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

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MABLETON, Ga. — The state of Georgia is loaded with quarterback talent in the 2018 class, but the next big thing isn’t far behind. Harrison Bailey currently is ranked No. 49 overall in the Class of 2020, according to 247Sports.

The quarterback from Marietta already has 16 verbal offers, including a who’s-who of the SEC. Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee have offered, joining national programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma.

Bailey is only a sophomore, but is already in his second season as a starter for Marietta. As a freshman, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback threw for 2,815 yards, 21 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

Last Friday, Bailey led the Blue Devils to a 24-20 road win over Pebblebrook, but he came out of the game with an undisclosed injury that leaves his status as week-to-week. Find out why Bailey will soon be a national name with SEC Country’s video highlights of the game.

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RB: Chris Curry, Tae Provens, Harold Joiner

Analysis: Both Curry and Provens are solid in their commitments and LSU could very well sign these two running backs and bolster their backfield depth in a big way. The elephant in the room remains Joiner. The 4-star Alabama native named LSU as a co-leader last month, but that was before the Crimson Tide began to dial up the pressure on the in-state target. While Joiner maintains that the Tigers are out in front, Alabama remains a major X-factor in his decision.

Confidence Level: 55 percent

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Being a top five prospect in the state of Alabama means this prospect is a lock to stay home and play at Alabama or Auburn right? In most cases, yes, but Coynis Miller might be different.

He has family members that are big Crimson Tide and Tiger fans, and he likes those schools too, but it is another SEC school that stands out the most to him right now.

And his family is OK with that.

"I feel no pressure to stay in state or to go to a certain school," said Miller. "My family is going to let me go wherever I want and I want to find the right school for me.

"Florida is my No. 1 school and when I told some close to me that, they were OK with it. I may want to do my own thing and leave Alabama. That is why I am taking my time with all of this."

Florida defensive line coach Chris Rumph worked hard for months building a relationship with the 6-foot-3, 295 pound defensive lineman out of Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin.

The two had a strong connection and Miller was finally able to get down to Gainesville (Fla.) for the first time in July.

That visit changed things for the Rivals 250 prospect.

"After visiting Florida for a three days, things really went well and I knew I liked them a lot. When I came back home, sat down and compared all the schools I was looking at, Florida just came out on top.

"I thought about the visit and just compared them to Alabama, Auburn and a few others schools. That is why I have them on top right now."

The consistency is a big factor for Gators and his time on the campus around the staff and players played big into his interest level as well.

"Florida just talks to me all the time. It is not just coach Rumph. Me and coach [Jajuan] Seider (running backs) have a good relationship and other coaches are coming at me too. They are consistent, they are recruiting me the hardest and it is a school I really like a lot.

"The love the coaches showed me when I was there really showed me that they really want me there. I was able to bond with the coaches, I met some of the players and I was able to find out a lot about the school and the program."

It all started with Rumph and he is key in Florida's success to this point. Miller has gotten to know him on more of a personal level.

"I have a great relationship with coach Rumph and he is one of the top defensive line coaches out there," said Miller. "We talk about every day, he is always reaching out to me and he is just a great guy.

"He has gotten to know me. At first, it was about recruiting, then it turned to life, family and things like that. He wants to know who I am as a person and I really like that. I know he is a great coach and we are getting to know each other very well."

Miller is going to spend more time in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) and Auburn (Ala.) than he will at the Swamp leading up to signing day because those places are closer to home and much easier to get to. He will take an official visit to Florida and he plans to see a game there this fall.

The Gators got off to a great start the first time they hosted Miller for a visit. If they can repeat that another couple of times, they may have a real shot at taking one of the best out of Alabama.

"It is a big decision, so I do not want to rush anything. I am planning to take all of my official visits before I make my decision. Florida will definitely get one of the visits.

"I want to see everything, be a man about this, and make the right decision for me. I will go wherever I feel is best for me. I have no problem leaving the state if that is what's right."

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Eyabi Anoma

MARYLAND VS. ALABAMA

Anoma isn't especially talkative but his actions give off the indication that Maryland and Alabama are the biggest contenders for him right now. He's made the short trip to College Park numerous times and has better relationships with the Maryland staff than at any other school. Anoma's offseason visit to Alabama made a huge impact on him and he has become a priority for the coaching staff there.

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SAN DIEGO – One of the top prospects at the loaded Honor Bowl two weekends ago was 2019 four-star linebacker Maninoa Tufono.

The Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou standout has already seen his recruitment take off with 15 offers including ones from Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State and many others.

Plus, the hard-hitting 6-foot-3, 220-pound recruit has been receiving new attention from the biggest national powers.

“I’ve been getting a lot of interest from Clemson,” Tufono said. “Alabama has been showing some interest in me and then more from the Pac-12 like Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado.

“All those (schools), I look up to all those (schools). Distance isn’t a key factor for me. Whatever is the best fit for me academic-wise and athletic-wise, I’ll be grateful for the opportunity.”

For Tufono, the recruiting process is just getting started. The 2019 four-star has seen some Pac-12 programs and wants to see more as his junior season continues.

As for a frontrunner, it’s just too early for the Honolulu Punahou standout. He hasn’t seen enough schools yet, hasn’t taken enough visits and wants to see which other programs get involved through this season.

“It’s just the start of the process,” Tufono said. “I’m going to take the process slowly, talk to my family and then make my decision from there.

“Everybody has been trying to recruit me hard and I’m grateful for every school that believes in my talent,” Tufono said.

“I took unofficial visits to Cal, Stanford, USC and UCLA. I wish I could take visits everywhere. I don’t know yet about any of my officials but maybe this winter I could take a visit to Oregon and some other schools.”

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Aside from safety, Auburn still has a lot of work to do in the 2018 recruiting cycle.

There are only two non-safeties committed on the defensive side of the ball — linebacker Michael Harris and defensive lineman Daquan Newkirk. But there are a lot of pieces left to add.

Rodney Garner is a known closer on the recruiting trail, so expect him to add several pieces. Travis Williams has several other elite talents out there that he’s actively recruiting. Greg Brown is in search of his first cornerback since taking over as Auburn’s defensive backs coach.

Here’s the latest projection on how I anticipate things will play out on defense in Auburn’s Class of 2018:

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