, but are waiting to take summer visits.
Who are the next to commit? I'm looking at St. Clair County DL Jalen Cunningham for Alabama and Auburn's squarely in the mix for Murfreesboro, Tenn., running back Master Teague III.
When school starts in August, Alabama and Auburn will be closer to the top of the recruiting rankings where they belong.
LINK
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:09 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. In this edition, we discuss the latest with the nation’s No. 1 cornerback, Patrick Surtain Jr., and 4-star safety Leon O’Neal.
LINK
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:10 am to TideSaint
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Alabama playing catch-up with Surtain
LSU has held the lead for 5-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. for several months now, and the Tigers are still on top for him. The good news for Alabama’s chances is that he hasn’t committed to the Tigers yet, but he’s been close several times before.
“I have thought about [committing] for a few days,” Surtain told SEC Country’s Zach Abolverdi on Tuesday. “I have been close sometimes and then sometimes I’ve been thinking about other schools. They’re at the top and some other schools stick out as well.”
Besides Alabama, the other schools sticking out for Surtain at this time are Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Ohio State. He plans on cutting his list to five schools either later this month or next. Alabama is expected to make the cut when that time comes.
“Alabama is a very great program,” Surtain said. “Getting an offer from them is great. They win championships almost every year. They have a great tradition and they send guys to the league every year. Coach [Nick] Saban does a great job there every year.”
The nation’s No. 1 cornerback attends American Heritage in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., but the majority of his family lives in Baton Rouge, La., and New Orleans. Surtain considers Louisiana to be his home. It’s one of the main reasons why the Tigers have a stranglehold on the top spot in his recruitment.
His reason for picking a school also bodes well for LSU’s chances.
“I am looking for a school that treats me like a family,” Surtain said, which is something he stressed about LSU. “I am not scared of competition. I will bring the willpower to compete for a position when I get to college. I want to feel like I am at home.”
The Tide didn’t sign a corner in the Class of 2017 and that means corner is arguably the biggest priority for Alabama in 2018. It’s a good pitch for someone of Surtain’s caliber because early playing time is obtainable next season with Anthony Averett and Tony Brown moving on from the program and Minkah Fitzpatrick a likely candidate to declare for the NFL draft.
“We obviously try to identify needs that we have each year and I think in this class we sort of hit every spot but one,” Saban said on National Signing Day. “We wanted to recruit at least one corner, maybe two. It just worked out that it didn’t happen that way for us.”
Although the Crimson Tide have some ground to make up for Surtain, if there’s one school in the country that can quickly change the script of any recruit’s process, it’s Alabama.
Surtain wants to make a commitment either midway through his senior season or wait it out all the way until Signing Day.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:11 am to TideSaint
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Communication lacking between Tide and Leon O’Neal?
Leon O’Neal, the nation’s No. 6 safety from Cypress Springs (Texas) High School, is viewed by many in the industry to be a near lock to Texas A&M when he makes his college decision. He’s visited Texas A&M more than any other school, but that’s just because it’s less than 100 miles from his home.
He knows why many feel like he’s going to commit to the Aggies.
“It’s down the street,” O’Neal told SEC Country’s Mike Wilson. “I keep making visits there because it’s close. It’s easy to get there.”
His recruitment isn’t as cut and dried as it appears, he said.
In addition to Texas A&M, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas and Southern California are still being considered. O’Neal is planning on cutting that list to three or five soon. There’s a chance the Tide don’t make the cut.
“I haven’t really communicated with them much since I made my top 12 [back in early April],” O’Neal said. “Coach [Billy] Napier was the one who offered me, but now he’s gone.”
O’Neal visited Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl this past season and was awed by the trip. He felt like a priority that day despite not holding an offer from the Crimson Tide just yet.
“Going to a school that you know is one of the best in the country, and they treated me like I was one of the best players in the country, was the best part,” O’Neal said. “That felt good. That was crazy. I drove all the way out there. I thought I was going to get offered that day. It didn’t happen, but they still showed me a lot of love.”
Alabama ended up offering just a few weeks later. A month later, Saban arrived at Cypress Springs in his helicopter to make sure O’Neal knew he was a priority. The Tide definitely have O’Neal’s attention, but communication needs to pick up.
“They’re always getting guys drafted,” O’Neal said. “They have a whole bunch of ballers there and win national championships. They’re just winners. That’s one thing you have to look at. They’re always going to be winners, but it’s all a business there. They’re going to get the best players and they don’t care if they stack them up.”
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:14 am to TideSaint
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APOPKA, Fla. — Williams Barnes holds 18 scholarship offers and has several premier programs on his trail.
The 4-star offensive tackle from Apopka, hasn’t named a top group of favorites, but he does have interest in Alabama, Auburn and Florida.
In addition to those schools, Barnes is being heavily pursued by Florida State, Miami, North Carolina and Ohio State. He also holds SEC offers from Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The 6-foot-4, 312-pound lineman is ranked the nation’s No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 45 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite.
In the video interview below, Barnes discusses the following:
1. His interest level in Alabama and why he’s considering the Crimson Tide.
2. What he likes about the Auburn Tigers and their offensive line coach, Herb Hand.
3. The appeal of the in-state Gators and his relationship with Brad Davis, his primary recruiter.
4. Following in the footsteps of Martez Ivey, who became the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect at Apopka in 2015.
5. What he’s looking for in a school and when he plans to make his college commitment.
LINK with Video
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:19 am to TideSaint
Jaycee Horn says South Carolina is his leader now.
frick.
frick.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:20 am to TideSaint
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COLUMBUS, Ohio– It’s our job at Rivals.com to get the information on which schools the nation’s top prospects will end up signing with when the time comes. But sometimes the best clues come from fellow recruits. At this past weekend's Columbus stop of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas, we asked fellow prospects where some of the region's best players will end up and their answers may surprise you.
LINK
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:21 am to TideSaint
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CB Jairus Brents
The Pick: USC
Why: “I know everybody is picking Alabama but I think he might go to USC. It just seems like a place he would fit in and I’ve heard him talk about it a few times before.” Three-star OL Charles Allen, Louisville (Ky.) Doss
The Pick: Duke
Why: “Tahj Rice is going there and they are close.” – 2019 DE ShawnKel Knight-Goff, Louisville (Ky.) Doss
The Pick: Alabama
Why: “That’s a good school.” – 2019 DE Ricky Barber, Louisville (Ky.) Doss
The Pick: Florida State
Why: “I just think he would fit in down there. He’s got a different kind of playing attitude than a lot of people up here as far as Louisville. None of those guys have gone through what he’s gone through.” – 2019 Rivals100 DE Stephen Herron, Louisville (Ky.) Trinity
The Pick: Louisville
Why: “That guy has a lot of options but I think he’ll come home.” -- Three-star ATH Terez Traynor, Louisville (Ky.) Doss
The Pick: Alabama
Why: “I have no idea. That’s tough. I think he goes to Alabama. He’s a talented dude and I think he has enough talent to go there.” 2019 WR Milton Wright, Louisville (Ky.) Christian Academy of Louisville
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:23 am to TideSaint
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STOCK UP
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WR Jordyn Adams
Defensive backs continue to underestimate Adams when they line up across from him. He is such a smooth runner but is very explosive and flies past defensive backs with ease. Adams displayed great concentration at the Charlotte Rivals 3 Stripe Camp and made some really tough leaping catches. Quarterbacks loved throwing the ball his way because he consistently created a lot separation, giving them a big window to get him the ball.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:23 am to TideSaint
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TE Kyle Pitts
Pitts has excelled in every situation and setting this offseason. He runs pretty well for a tight end and has no problem getting around defenders and fighting through contact. Pitts has excellent hands and made a lot of acrobatic catches at the New Jersey Rivals 3 Stripe Camp. Not only is Pitts a big-time receiving threat, he is also a good blocker and is strong at the point of attack. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Oklahoma and UCLA are Pitts' top schools right now and plans to visit Georgia this coming weekend and Florida on June 10.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:25 am to TideSaint
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We haven’t even done a numerical Rivals100 for the class of 2019 yet, but with so many offers going out for the class of 2020 as the recruiting calendar continues to speed up, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the top rising sophomores across the country.
We call it the 20 for 20. We'll roll out four 2020 prospects a day this week for you to keep an eye on. Today’s list is led by the younger brother of a recent Ohio State commitment.
This first group is an interesting one as you have the young brother of a Buckeyes' commitment who, in my opinion, has more upside at the same stage, an early Miami commitment who could be a star on the defensive side of the ball, a big quarterback with a rocket arm and perhaps the best freshman at a New Jersey powerhouse since a guy named Jabrill Peppers.
Each of these guys brings something special to the table. None of these guys are sure things as they have played only one year of high school football, but each seems to have a skillset that will only improve over time along with their offer lists.
Here’s a breakdown of each from our analyst team.
Part I
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:25 am to TideSaint
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OG Jake Wray
"The younger brother of four-star Ohio State commit Max Wray, Jake has spent the offseason piling up offers from some of the nation's top programs. Unlike his brother, who converted to offensive line from tight end during his sophomore year, Jake is a natural offensive lineman with the type of size and athleticism that is very hard to find. He has tremendous upside as he continues to grow into his body and learn how to be even more dominant going forward. Obviously Ohio State will be a factor in his recruitment, but LSU, Alabama and Tennessee should factor in prominently as well." – Woody Wommack, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:25 am to TideSaint
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ATH Avantae Williams
“Williams plays both ways but impressed as a defensive back at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp stop in Miami. Standing 6-foot as a freshman, his length will be a strength going forward, as he already uses it to recover when he gives up a step or two in coverage. Williams is committed to Miami.” – Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Florida Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:26 am to TideSaint
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QB Jack Miller
“Miller has perfect size at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds and he loves to sit in the pocket and zip passes all over the field. What makes him special is that he throws an outstanding and precise deep ball time and time again. What also is great about Miller, especially for a freshman, is his ability to feel pressure, get away from it but not rush and then deliver accurate passes all over the place. His arm strength is without question, and he has great vision to find receivers as they break open. Arizona, Arizona State and Florida State are the biggest offers so far, but he'll almost definitely be a national recruit soon.” – Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:26 am to TideSaint
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ATH Jalen Berger
“There are always high expectations at traditional powerhouse Don Bosco in New Jersey, and it looks like Berger is up to the challenge of meeting those expectations. Primarily a running back, Berger is a tough downhill runner with an eye for the crease that could let him take it the distance. Even though he is a taller back, Berger is a very good receiver and can be counted on as a three-down back. Michigan, Maryland, Rutgers, Michigan State, Boston College and Syracuse have already extended offers.” – Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:27 am to TideSaint
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We haven’t even done a numerical Rivals100 for the class of 2019 yet, but with so many offers going out for the class of 2020 as the recruiting cycle continues to speed up, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the top rising sophomores in the country. We call it 20 for 20 and will roll out four a day this week for you to keep an eye on. Today’s list is led by an elite running back from the Lone Star State.
This second group has a ton of high end potential from Jase McClellan who has great size for his age and runs with power to Sheridan Jones, who is a highly coveted tall, long cornerback which is what every team wants these days. Arik Gilbert could be the next freak tight end in the mold of O.J. Howard as he continues to develop while Johnny Wilson has great size for his age, high points the ball well and stars for one of the fastest-rising teams in California.
What stands out to me the most about this foursome is the trends at the position they fall into. In the last many years, taller yet physical running backs have been a priority, freakishly athletic tight ends who can flex out have been coveted, tall wide receivers with a great catch radius and body control are all the rage and tall corners who could easily play outside or cover the slot in college are getting early offers. Look back at guys like Todd Gurley, Howard, AJ Green and Jalen Ramsey and you can see where these players perhaps got their inspiration.
Part II
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:27 am to TideSaint
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RB Jase McClellan
“McClellan already has the power and size that is desired in top running back prospects in 2018 even as a 2020. His decisiveness and burst get him to the open field quickly and his speed takes care of the rest. He's shown this spring how comfortable he is as a pass-catcher and trending towards being one of the most well-rounded backs in his class. McClellan has an impressive list of early offers, and most recently added Michigan, Nebraska and Oregon State to his list.” – Nick Krueger, Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 5/17/17 at 11:28 am to TideSaint
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TE Arik Gilbert
“Gilbert is scary. Nobody that sees him live can believe he is just a freshman. He towers over many, he is very athletic and his ceiling is extremely high. He is still raw, but he has really developed a lot over the past year and he is likely to take a big step this fall in production. Georgia was first to offer and he likes the Bulldogs, but Alabama, Florida and Michigan among others are on his radar early.” – Chad Simmons, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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