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

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We’re two weeks into the Brian Daboll era at Alabama and much is still unknown about the new Crimson Tide offensive coordinator. Several recruits have had the opportunity to talk with Daboll on the recruiting trail, but no specifics on how he plans to run the Crimson Tide offense have been expressed.

“To be honest with you, he said he’s going to do whatever it takes to win,” 2019 quarterback Paul Tyson told SEC Country. “That’s how he’s going to run his offense. That’s what he said.”

Since Daboll was brought in by Nick Saban to be the third offensive coordinator for the team in the past two months, five Class of 2018 quarterbacks have been offered by Alabama: 5-star Southern California commit Matt Corral, 5-star Ohio State quarterback commit Emory Jones, 4-star Utah commit Jack Tuttle and uncommitted 4-star prospects Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tanner McKee.

What’s interesting about those offers is two of those quarterbacks, Jones and Thompson-Robinson, are dual-threat prospects, and from what SEC Country has gathered, Saban led the charge on recruiting both of those prospects.

“He saw some of my film from the 7-on-7 tournament (two weeks ago) and he already loved my other film, so that was just icing on the cake for him and he offered,” Thompson-Robinson, the nation’s No. 4 dual-threat prospect according to the 247Sports composite rankings, told SEC Country.

Jones, who has been committed to Ohio State since July, told 247Sports that Saban heaped some serious praise on him during his phone conversation.

“He was saying he likes what I do with the ball in my hands,” Jones said. “He thinks I’m hands down the best playmaking QB in my class.”

When Daboll has had more of a say in quarterbacks Alabama has offered thus far, he’s gone the pro-style route. McKee, who’s from Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., spoke with Daboll before picking up his offer from the Crimson Tide.

“He seemed super cool,” McKee said of Daboll. “He was just saying how he just got done with the Patriots and how long he has been coaching for. He pretty much just said he wanted to stay in contact and continue our relationship.”

Something Saban touched on in his statement when he formally announced the former New England Patriots tight ends coach hiring was his personality and how he thought he’d fit in with the team. Saban said he believes he’s someone who will be able to connect with the players.

Tyson, an in-state prospect from Hewitt-Trussville High School, agreed with that assessment. Tyson met with Daboll in person for Alabama’s junior day event two weekends ago.

“I really liked him. We connected well,” Tyson said. “I love the way he’s going to run his offense. He said he really likes to spread the ball around. It was fun talking to him and learning about him because I never got to see him in college because he’s been with Tom Brady in the pros. Watching film with him was fun to see what he does as far as teaching goes.”

Alabama usually doesn’t accept a quarterback commitment until the offensive coordinator or either Saban have been able to evaluate that prospect in person. That’s just the way the Crimson Tide have conducted business over the years.

The evaluation period, where coaches are able to see prospects perform in person, doesn’t begin until April 15. It won’t be until then when we get a better understanding of what Alabama is exactly looking for in its next quarterback.

There is, however, one quarterback out there who has been evaluated by the Crimson Tide who doesn’t have a scholarship offer just yet. That would be 4-star Sachse (Texas) High School prospect Jalen Mayden, who is the brother of current Tide defensive back Jared Mayden.

Mayden is on record with SEC Country saying he wants the opportunity to play with his brother, so why has Alabama not extended an offer just yet? It could be because Saban already knows what he would be getting in the dual-threat prospect and wants to wait to see if his other targets higher on the board will say yes to him.

Mayden also told SEC Country over the weekend that he’ll be committing at his spring game. That date hasn’t been set yet, but it will likely be in May. Alabama will have likely seen a few, if not all, of its quarterback targets by then.

The quarterback board and what Daboll and Saban are looking for in a quarterback will gain clarity over the next few months, but the little we do know so far is that the new OC in town has connected with recruits on a personal level. That’s an important step in recruiting.

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The 2017 college football recruiting cycle featured dozens of 5-star prospects, hundreds of 4-stars and a massive collection of 3-star talents for programs around the nation.

But where were the highest concentrations of that talent? And which teams prioritized and enjoyed the most success in a given state?

Everyone can point to the high school hotbeds of California, Florida and Texas for elite players, and rightfully so. They consistently showcase elite recruits. Just two other states had multiple 5-star prospects, according to Scout's 2017 rankings, resulting in a congested pack of states fighting for recognition.

To find the top 25 states in the 2017 class, we separated every player with at least a 3-star rating. Then, a point system (three for 3-stars, four for 4-stars, five for 5-stars) formulated the final score.

Junior-college prospects and transfers were not included in the list. American Samoa and Washington D.C. were also calculated, but neither finished in the top 25.

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Another day, another quarterback offer for the Crimson Tide, this time to four-star, dual-threat Dakereon Joyner of North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester.

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