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

quote:

---

"USC has offered but I don't plan on visiting any other schools, my commitment to #Utah remains solid, I'll be there next week"

Jack Tuttle

---

quote:

---

BRADENTON, Fla. — Harrison Bailey is only 15 years old and a soon-to-be sophomore at Marietta (Ga.) High School. He already has offers from the nation’s top college football programs — Alabama being one of them.

Bailey, who will likely be a 5-star prospect when the 2020 rankings come out, has visited Tuscaloosa several times and has come away impressed with Alabama.

“I’m high on them. I like Alabama a lot,” Bailey told SEC Country at the NFA 7v7 national championship. “I really like their new offensive coordinator. A week or two ago, I had a chance to throw for him at their camp. I love him. He’s a great guy. He told me that he wants me at Alabama.”

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound prospect picked up on a few things during his last visit to Alabama. He noted from his conversations with Brian Daboll that the offense at Alabama will look a bit different than what it was under Lane Kiffin.

He said fans should expect the Crimson Tide’s offense to open up more.

“Coach Daboll said they’re going to throw the ball a little more under him,” Bailey said. “Alabama always has good running backs, so they usually just pound the ball all of the time. But, Coach Saban brought him in to have them throw the ball around.”

Bailey is intrigued with Daboll because of the coach’s experience in the NFL where he was last a tight ends coach with the New England Patriots. Though he didn’t specifically coach Tom Brady, Daboll has seen the work the quarterback has put in to be considered one of the best quarterbacks to play the game.

“His experience definitely matters because that’s my ultimate goal,” Bailey said. “He would know the way to get to that level and what I would need to work on to get there.”

Bailey would like to narrow his recruitment to 10 schools by the end of the summer. Because he’s so young, he doesn’t know when a commitment could happen. When that time comes, expect Alabama to be one of the schools he gives strong consideration.

---

quote:

---

BRADENTON, Fla. — Trey Dean, the nation’s No. 22 safety from Dutchtown High School (Hampton, Ga.), will announce his commitment on July 31, which is the first day of his senior year. Dean said he wanted to commit then to get it over with and enjoy his senior year.

Dean, a 4-star prospect, has over 30 offers from schools coast to coast, but he told SEC Country he knows of at least four finalists already. Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas will be in the running come July 31.

He broke down why he would choose each at the National Football Association 7v7 national championship:

On Alabama: “They just have a will to win in everything they do on and off the field. Even if it’s a ping-pong game or a writing contest, those guys want to win in everything.”

On Georgia: “Kirby Smart is doing some big things at Georgia. He has that Alabama mindset. I think Georgia is going to improve this year.”

On South Carolina: “They produce defensive backs that look like me. Those coaches have produced defensive backs at every school they’ve been at, so I would have a good chance of going to the league, too.”

On Texas: “The coaching staff did big things when they were at Houston. I think they’re going to bring Texas back to being an elite program.”

One source close to Dean recently told SEC Country that he believed South Carolina is currently the school to beat for his commitment. As far as Alabama’s chances with Dean, he is one of the Crimson Tide’s top safety targets, but the team still feels confident that it can flip 4-star LSU commit Kelvin Joseph.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect is also very close with new Alabama commit Quay Walker. When Walker committed to Alabama, he told SEC Country that Dean was the top player he wanted to play with in college.

“We would like to play with each other on the next level,” Dean said of Walker. “We really bonded when we were at Rising Seniors together. He wants me to commit there. I’m going to visit Alabama a few more times in July.”

If he follows through with those visits, that would put Alabama in good position ahead of his July 31 commitment date.

Whichever school lands Dean is landing a prospect with a very good head on his shoulders. Dean is planning on majoring in business management and knows what he wants to do with his degree.

“I’m going to start a foundation for kids with autism,” Dean said. “When I was in middle school, I volunteered with a program that had kids with autism. I found there’s nothing wrong with these kids. They’re smarter than what some people give them credit for.”

Dean is cousins with former Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper.

---

quote:

---

A week ago four-star tight end Luke Ford decommitted from Arkansas nearly three months after pledging to the Razorbacks.

Part of the Carterville (Ill.) product’s decision to re-open his recruitment stemmed upon the fact he had not seen many other college campuses, and wanted to get the full experience before settling down with a school.

On Saturday, the nation’s No. 4 tight end, according to the 247Sports Composite, visited Tuscaloosa.

“It was unbelievable,” Ford told BamaOnLine. “It was amazing. They rolled out the crimson carpet, so to speak. The coaching staff was great. I loved meeting with the new OC, who is obviously keen on using tight ends, so it looks like it’ll be a good place, for me at tight end, to come. I was just blown away.”

Part of rolling out the crimson carpet included a meeting with the Director of Recruiting, a facilities tour, a workout, and sit-down meetings with Joe Pannunzio, Derrick Ansley, Brian Daboll, and of course, Nick Saban.

“I think so for tight end,” Ford said of whether he got the impression the staff was prioritizing him. “They are still kind of in the evaluation series, but after watching what I did today it’s more of the recruiting series for me. They’re showing a lot of interest in me. It looks like they really, really want me. It’s going to very hard to say no to Bama. Very, very hard.”

Critics have often questioned why tight ends would choose the Crimson Tide. With new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll at the helm of the Tide’s playbook, look for that trend to die out.

“He said I reminded him of Gronk,” Ford said of his meeting with Daboll. “He was saying a lot of good stuff about Gronk – how he thinks Gronk is his seventh child. He said he saw a lot of him in me. That’s the role model I look up to. To have that is pretty awesome.”

Ford does not plan to make another commitment anytime soon. He’s currently on his way to Auburn, and plans to visit LSU next weekend before The Opening Finals at the end of the month.

The Tide has positioned itself nicely, though.

“I guarantee you Alabama will be high … well Alabama is probably the leader right now,” Ford said.

At 6-foot-7, 250 pounds, Ford is rated the No. 4 tight end and the No. 90 overall player in the country.

Alabama is currently the Crystal Ball favorite.

---

quote:

---

seventh child

---

quote:

---

Four-star quarterback Jack Tuttle landed an offer from USC but Utah fans should not be too concerned.

The San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills standout who’s been committed to the Utes since December said his pledge remains firm and he’s planning to visit Utah again in the coming days.

USC’s offer basically came after five-star quarterback Matt Corral from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly parted ways with the Trojans this weekend. But Tuttle doesn't seem like the replacement for USC in this class.

Tuttle, the eighth-best pro-style quarterback in the class who has had an exceptional offseason, was one of USC’s top targets but it doesn’t look like he’s going to jump ship to the Pac-12 powerhouse.

It sounds like Utah has him wrapped up.

“I was honored to receive an offer from USC, similar to the other schools who have offered me,” Tuttle said.

“However, I am very much committed to Utah and don’t plan on visiting anywhere else. I will be in Salt Lake next week.”

Tuttle has been committed to Utah for months.

The Utes have dodged a lot of landmines in Tuttle’s recruitment with Alabama being the first to offer the four-star quarterback after his pledge to Utah. USC and many others have gotten involved as well.

The San Marcos Mission Hills standout has talked highly of working with new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Troy Taylor as the Utes could run a much higher-tempo offense in the coming years.

---