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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 5/19/17 at 9:36 am to CapstoneGrad06
Posted on 5/19/17 at 9:36 am to CapstoneGrad06
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How's that last name pronounced?
Well he's from Louisiana so I wouldn't be surprised if it was pronounced Foo-shay.
But it could be Fow-cha.
This post was edited on 5/19/17 at 9:38 am
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Posted on 5/19/17 at 9:40 am to TideSaint
You'll like this Cap:
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Brian Daboll saw his performance in-person.
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Austin fans will enjoy having No. 20 again this fall.
He's running back Asa Martin, who returns to the Black Bears after one year at IMG Academy in Florida. The four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 9 ball carrier in the nation by the 247Sports Composite, has offers from Alabama, Auburn and Florida.
Thursday night marked the first time that Martin donned an Austin jersey since the 2015 Class 6A semifinals. He played in the Black Bears' spring game at Sparkman alongside other starters for the first three quarters.
Martin looked right at home with his old teammates, carrying eight times for 99 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown, and scoring on catch-and-run that covered 67 yards. The Black Bears led 27-7 at halftime. Martin saw limited action, with no carries, in the third quarter.
"It's good to be back here with my guys," Martin said. "The whole offensive line did exceptionally well blocking. Our receivers played well. (Senior running back) Antonio Robinson played well, too."
The 6-foot, 195-pound Martin played solely on offense, but he will also see action at defensive back during the regular season.
He remains undecided on a college choice. Among his 24 offers are Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Utah and South Carolina.
"It's a bunch of them," he said.
"I'm going to take a couple of visits this summer, weigh my options out. I'll probably make a decision the day before the first game."
Martin described what will determine his decision. "It's the school that fits me, a school I'm comfortable with, a school my mom's comfortable with. Basically the school that fits me."
"I'll visit Alabama, Auburn and Florida. Those are for sure. I'm going to try to get to Texas and maybe a couple of other schools, too."
Martin was a key member of the Austin backfield as a sophomore. He ran for 1,374 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also started at safety and was a special teams ace with five blocked kicks.
"He's a really good player," said Austin coach Jeremy Perkins, who is entering his eighth season."We're happy to have him back at Austin. We're looking for him to do great things and be a leader for our team."
Martin also has a connection to the opposing coach in the spring game, new Sparkman head man Laron White.
"We're both from Courtland, so I watched him play little league," said White, who spent the previous 14 years at Tanner. "I know his family. I knew he was special back when I watched him play little league."
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Brian Daboll saw his performance in-person.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 9:56 am to TideSaint
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Just six months after his second knee surgery, Park Crossing quarterback Cam Taylor was back going full contact in the Thunderbirds' 34-23 spring game loss to Hoover.
The 6-foot, 205-pound Taylor exited after three quarters, throwing two touchdowns with no turnovers and the varsity side trailing just 28-23.
He tore his right anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus on a late hit out of bounds last year while playing for Prattville. As a sophomore, Taylor tore the same meniscus.
His highlights below didn't show a person coming off a serious injury six months ago.
"Just working hard and therapy, really. I'd say God, honestly," Taylor said of the quick recovery. "My therapist helped me out a lot.
"I can say it was just a little preview (of what's to come) because I'm still working. It doesn't give me any pain. I'm always working, and believe I can get better as time goes by."
Taylor is a three-star recruit in the 247Sports composite and is ranked as high as No. 9 in the state by 247Sports. He has offers from the likes of Michigan, Mississippi State and Missouri.
"He doesn't seem to have any ill effects," Park Crossing coach Smitty Grider said. "He's not 100 percent yet, but whatever percent he is, he's pretty good. I think he's going to be fully recovered by the time we get to August.
"A lot of the schools were waiting to see how he responded from the knee surgery. If (Saturday is) any indication, I expect him to pick up an offer from those schools here soon."
Taylor has excelled as a quarterback, but feels like he'll be a receiver or safety at the next level. He said some schools are mentioning running back. Missouri has offered him as a safety, and Mississippi State as an athlete.
Taylor said he'll play anywhere just to get on the field.
"He's either a safety or a receiver," Grider said. "I think he has quarterback skills. He's 6-foot, so would be a drawback for schools looking for a taller quarterback.
"I think he's an all-conference safety in the SEC. That's what he is."
Alabama and Auburn are looking at Taylor as a defensive back, but have not offered yet. Both schools had assistant coaches at his spring game.
"They're both saying the same things," Taylor said. "They want to see me at camp this summer and want to look into it.
"(Those) would be a big offers. It's in-state. We grew up in Montgomery, Alabama watching Alabama-Auburn football. It would be a big thing because it is an in-state offer and we've been watching it so long. I'd really say the same thing for them. They're the same, honestly."
Taylor said he and his mother are in the process of planning out summer trips. One could be to Missouri, as Sidney Lanier quarterback James Foster has committed there and is trying to recruit several Montgomery standouts, including Taylor, to join him.
Taylor said he wants to see how his senior season goes and if more schools offer before he makes a decision.
"I am getting a lot of love from Missouri and Mississippi State," Taylor said. "Michigan, too. They're all leveled out right now and I don't have a top school."
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Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:08 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 Alabama’s running back targets after the team’s latest de-commitment.
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Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:08 am to TideSaint
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Dameon Pierce de-commitment wasn’t a shocker
Dameon Pierce, after months of speculation, reopened his recruitment on Thursday after being committed to the Tide since July of 2016. The 4-star running back from Bainbridge (Ga.) High School was never going to sign with Alabama. The interest between both parties faded over the past several months. Pierce visited Tuscaloosa just once since his commitment and Alabama coaches hadn’t been in constant communication with him.
Pierce’s de-commitment leaves the Tide with just two commits in the Class of 2018: defensive end/outside linebacker Jordan Davis and wide receiver Xavier Williams. I don’t think Williams ends up signing with Alabama as of today despite him publicly being pro-Bama. Look for him to stay in Florida and sign with Miami.
There’s no doubt that Alabama recruiting is very slow so far this year, but there are many highly rated recruits who are very interested in the Tide. They are just taking their time on making a commitment. I spoke with one high-ranking source in the program this week who said fans shouldn’t worry one bit about the team’s recruiting efforts.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:09 am to TideSaint
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With that being said, here’s a look at who Alabama will likely focus on at the running back position with Pierce’s departure:
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Asa Martin, 4-star prospect, Austin High School (Decatur, Ala.)
Martin was visited by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on Thursday. Daboll and Martin spoke on the phone after his scrimmage Thursday night. In that scrimmage, Martin rushed 8 times for 99 yards and 1 touchdown, with a 67-yard receiving touchdown.
When SEC Country visited with the in-state prospect last month, Florida was his leader and Auburn was in second place. Before he was offered by the Crimson Tide before the A-Day scrimmage, he told us that he felt like he wasn’t a good fit for Alabama’s offense.
“I just don’t really know. … I just don’t think it really fits my style very much,” Martin told SEC Country at the time. “The style of running back I am, I don’t really feel like I fit into that style of offense.
“I’m more like of an open-type, shotgun offense. Spread style.”
He has since changed his stance after further evaluation. It should be noted, too, that the coaching staff believes he could also play on the defensive side of the ball.
“I went down there and Coach Daboll showed me a bunch of new stuff he installed and I could potentially play defense if I went to Alabama,” Martin told SEC Country on Thursday night.
The nation’s No. 9 running back said since the offer, Alabama has recruited him very hard.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:10 am to TideSaint
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Harold Joiner, 4-star prospect, Mountain Brook (Ala.) High School
Joiner is being recruited by Alabama as an athlete, and that’s a problem.
He wants to only be recruited as a running back by the schools he’s considering. Coach Nick Saban, when he offered Joiner, mentioned how the in-state player has the athleticism and build to play wide receiver, tight end and even linebacker. That is a turnoff for Joiner.
He needs to attend camp to get a shot at playing running back for the Tide. Joiner said even if Alabama offered him as a running back down the road, it wouldn’t matter because he feels like early playing time, which is the most important factor in his recruitment, at the position in Tuscaloosa is nearly impossible. The Tide have the most loaded backfield in college football.
“They have like 7 running backs,” Joiner said. “I don’t see how a guy would want to come there and just wait.”
If Joiner is finished growing, he already knows which school he’ll be committing to.
“If I stay 6-3 until like October or November, then it’s going to be LSU,” he said.
I’m not including 5-star prospect Zamir White as a legitimate possibility, even though the staff would love to get his commitment. He is likely going to commit to Georgia next month.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:12 am to TideSaint
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Richard Jibunor visits planned this summer
Jibunor knows he needs to gather more information before making a decision.
That’s what the next few weeks will entail.
The 3-star athlete finishes exams next week. Then there’s a month-or-so break before Athens Christian resumes with summer workout routines. He wants to use that time to visit as many programs as possible and close in on a final decision, which he hopes to have finalized before his senior season.
“I’m just going to travel around. I don’t care how far the school is. I just want to go everywhere I want to go,” Jibunor said. “By the grace of God, I’ll have a decision as soon as I’m done with those trips.”
The schools in contention for first-time visits: Alabama, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse and Utah.
Alabama and Georgia Tech are almost guarantees. He has those lined up in the near future and both are programs that could become immediate factors. The Crimson Tide have been working to get Jibunor on campus for months now, so that’s definitely a visit to track.
There also are three SEC programs — Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina — Jibunor expects to return to this summer, using his patented “by the grace of God” pretext to describe it.
“I’ll be very busy because this will be a very big decision for me. But I don’t want to be the type to commit and de-commit,” Jibunor said. “I want to be true to a school. I’ve been praying hard. When I take all my visits, whatever my mind picks, no matter which school, I’ll go with it.”
LINK
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:14 am to TideSaint
Who is RTR12 on BOL, like really
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:15 am to Rizzy
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Who is RTR12 on BOL, like really
Some idiot.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:17 am to TideSaint
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They have like 7 running backs,” Joiner said. “I don’t see how a guy would want to come there and just wait.”
What a weak mindset. Don't be content to "wait". Come in and try to be better than the other guys and you will play.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:20 am to TideSaint
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STOCK DOWN
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WR Xavier Williams
Recruiting wrap: Williams is committed to Alabama.
The breakdown: Williams is an impressive prospect. He gets open routinely and boasts a nice burst. His struggle, it seems, is with dropping passes. Williams has the acceleration and the physical tools to overcome his limited size should he straighten out the drop issues that seem to plague him in multiple settings. There’s no denying that Williams is a high-level prospect, but there are more complete receivers in the region.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:22 am to Cobrasize
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What a weak mindset. Don't be content to "wait". Come in and try to be better than the other guys and you will play.
Yeah. If he feels that way now he'll never make it in a college program.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:37 am to TideSaint
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:40 am to TideSaint
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It’s sometimes called the second season, and often garners more attention than even other sports.
Why? A solid recruiting class can turn around a program and set it in motion for years to come. There are a host of examples of even one player making a splash that translates to a championship run.
The well-documented 2013 Ole Miss recruiting class is only a chapter in the long list of SEC recruiting tales. There’s also Cam Newton, Michael Oher and even last year when Brandon McIlwain was the more highly regarded quarterback in a South Carolina class that included Jake Bentley.
Alabama’s Nick Saban has the most seniority in the SEC, going on 11 years in Tuscaloosa, including four national championships. But this is the first full season for Ed Orgeron, who already has a history of several recruiting hauls from his Ole Miss tenure. And now with a season behind them and a track record to recruit from, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp and Missouri’s Barry Odom are in the midst of building their third recruiting class.
Here are the best recruits by star rating from the 247Sports Composite for each SEC coach:
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Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:42 am to TideSaint
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ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN
3-star: DT Terrence Cody (2008)
4-star: WR Amari Cooper (2012)
5-star: WR Julio Jones (2008, No. 3-ranked player overall)
ARKANSAS COACH BRET BIELEMA
3-star: LB Dre Greenlaw (2015)
4-star: RB Alex Collins (2013)
5-star: McTelvin Agim (2016, No. 18 overall is the only 5-star recruit)
AUBURN COACH GUS MALZAHN
3-star: RB Peyton Barber (2013)
4-star: RB Jovon Robinson (2013)
5-star: DE Carl Lawson (2013, No. 21 overall)
FLORIDA COACH JIM McELWAIN
3-star: WR Antonio Callaway (2015)
4-star: RB Jordan Scarlett (2015)
5-star: OT Martez Ivey (2015, No. 2 overall)
GEORGIA COACH KIRBY SMART
3-star: CB Ameer Speed (2017)
4-star: DT Julian Rochester (2016)
5-star: QB Jacob Eason (2016, No. 5 overall)
KENTUCKY COACH MARK STOOPS
3-star: S A.J. Stamps (2014)
4-star: RB Boom Williams (2014)
5-star: N/A
LSU COACH ED ORGERON
3-star: RB Dexter McCluster (2006, Ole Miss)
4-star: DE K’Lavon Chaisson (2017)
5-star: OL Michael Oher (2005, Ole Miss)
MISSISSIPPI STATE COACH DAN MULLEN
3-star: QB Dak Prescott (2011)
4-star: DT Fletcher Cox (2009)
5-star: DL Chris Jones (2013, No. 18 overall)
MISSOURI COACH BARRY ODOM
3-star: TE Brendan Scales (2016)
4-star: RB Natereace Strong (2016)
5-star: N/A
OLE MISS COACH HUGH FREEZE
3-star: DB Trae Elston (2012)
4-star: DT Isaac Gross (2012)
5-star: OT Laremy Tunsil (2013, No. 4 overall)
SOUTH CAROLINA COACH WILL MUSCHAMP
3-star: DE Keir Thomas (2016)
4-star: WR OrTre Smith (2017)
5-star: N/A
TENNESSEE COACH BUTCH JONES
3-star: CB Cam Sutton (2013)
4-star: QB Joshua Dobbs (2013)
5-star: DT Kahlil McKenzie (2015, No. 6 overall)
TEXAS A&M COACH KEVIN SUMLIN
3-star: WR Josh Reynolds (2014)
4-star: C Mike Matthews (2012)
5-star: DE Myles Garrett (2014, No. 2 overall)
VANDERBILT COACH DEREK MASON
3-star: DE Caleb Peart (2015)
4-star: DE Nifae Lealao (2014)
5-star: N/A
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:47 am to TideSaint
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s A-Day had a much different feel than year’s past. It was an offensive slug fest that finished with 730 yards of total offense — 661 of which came through the air.
There was no shortage of big plays, and that was a welcomed sight to see. Still, there are several areas where the Tide can improve. Here’s a look at where the team stands currently:
LINK
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:48 am to TideSaint
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STRENGTHS
Wide receiver: This might come as a surprise to many considering the Tide’s offense lost 53.2-percent of its receiving production from 2016 — including the team’s leading receiver in ArDarius Stewart, who finished with 864 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Alabama averaged 38.8 points per game last season, the most since Nick Saban arrived. The 2017 offense could be even better.
Still, wide receiver could end up being one of the strongest positional units on the team. Calvin Ridley returns as Jalen Hurts’ favorite target, but it’ll be the emergence of other guys who will make the biggest difference.
Redshirt senior Robert Foster — a former 5-star prospect — finally looks healthy enough to make an impact after he capped a strong spring with 115 yards receiving and one touchdown on only two catches.
In addition, freshman phenom Jerry Jeudy (below) looks ready to take the SEC by storm following his performance in the A-Day game — 134 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns on 5 catches. There is no doubt that the offense will have plenty of weapons for Hurts to throw to in 2017.
Running back: Isn’t it interesting how much things can change in a year’s time? Last season, there were a lot of questions surrounding the depth at running back.
Fast forward a year, and it’s probably the deepest position on the roster.
The team returns its top five leading rushers from 2016 — Damien Harris, Jalen Hurts, Bo Scarbrough, Josh Jacobs and B.J. Emmons. In addition, they brought in 5-star RB Najee Harris and 4-star RB Brian Robinson.
Najee Harris looked particularly impressive as a rusher and a receiver out of the backfield — finishing with 107 total yards on 20 touches in the A-Day game.
There are some concerns with the health of several of the running backs, but as long as the unit can stay healthy, there is no reason to believe that Alabama won’t have one of the nation’s leading rushing attacks once again.
Quarterback: Are we seeing a trend here? This might be new for Tide fans, but the identity of the team is switching from being defense-based to the offensive side of the football.
That’s not to say the defense won’t be one of the nation’s best, but the team’s biggest strengths are on offense.
Sophomore QB Jalen Hurts returns as the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the year following a year that saw him throw for 2,780 yards, rush for 954 yards and put up 36 total touchdowns.
That’s with him struggling as a downfield passer.
If the A-Day game was an indication, Hurts’ biggest weakness could be a strength this season. He had two touchdowns on the day — a 65-yard TD to Robert Foster and a 37-yard strike to Calvin Ridley — in addition to several other impressive depth throws.
The other side is the depth. Though the depth lacks any experience, 5-star Tua Tagovailoa already looks like he could make an impact if something happened to Hurts. That’s a good problem to have.
Posted on 5/19/17 at 10:49 am to TideSaint
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WEAKNESSES
Secondary questions: There is some serious talent in Alabama’s secondary. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some concerns, however.
Sophomore Trevon Diggs — who spent last season at wide receiver — had a good spring, but he really struggled in the spring game. There’s a major learning curve moving from one side of the ball to the other, so maybe he can continue to improve over the course of the summer. Still, the defense really needs someone to step up now that Eddie Jackson and Marlon Humphrey are in the NFL.
Junior CB Minkah Fitzpatrick has shown the versatility to play cornerback or safety, so it’ll be interesting to see who can step up to be that last starter in the secondary.
Experience in the front seven: It’s hard to not be at least somewhat concerned when you look at what the Tide lost up front.
The Tide must replace 68.9-percent of the pass-rushing production from last season — including its top four sack leaders.
The returning leader in sacks is Rashaan Evans, who who had 4.0. It’s not that there isn’t a lot of talent available, but there will continue to be questions until at least a couple of true, consistent threats emerge.
Da’Shawn Hand and Quinnen Williams will be relied on to replace the pass-rushing production from All-American Jonathan Allen. Look for guys such as Christian Miller and Terrell Hall to step up as edge rushers with Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson now in the NFL.
Kicking game: Here is a serious question: When is that last time the kicking game wasn’t a major weakness for Alabama? This seems to be a recurring issue, and this year could be no different.
Granted, people haven’t had a chance to see Joseph Bulovas yet — the No. 7 overall kicker according to 247Sports — but the kicking battle remains unsettled at the moment. That’s an uneasy feeling for Tide faithful.
Hopefully, Bulovas can be everything that people hope he can be. That’s a lot of pressure on an 18-year-old kid, though.
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