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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:33 am to TideSaint
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:33 am to TideSaint
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PLANTATION, Fla.--Patrick Surtain isn’t the type to make snap decisions. It’s why his timeline hasn’t changed and neither have the schools involved in his recruitment. He knows Jimbo Fisher, the coach with whom he spent time building a relationship, is out at Florida State, but he isn’t making any bold proclamations about the Seminoles in the move’s aftermath.
His approach on that front is of the wait-and-see variety.
“It’s not over with them at all,” Surtain said of the Seminoles. “I still like Florida State. I’m still considering them. Whatever coach comes next, I’m going to give him a look.”
But while FSU searches for a coach, LSU, Clemson, Alabama, Miami and Ohio State continue to pursue the five-star defensive back. And Surtain, who spent months saying LSU was his leader, is sporting a more neutral tone these days.
“It’s all tied up,” he said on Friday. “I actually had a recent in-home visit [with LSU coach Corey Raymond]. He just told me how much of a valuable asset I’d be for them. We went over the cornerback situation.”
Surtain’s most recent recruiting conversation came with the staff at Alabama, members of which flew in for his state semifinal game. And while the conversation wasn’t long or groundbreaking, every little thing helps grow a relationship.
“Yeah, I saw them out here at the game,” Surtain said. “Coach [Derrick] Ansley was at the school, too. He was really just telling me good luck on my game and talking about the corner situation for next year. They say they really need me. I already know why type of school Alabama is.”
RIVALS REACTION: Miami has made a strong move with Surtain in recent days, but the Hurricanes and everyone else are still chasing the Tigers. Alabama and Clemson still have a punchers chance, with Ohio State being the dark horse. Surtain will not announce a commitment until Signing Day in February, so his upcoming official visits will likely mean everything.
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Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:38 am to TideSaint
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The latest Rivals100 for the class of 2018 has been released with four new five-star prospects and four prospects losing that coveted fifth star. And, as expected, the top two quarterbacks in the country remain Nos. 1-2 in the overall rankings.
The Rivals100 is led by Cartersville, Ga. signal caller Trevor Lawrence, a Clemson commitment, and Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison dual-threat Justin Fields, a Georgia commitment. Quarterbacks have never finished a recruiting cycle ranked 1-2 in the history of Rivals.com, and it will take some effort to displace them before our final 2018 ranking in January.
There was a bit of shifting after Lawrence and Fields, as our No. 1 wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, moved up a spot to No. 3 and Clemson commitment Xavier Thomas, a defensive end out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, moved up to No. 4. Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin defensive end Micah Parsons also moved up a spot to No. 5 overall while Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage cornerback Patrick Surtain slid three spots to No. 6.
The biggest shifts occurred with the new five-stars as Rome (Ga.) defensive end Adam Anderson, A Georgia commitment, moved up 61 spots to No. 13 in the country and Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances defensive end Eyabi Anoma moved up 75 spots to No. 24. Making smaller jumps but earning that key fifth star were Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy cornerback Brendan Radley-Hiles, who moved up 13 spots to No. 17, and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco defensive back and Ohio State commitment Jaiden Woodbey moved up nine spots to No. 26.
For Radley-Hiles and Woodbey, a fifth star had been discussed numerous times but we wanted to see how they did during their senior season. Obviously, both prospects passed the test. As for Anderson and Anoma, they took amazing strides during their senior years to push up to five-star status.
Falling from the five-star ranks are Franklin (Ga.) Heard County quarterback Emory Jones, an Ohio State commitment, New Orleans (La.) Landry-Walker wide receiver Devonta Jason, a Kansas commitment, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy defensive tackle Taron Vincent, an Ohio State commitment, and Long Beach (Calif.) Poly uncommitted wide receiver Jalen Hall.
For those that fell, it often came down to comparison to the next level of player at their position. Jones hasn’t progressed nearly as much as the two quarterbacks ahead of him and Hall has fallen behind many wide receivers when it comes to burst, separation and ball skills. Jason’s speed has always been a question and that hasn’t increased as we had hoped. Vincent isn’t the biggest defensive tackle and his senior season was far below the level of his junior year.
Our regional analysts break down their reasons for the five-star movement below.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:40 am to TideSaint
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NEW FIVE-STARS
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Eyabi Anoma
“There are few players in the country that have Anoma's upside. He is still learning his position but projects as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. Anoma's aggressiveness, athleticism and relentlessness are off the charts. He's a dominant force off the edge for his team and was the best player on the field in every game. It will be interesting to see how he plays against the competition at the Under Armour All-America Game in January. Alabama, Michigan and Maryland are the top three contenders for Anoma but a few other schools remain in the picture.” – Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:42 am to TideSaint
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LOST FIFTH STAR
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Emory Jones
“Jones has been a top recruit since he was a freshman, so he has been watched closely the last three years. He is a quarterback who has a lot to like, but he needs to develop, and really get to that next level as a passer. He can drive the ball down the field and he can buy time with his legs, but how he improves his accuracy will determine just how good the Ohio State commitment is on the next level.” – Simmons
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:44 am to TideSaint
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With the latest release of the Rivals100, much of the focus is on the new five-stars or the players that lost that coveted fifth star. However, there were many key moves in the four-star range as well. A few players have positioned themselves to push for that fifth star when we do our final evaluation of the 2018 class in mid-to-late January. Record-setting receiver Marquis Spiker from Murrieta (Calif.) Murietta Valley, a Washington commitment, is now a top five wideout in the country and checks in at No. 29 overall, just three spots away from a fifth star. Defensive end Jordan Davis from Memphis (Tenn.) Southwind, an Alabama commitment, pushed up 36 spots to No. 37 overall and is now also in range as is cornerback Olaijah Griffin from Mission Viejo, (Calif.), a UCLAcommitment, who moved up to No. 38 in the country.
Michigan commitment Otis Reese, a linebacker out of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County, pushed up to No. 42 while Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe wide out Derion Kendrick, a Clemson commitment, is also knocking on the door at No. 43 now.
Additionally, a few players fell further from grace led by former five-star Matt Corral of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, a quarterback commitment for Florida, who dropped to No. 74 after an up-and-down season.
Our team of analysts breaks down the big movers (up 25 spots or more) and sliders (down 20 spots or more) in the Rivals100.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:46 am to TideSaint
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RISERS
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Jordan Davis
“Davis is a freak athlete who continues to get bigger and stronger without losing any of the speed that makes him such a dangerous pass rusher. The Alabama commitment had a tremendous season and will be in the discussion for a fifth star if he shows well against elite competition on the all-star circuit.” – Woody Wommack, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:48 am to TideSaint
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Asa Martin
"Martin is a do-it-all running back. He will be able to run the ball between the tackles, on the perimeter and catch passes out of the backfield on the next level. He had 2,900 all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior while averaging 11.2 yards per rush. He has hands like a receiver and a nice burst when he touches the football.” – Simmons
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:49 am to TideSaint
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Nicholas Petit-Frere
“Petit-Frere has one of the best frames in the country and continues to add muscle. He carries no bad weight and his length combined with his light feet make him special. Florida, Notre Dame and Michigan are among those in the hunt to land his commitment.” – Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Florida Recruiting Analyst
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:49 am to TideSaint
CB) IT Stuart was supposed to official Georgia this weekend and cancelled . He’s is officially with us next weekend . Is he an early signing guy? Could’ve the weather,could be good news!
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:50 am to TideSaint
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Brandon Kaho
“What I like most about Kaho's game is his ability to do everything well and to simply take over games at linebacker. He has excellent vision to read the quarterback to pick off passes, phenomenal timing on his blitzes, he does a great job attacking the ball carrier and his athleticism is off the charts. The offense has a tough time blocking him because he's super physical, too, so he can shed blocks and make plays. Alabama, USCand many others are involved with Kaho, who remains committed to BYU.” – Gorney
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:53 am to TideSaint
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SLIDERS
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Matt Corral
“Against good competition this season, Corral was not at his best. I saw him throw four interceptions in a loss to Mission Viejo and then after serving a suspension early against Gardena Serra, he came in and made some mistakes as well in another close loss. Corral has incredible tools as a quarterback, a live arm and tremendous athleticism to escape pressure and make plays, but he takes too many chances and doesn't take care of the ball well enough. He remains committed to Florida but Alabama and others remain interested.” – Gorney
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:57 am to TideSaint
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One of the best 2020 quarterbacks nationally is Bryce Young and this past weekend he took an unofficial visit to Alabama.
It went really well. And the Los Angeles Cathedral standout landed his newest offer from the Crimson Tide.
“Getting the offer from coach (Nick) Saban is definitely a blessing,” Young said. “The results of the program obviously speaks for itself, and being in Tuscaloosa, it’s very apparent the support that is given to the team.”
This season Young completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 3,431 yards with 41 touchdowns and three interceptions and he also rushed for eight scores.
That has caught the attention of many top programs around the country as the 2020 standout has now landed 20 offers.
USC has been a hometown favorite for a long time since Young is from Pasadena, Calif., and Oklahoma has made in-roads with the Los Angeles Cathedral quarterback. He’s already visited Norman and has hit it off with first-year coach Lincoln Riley.
As for Young’s trip to Alabama, the high-level quarterback had an excellent experience and part of it was because he liked how the coaches there envision using him in the offense.
“They told me that my ability to both throw and make plays with my feet fits in very well for a lot of the things they currently do,” Young said.
“With a program like Alabama, the offer is significant to me. I haven’t started to narrow my list down yet, but they’ve definitely made a strong impression for me.”
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 10:59 am to TideSaint
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Isaac Taylor-Stuart is one of the top cornerbacks nationally and his recruitment continues to stay wide open.
The San Diego (Calif.) Helix two-way standout who led his team to a state regional title last weekend has closely watched the coaching turnover at Texas A&M as well.
He recently had a great in-home visit with assistant coach Jeff Banks in recent days but the five-star cornerback admitted he doesn’t know all that much about new Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.
The Aggies are certainly not eliminated from contention but Taylor-Stuart had developed a great relationship with former coach Kevin Sumlin, who was fired late last month, and was up front about his feelings.
Getting to know more about Fisher in the coming weeks will be crucial if the Aggies want to stay in this one.
“I don’t really know too much about (Fisher),” Taylor-Stuart said. “I never really talked to him to be honest. But I wish coach Sumlin stayed.”
Another factor that could be playing against Texas A&M as Taylor-Stuart’s recruitment continues is that four-star defensive back Leon O’Neal recently de-committed from the Aggies.
Taylor-Stuart and O’Neal, among other Texas A&M commits, struck up a friendship during the summer camp circuit and it could have been helpful to Taylor-Stuart to have O'Neal in College Station.
As for other visits, the five-star cornerback is expected to visit Georgia this weekend followed by a trip to Alabama the weekend of Dec. 15.
USC is also considered a frontrunner in his recruitment. The Trojans have been recruiting Taylor-Stuart for a long while and he’s been to campus multiple times including a recent trip to The Coliseum for a game.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:03 am to TideSaint
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Guess who got the first visit from Brenton Cox? No, it was not Ohio State, the school he is committed to, and no, it wasn't Georgia, the in-state school that the Rivals 100 defensive end committed to the Buckeyes over in the spring. It was Alabama.
Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide staff have stayed on the 6-foot-4, 245 pounder and they hope it pays off. They had him on campus for a game this fall and he returned for his official visit.
It appears things could not have gone any better.
"Alabama is way better than it seems," said Cox. "It is not how it seems. If you go there; you have no choice but to be a better man and a better player.
"The facilities there, the players there and the coaching staff all make it what it is."
?Cox spent time with many Alabama players and his hosts were Lyndell Wilson and Ben Davis. He got some insight from players about the program and his time with the coaches was valuable too.
"The Alabama coaches kept it real with me. I really liked the vibe and they made me feel very important.
"I have a good relationship with the Alabama coaches, I love how they play in the SEC, the visit was great and it helped their chances a lot."
The contact between Cox and Alabama may be at an all time high right now. Last week Tosh Lupoi visited Cox and on Monday, Jeremy Pruitt was there.
They are different coaches, but their message has been the same.
"The are pushing the depth chart on me," said Cox. "They are telling me that they do not have anymore like me and that I can come in and make plays. They need me they have been telling me and I believe that.
"They have given me a lot to think about."
Cox remains committed to Ohio State, but Alabama and Georgia are very much threats to the Buckeyes. He admits to that.
"Yeah, Ohio State coaches are worried and I am looking at Alabama and Georgia right now. Ohio State is pretty far away and Alabama and Georgia are pretty close to home.
"I just have to figure it out."
As we all know he has de-committed from OSU
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:06 am to TideSaint
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The new edition of the Rivals100 was released on Monday and there were no changes among the top two as Cartersville, Ga., quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison quarterback Justin Fields remain highest on the list.
Today the entire Rivals250 has gone public and there was plenty of movement up and down as high school seasons across the country come to a close. There will assuredly be more changes in the coming months leading up to National Signing Day in February after a bunch of important all-star events.
Here is a breakdown of some of the biggest movers both up and down in the new Rivals250.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:07 am to TideSaint
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RISERS
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104. Quay Walker
Movement: +122
“Walker is a linebacker with versatility. He has shown the ability to play the run, rush the passer and to play in space. He has a great frame with length and he could be a guy who could be moved around on the next level. Alabama is the school he is committed to, but they will have to continue to work hard to keep him with Auburn and Georgianot giving up.” - Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Chad Simmons
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:08 am to TideSaint
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112. Jalyn Armour-Davis
Movement: +66
“Armour-Davis is a technician at cornerback. He has very good footwork, he has shown he can play press and off coverage and he is good in one-on-one tackling situations on the perimeter. He has continued to fill out his frame and he will likely add more weight and strength once he gets to Alabama, the school he is committed to.” - Simmons
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:10 am to TideSaint
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205. Josh Jobe
Movement: NR to 205
“Jobe is back in the Rivals250 again and for good reason. The Miami commit is a physically dominant player with great ball skills and instincts. It will be interesting to see how he plays at the Army All-American Bowl in January.” - Friedman
Rivals.
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:13 am to TideSaint
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Before last Friday, Ty Robinson had not heard a word from Alabama’s coaching staff.
So the 2019 three-star defensive end was completely surprised when he heard from his coach at Gilbert (Ariz.) Higley that the Crimson Tide wanted to offer.
“The ‘Bama offer was kind of out of the blue,” Robinson said.
“I was shocked to get a call from (Eddy) Zubey telling me to get back to the school to talk. And I was speechless. I am just very blessed with this whole process and what God has done for me. I have all my coaches to thank and my family and especially my mom. I also do it for my dad who’s watching from above.”
So far, the 6-foot-6, 255-pound prospect has landed offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Iowa State, Memphis and Syracuse.
It’s early - and the offer was a shock - but Alabama definitely has caught Robinson’s attention.
“They are definitely a great choice in my recruitment,” he said.
As for new interest, the Gilbert Higley standout said Washington, Notre Dame and Utah have reached out recently.
In his junior season, Robinson finished with 51 tackles (31 for loss) including 14 sacks.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/17 at 11:18 am to TideSaint
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