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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 7/27/17 at 9:34 am to TideSaint
Posted on 7/27/17 at 9:34 am to TideSaint
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This summer has already brought a lot of big commitments and developing storylines throughout the country, but especially in the West. From performances we did not expect to commitment changes we did not foresee, here is a rundown of five summer surprises from the West region.
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Posted on 7/27/17 at 9:35 am to TideSaint
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Chris Steele blows up
It’s not surprising that 2019 four-star defensive back Chris Steele is landing more offers. He’s a really talented prospect. But it has been an incredible summer for the UCLA commit who’s ready for a big junior season at powerhouse Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco. He remains committed to the Bruins – mainly because of his great relationship with head coach Jim Mora and position coach Demetrice Martin – but offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, Stanford, Alabama, LSU and many others will make things interesting. If UCLA has another poor season, then it could be tough to keep Steele in the fold. The 2019 prospect was also one of the best defensive backs at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas and proved he’s athletic and skilled enough to play cornerback for the long term.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 9:35 am to TideSaint
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Jarrett Bell lands Alabama offer
Possibly the biggest surprise camp performance this summer is the showing Jarrett Bell turned in at the Alabama camp. The 6-foot-4, 287-pound offensive lineman from Norco, Calif., did not attend any major camps this offseason, so he’s been somewhat off the radar, but he emerged as a national prospect after dominating in Tuscaloosa. According to sources, the Crimson Tide loved him at camp, and those coaches know a thing or two about targeting top talent and developing those players for the NFL. After Alabama offered Bell, he heard more from USC and UCLA along with Oregon and Oregon State. It wouldn’t be surprising if Bell had two dozen offers by the time his senior season starts.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 11:37 am to TideSaint
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6-foot-4 receiver explains comfort in Auburn
Can Auburn steal a Tuscaloosa standout from Alabama?
It’s becoming likely.
Seth Williams — the 4-star WR from Paul W. Bryant High School — visited Auburn for two days over the weekend. Perhaps the most intriguing element was he arrived Friday and stayed overnight when he could’ve been at Alabama’s cookout.
Williams has since visited Alabama, so it might be looking into it too much, but the fact Williams visited Auburn for two days in favor of Alabama is telling.
That fits right in line with his analysis regarding the difficulty of leaving Tuscaloosa.
“It’s not hard. It’s one of those schools where, if you’re Tuscaloosa-born, and you want to go to Tuscaloosa, you stay in Tuscaloosa,” Williams said. “But nothing in Tuscaloosa is going to make you stay in Tuscaloosa.”
The 6-foot-4 wide receiver claims Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss are recruiting him the hardest.
Auburn’s sales pitch stems from the need for a tall wide receiver. Williams’ strongest coaching relationship is with wide receivers coach Kodi Burns who has emphasized his desire to add a couple of lanky wide receivers such as Williams and Justyn Ross.
“He wants a big, strong, fast receiver that creates space in the open field and can run,” Williams said. “Auburn, you think of them more as a run offense, but play-action gets you open on the outside.”
Williams laid low for several months, not focusing on recruiting.
He said at Auburn’s cookout the Tigers earned his first visit of the summer, though he’s now gone to Alabama, as well.
The visit to the Plains gave Williams a feel of what to expect from Auburn.
“I came down here to see the atmosphere to see how everybody is feeling about it right now,” Williams said. “Probably just how the coaches, they’re real. They’re not going to hide anything from you. They’re family. Every time I come here, it feels like family. You just can’t get past that. It’s got to be real important. I’m not going to go anywhere where I don’t feel comfortable. I just want to feel like I’m supposed to be there. I want to be there.”
Williams hasn’t set a timeline for a decision, but he hasn’t given indication there will be something soon. He made my last 2018 class projection, and if I were doing another one now, Williams would be in it again.
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Posted on 7/27/17 at 11:37 am to TideSaint
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Raw pass rusher sets top schools
Auburn is one step closer to landing Richard Jibunor.
The 4-star prospect from Athens Christian (Ga.) released a top 9 on Wednesday that included (in no specific order) Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Louisville and North Carolina. He released the list with a teaser: “Commitment coming soon.”
Jibunor told SEC Country he plans to have a decision before his high school football season starts. With a dead period about to hit, there isn’t much more for the 4-star pass rusher to see before he makes a decision.
The big question: How hard is Alabama recruiting him?
If Alabama is hesitant, Auburn and Tennessee likely hold the edge over the other pursuing programs. In that Auburn-Tennessee battle, I give the Tigers the edge for his relationship with linebackers coach Travis Williams and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
Jibunor is close with Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, however, so if the Crimson Tide put on the pressure, it could become and old-fashioned Iron Bowl recruiting battle.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 12:26 pm to TideSaint
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Former Alabama DT OJ Smith announced this morning following his official visit to Minnesota that he will finish out his career a Golden Gopher.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 12:26 pm to TideSaint
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Former Alabama quarterback David Cornwell is now at the top of a depth chart.
Transferring to Nevada this offseason, Cornwell was named the Wolf Pack's starting quarterback entering fall camp by head coach Jay Norvell, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 12:26 pm to TideSaint
What an odd place to end up. But Christian Bell went to Wisconsin. So...
Posted on 7/27/17 at 12:50 pm to Cobrasize
frick that movie. They had a trailer for it before Dunkirk. Hell no. I'm still scarred from the original mini-series.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 1:02 pm to Cobrasize
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Saint, we talked about "IT" awhile back. Here is a new extended trailer
frick. That. Clown.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 2:59 pm to TideSaint
Bama, UGA, and PSU host 2019 4-star Brandon Smith for final summer visits
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Brandon Smith, one of the most coveted prospects in the 2019 class, took his final series of visits of the offseason. The 2019 four-star defensive end/outside linebacker is gearing up for the season but took some time to talk about his visits to Alabama, Georgia, and Penn State.
IN HIS OWN WORDS...
"I was at Alabama for a visit and in coach Saban's office when he gave me the offer," Smith said. "It was a great visit and I got to see a lot of good things about the University of Alabama. My family and I really enjoyed our time there. We got to see the campus, talk to academic advisors, see the academic facilities, the dorms, and sat in a couple meetings with the coaches. We got everybody's perspective on where they see me. We also got to talk talk to the training staff and the strength and conditioning coach. We got to see everything. The coaches really seemed truthful. I really liked the message they gave me and what I saw in our meetings with them.
"I got my offer from Georgia during the school year but this was my first visit there," he said. "What stuck out to me there was the campus, talking to the coaches, and their perspectives. I got to talk with coach Smart, coach Schumann, coach Beamer, and a few others. I have really good relationships there.
"It was the same kind of experience at Penn State that I've had before," said Smith. "I brought a couple of my family members up with me so they could see what I see when I got on visits. They really enjoyed it too.
"Those were the last visits for this summer," he said. "I'm focusing on the season now."
RIVALS' REACTION
Smith has his pick of the litter but Penn State has made the biggest impression so far but this won't be a quick recruitment. Smith and his family are doing lots of research but there are more twists and turns ahead. Many more schools will get Smith on campus and he will start focusing in on certain schools as we more towards the end of the calendar year.
Posted on 7/27/17 at 3:01 pm to TideSaint
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Can LSU hold on to 5-star prospect Kenyon Green?
LSU was the first to extend a scholarship offer to then-relatively unknown offensive tackle Kenyon Green last fall. The Houston-area lineman jumped at the opportunity to play for his dream school and committed to offensive line coach Jeff Grimes and the Tigers.
Since then, his recruitment has taken off.
In-state schools such as Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor are among those attempting to flip the 5-star tackle, who remains solid in his pledge to LSU. Alabama joined the fray when the Crimson Tide extended an offer to Green after he camped in Tuscaloosa last week.
Consider Alabama another team threatening LSU’s hold on Green.
“I’m still locked in with them [LSU], but I’m still looking around like every other prospect out there,” Green told SEC Country. “I’m committed to them and I want them to do great. That’s the team that I’m committed to and that my team right now. But yes, I’m still looking around at other schools and enjoying the whole process.”
Green made comments earlier in the week about putting an emphasis on how the Tigers perform this fall under first-year coach Ed Orgeron. He’ll compare LSU’s campaign in 2017 to other programs vying for his commitment.
The top-18 prospect in 2019 clarified those remarks, indicating it’s not a matter of wins and losses, but the direction the program is heading under the new coaching regime.
“I think that they’re going to be real good with Coach O,” Green said. “I think he’ll bring some old-school type of football back at LSU and I hope that they do great this year.
“It’s not about that [wins and losses] at all; it’s about the progress. It’s not just about winning. It’s about him building up the team and building the program up more. More wins are going to come if the team wants to fight for him. I want to see how the team jells together and how he can put a team together and work with them. It’s not all about winning, but it is about winning at the same time.”
Despite strong pushes from several in-state schools and now Alabama, Green has remained committed to LSU. That’s not by accident.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound 5-star lineman has remained loyal to his inaugural pledge and continues to root for the Tigers to hold on to his commitment through National Signing Day 2019. You can chock that up to offensive line coach Jeff Grimes.
“Coach Grimes is an awesome man,” said Green. “I have a great relationship with him and I’m building it up more with him and getting closer to him. I’m feeling really comfortable with him right now. I’m still committed with him and I’ve been committed for a while, so he must be doing something right.
“There’s no reason to de-commit. LSU hasn’t done anything wrong. I’m just enjoying the process right now. That’s the main thing. I want the teams that I’m looking at to do well and do their best, and if not, I appreciate the recognition.
“It’s all about what the coaches do and how they build a team together. Do they jell quickly because the coaches are helping them out more or not jelling? That’s how you lose games. The main thing for me right now is that I have two more years to go before signing day.”
The biggest threats to LSU
Alabama.
Texas.
Texas A&M.
Baylor.
Those three Lone Star State schools and SEC West rival are the four that Green identified as threats to his LSU pledge. That’s based off of recent visits to each of those schools and the warm welcomes he received on those trips.
“When I come up there, they’re really showing me love,” Green said of that quartet of schools.
Consider Sept. 1 as a date circled on the 5-star tackle’s calendar. That’s when those four schools and LSU can begin to pick up the phone and call Green. That’ll be a critical juncture in Green’s recruitment because he can identify which schools are serious about their interest in him.
“They can’t call me until Sept. 1, so that’s when they can show that they really care about me,” Green explained. “If they call, then that means that they really want me to come to their school.”
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Posted on 7/27/17 at 3:07 pm to TideSaint
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee commit Alontae Taylor has flirted with the idea of taking a visit to Georgia or Alabama. That notion can be laid to rest.
Taylor has said he will take an official visit to Tennessee and has a personal reason to take one to Georgia Tech.
The in-state prospect from Manchester has stopped communicating with Alabama and Georgia.
“Alabama was, they were,” Taylor said. “I was supposed to go there Monday, but I canceled on that. I’m not going to Alabama, period. I don’t want to hear anything else about Alabama. They buzz me a lot. Georgia buzzes me a lot. I think they are starting to get the idea.
“I’m going into my senior season, I don’t want to worry about recruiting. I have my two official visits, that’s it. Any other school can sleep on me.”
Taylor remains adamant that Tennessee is the only school for him because of his connection with everything around the team.
“We pulled up today and I’m just home,” Taylor said. “I’m comfortable here and comfortable with the players. I’m just home. It’s just a different feeling, and when I visit other schools I just don’t feel it like I do here.”
Taylor has played quarterback throughout his career at Coffee County Central High School. Georgia Tech’s triple option scheme would allow Taylor to continue to play at quarterback.
Tennessee and the majority of other schools in pursuit of Taylor project him as a wide receiver because of his speed and playmaking ability.
Taylor ranks as the No. 133 prospect in the country and the No. 28 wide receiver, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Taylor has devoted the summer to working on his wide receiver skills. He attended Tennessee’s final camp of the summer last week to continue his work.
“Anyone can run a go ball,” Taylor said. “I’m trying to work on routes that most guys don’t work on, like comebacks, curls, slants and digs.”
Posted on 7/27/17 at 4:06 pm to TideSaint
FYI KN put out nuggets today saying that AU feels really good about their chances with Asa Martin. Sounds like both sides (like Justyn Ross & Coynis Miller) have a lot of confidence. Very interested to see what he does later in August
Posted on 7/27/17 at 4:44 pm to TigerPaw1
Thanks for the update. 
Posted on 7/27/17 at 4:45 pm to TideSaint
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Alabama defensive line target Coynis Miller isn’t the only prospect at Jackson-Olin High School Tide fans should know about.
2020 outside linebacker Quanderrius Robinson is starting to make a name for himself on the recruiting trail, earning an offer from Auburn last week. The soon-to-sophomore camped at Alabama on Saturday.
“He did really well,” Jackson-Olin head coach Tim Vakakes said. “He measured in right at a shade under 6-4, 202 I think they said. He worked out with the DBs. He’s playing free safety for us, but he’s not going to be a safety at the next level. He has a chance, if he keeps developing, to be an elite outside linebacker. He’s freakishly athletic. Obviously, he’s going to put on a lot more weight. This time next year he’s probably going to be 225-230 going into his junior year. He’s going to grow out of safety depending on how much he puts on. He might end up putting his hand down. He’s got the chance to develop into an elite outside linebacker, and that’s what they’ve told him.”
Robinson didn’t leave Alabama with an offer in hand. The staff didn’t offer any 2020 recruits over the weekend, though.
“I know they’re going to be recruiting him hard,” Vakakes said. “I think they’re going to end up offering. He’s just gotta keep working.”
Alabama and Auburn aren’t the only two programs in on the in-state riser either.
“Florida, LSU, they all came in the spring and saw Coynis, and when they saw (Robinson) it was like their jaw was dropped,” Vakakes said. “He’s on a lot of peoples’ radars, it’s just those have been the only two schools he’s had a chance to work out in front of. If he goes out and has a good year and makes football plays during games, he’s got a chance to be pretty big, in terms of being a big recruit.”
One SEC coach told Vakakes Robinson is one of the best 2020 recruits he’s seen. Another SEC assistant texted Vakakes while recruiting in South Florida, and said Robinson looks better than some prospects in the 2018 class with SEC/ACC offers in pocket.
With more offers surely to come along, is there one school Robinson grew up rooting for?
“He didn’t grow up anything,” Vakakes said. “I asked him. He doesn’t really have a favorite college team because most kids around here do. This is new to him. I hope he just stays humble. I just want to make sure he keeps a level head on his shoulder, just have fun, and just work.”
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Posted on 7/27/17 at 7:24 pm to TideSaint
Played against Alontae in high school. He could be a good triple option QB. I always thought he'd turn into a corner.
This post was edited on 7/27/17 at 7:26 pm
Posted on 7/27/17 at 7:58 pm to TideSaint
Green is going to be hard to keep.
Posted on 7/28/17 at 12:30 am to Captain Crown
Apparently a couple of Crown's Cajun brethren don't approve of his concerns about keeping Green's commitment. 
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