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re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition
Posted on 12/18/17 at 7:52 am to Captain Crown
Posted on 12/18/17 at 7:52 am to Captain Crown
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Harold Joiner
This post was edited on 12/18/17 at 7:58 am
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Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:02 am to Captain Crown
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Anything on Harold Joiner? LSU side says that his dad wants him at Alabama.
I haven't seen any mention of Bama recruiting activity with Joiner lately. All the signs seem to point to him being an LSU lock. Is he signing early?
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:07 am to TidalSurge1
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Stephon Wynn, 4-star DT (Bradenton, Fla.)
Pretty sure I am in the minority but I like this kid & have liked him more than Brenton Cox. I think he's gonna get on the field early for ya'll
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Michael Parker, 3-star TE (Huntsville, Ala.)
Surprised to see this. Is this more because he might take a grayshirt?
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:13 am to TigerPaw1
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Surprised to see this. Is this more because he might take a grayshirt?
He might be a blueshirt too. No one seems to know for sure.
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:18 am to TideSaint
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The news conference abruptly ended and Nick Saban darted away from the raised platform from which he spoke, not wasting a second before leaving the room.
Moments before, an Alabama spokesman explained why Saban was about to make a quick exit.
"We got to wrap up," he said. "We got to get Coach to recruiting."
Saban has been tied up with that activity, he acknowledged, for the last three weeks even as his team is staring at a showdown with Clemson in the College Football Playoff on New Year's Day. A master of organization known for devising contingency plans, Saban has been presented with a challenge he has never faced before: An early signing period for football prospects that runs from Wednesday until Friday.
Instead of concentrating on preparations for a much-anticipated rematch with the Tigers and doing the kind of self-scouting he typically does this time of year, Saban has spent days hop-scotching the country with the goal of ensuring his program remains a destination for the nation's top talent.
"I don't know how many miles I went on the airplane," he said.
Saban looked stressed as he delivered that comment, as his mind drifted away from football.
"[He and the coaches] were off doing recruiting the last couple of weeks," said cornerback Levi Wallace.
For the longest time, Saban has never minded pursuing high school players. Over his career, he has developed unique strategies to attract them and build star-studded classes. He was at the forefront of the practice of oversigning, cleverly managing the roster and stretching the bounds of scholarship limits. He also has been creative in salesmanship, employing skilled graphic designers to implant the idea in recruits' heads that playing for Alabama was cool.
Saban's visionary methods have helped the Tide land seven straight No. 1 recruiting classes.
But this year, according to 247Sports, Alabama's collection of talent is ranked seventh, and a five-star athlete has yet to commit to play in Tuscaloosa next season.
There are a number of reasons that may explain the marginal dip for Alabama. In recent seasons, the Tide has lost assistants who were able recruiters, including Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier. The recent departure of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who has spent the last ten days as Tennessee's head coach working to solidify his new school's 2018 class, also hasn't helped Alabama's cause. And the Tide has only 22 slots open -- 16 of which are currently scheduled to be filled.
But the early-signing period, which Saban was not in favor of, appears to be among the biggest contributing factors to the downturn.
It has tested Alabama's patient approach to recruiting by forcing the Crimson Tide to make a quicker call on whether it wants to chase a player committed to another university in the hopes of flipping him before he inks a letter of intent or continue the evaluation process and risk losing him altogether.
"It's sort of this game of chicken," said Barton Simmons, director of football scouting for 247Sports. "I am not sure some of the heavyweights have the leverage to win that they would in the past."
Simmons noted that in previous years the Tide has been deliberate in assembling its classes and thorough in the assessment of its targets to make sure it picked the right players. A wrong determination made in the fall could be rectified after the new year. But now that a prospect can lock in his spot in December, there is no margin for error.
"If you decide you made a bad call on a kid, you can't sort of push him out of the class in January," Simmons said. "I think that has made Alabama be a little more careful along the way this cycle. They can't go all-in on a kid they don't know if they will have a spot for."
It's why Saban spent part of his last news conference bemoaning the latest wrinkle in the recruiting calendar.
"I didn't like it when we did it, I don't like it now," Saban said. "I don't think it's in the players' best interest. I don't see how it benefits anybody. I think it's really stressful for everyone. We're all trying to get ready for bowl games and playoff games and we have a signing day right in the middle of when we're going to be practicing for a playoff game. It was very stressful for a lot of coaches to get out and see as many guys as they could in December and accelerate everything. You don't have very much time to do that. If you're playing in a championship game, you have even less time to do it."
Saban wore a exasperated look on his face.
One of the bizarre residual effects of the early signing period is that it has made Alabama a victim of its own success. All of a sudden, the Tide is impaired on the recruiting trail because it still has a shot at competing for a national title and must devote time toward preparing for that opportunity. Programs participating in less consequential bowl games or teams that failed to qualify for the postseason don't have their attention divided in the same way Alabama does.
"That is sort of an indication of one of the many challenges on the plate of a school like Alabama," Simmons said. "This is a rare instance where Alabama is not at an advantage anymore."
But in order to regain that edge, the relentless Saban is working overtime as he tries to make the best of a burdensome situation.
"It is," Saban said, "what it is."
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:21 am to TideSaint
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Kevontae Ruggs has a theory on why he hasn't received much recruiting attention from Auburn.
"They think I'm committed to Bama," he said. "But I'm not."
There's good reason for Auburn -- and other schools -- to project Ruggs to sign with Alabama.
Kevontae Ruggs' older brother, Henry, is a freshman receiver at Alabama and has caught a team-best five touchdowns this season.
A rangy 6-foot-4, 205-pound defensive back from Lee-Montgomery, Kevontae has consistently drawn high praise from coaches and all-stars as one of the best players on Alabama's roster for Saturday's annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. He projects as a strong safety or linebacker in college, depending on how much weight he adds.
Alabama was the first school to offer Ruggs a scholarship, but he said West Virginia, Ole Miss, Louisville, Maryland and Florida Atlantic are also heavily pursuing him now. "Recruiting, it's been picking up," he said.
Defensive back Jakorey Hawkins, Ruggs' teammate Lee-Montgomery and fellow all-star this week, is already committed to Ole Miss. Louisville has heavily recruited Alabama in recent years, snagging Montgomery quarterback Malik Cunningham last year and getting a commitment from Huffman's Allen Love earlier this week. Maryland signed Clay-Chalkville quarterback Ty Pigrome a couple of years ago.
Has Henry Ruggs been trying to sway his brother to join him at Alabama?
"He's just telling me to do what's best for me," Kevontae said, "to keep praying about it, and God will lead me the right way."
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:22 am to TidalSurge1
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Which Alabama targets are signing early?
5-star DE Brenton Cox will sign with Alabama or Georgia on Wednesday
4-star QB Emory Jones will sign with Alabama, Florida, Florida State or Ohio State on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
4-star OT Penei Sewell will sign with Alabama, Oregon or Southern California on Wednesday.
4-star TE Dominick Wood-Anderson will sign with Alabama or Tennessee on Wednesday.
5-star DE Eyabi Anoma will sign with Alabama, Michigan or Maryland on Friday.
I think we get the 3 in bold.
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:25 am to TideSaint
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Stephon Wynn Jr. committed to Alabama over Georgia in the summer. Wynn never looked back on his decision to choose the Crimson Tide. He didn’t visit any other program after committing to Alabama.
Here’s all you need to know about Wynn:
247Sports composite ranking: No. 3 defensive end (projects as a defensive tackle, though), No. 15 prospect in Florida and No. 70 overall
Hometown: Anderson, S.C.
School: IMG Academy
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 285 pounds
Offers: 27, including Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State
Commitment: July 1, 2017
Early enrollee: Yes
Where he fits at Alabama: Wynn is listed as a defensive end, but he will likely play defensive tackle when he arrives in Tuscaloosa in January after playing in the Under Armour All-America Game. With depth at defensive tackle being a concern for the Tide moving forward, Wynn is someone who could see playing time early next season.
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:38 am to TideSaint
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JJ Peterson has a new leader
SUWANEE, Ga. — JJ Peterson sacked North Gwinnett quarterback John Urzua on the 46-yard line with 13 seconds left. It looked like Peterson’s sack was going to wrap up a state championship for Colquitt County of Moultrie, Ga.
Nope. Chaos ensued.
Colquitt County was fired up after Peterson’s sack, but there was still time on the clock for a miracle. Colquitt County was flagged back-to-back times for illegal substitution. Once it finally only had 11 players on the field, North Gwinnett attempted a Hail Mary pass, which came up short of the end zone, but Colquitt was flagged for a pass interference penalty. North Gwinnett lined up for a 38-yard field goal on an untimed down and made it to give the school its first state championship.
Peterson, a 4-star linebacker, told SEC Country after the game what happened after his sack and how his team collapsed.
“We just got too excited and had too many players on the field both times,” Peterson said. “It’s a minor step back for us. Last year, we didn’t even make it. It’s hard to just even make it here. Even though we didn’t win, we still made it. I’m happy. It’s family here. People can say we may not get along, but it’s just not true. We love each other. I mean, even our cheerleaders are crying. Everybody in our community cares for our team.”
The nation’s No. 2 outside linebacker now turns his attention to the next chapter of his life.
Alabama has been Peterson’s leader for almost all of 2017. He no longer considers the Crimson Tide on top because Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt left to take the Tennessee job.
There’s no coach in college football who Peterson is closer to than Pruitt. That’s mainly because of Rush Propst, Colquitt County’s coach, is close with Pruitt. Pruitt was Propst’s defensive coordinator at Hoover (Ala.) High School before being hired at Alabama.
Because Pruitt is no longer in Tuscaloosa, Peterson considers Tennessee, a school he hasn’t visited yet, his leader. Pruitt hired Georgia outside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer to be the Volunteers’ defensive coordinator. That also has an effect on Peterson because Sherrer was his primary recruiter at Georgia.
“I have a strong connection with Coach Pruitt and Coach Sherrer,” Peterson said. “I also have two former teammates there [Shawn Shamburger and Jay Blakely]. I know people there. Coach Pruitt leaving has changed the whole game for me.”
If Peterson doesn’t choose the Tide, it would be a major blow for Alabama because he has been projected to sign with the team for almost all of this year. He was one of the team’s top, if not the No. 1, linebacker target in this class.
Now, Alabama signing Peterson is very much in doubt.
Propst did say that Nick Saban was recruiting Peterson very well, too, so there could be some hope for Alabama.
“I’ll say this about Coach Saban, I’ve watched him talk to JJ Peterson a bunch, and he has done a great job recruiting him,” Propst said earlier this month.
Right now, Saban is the head coach that has talked to Peterson the most.”
Well, that head coach now becomes Jeremy Pruitt. Peterson said Alabama is now No. 2 on his list.
“They’re up there, but you know Tennessee has to be on top for me now,” Peterson said.
The Army All-American said Alabama can regain the lead for him in these final few weeks, but he needs to continue building a relationship with Saban for that to happen. He mentioned how he doesn’t have that person he can fully trust now at Alabama. Pruitt was the guy for him. Peterson said the only person he really knows at Alabama is freshman safety Xavier McKinney, who played at Roswell (Ga.) High School. The connections at Tennessee are stronger than that.
Even though Peterson has never visited Tennessee before, he’s not a guy who cares about locale and the “feel” of the campus. Relationships are what’s most important to him.
He doesn’t have any official visits set but said Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee are all in the running to receive one of his five visits. He’ll make his commitment on Signing Day.
Peterson doesn’t seem stressed out about his upcoming decision. He’s just looking forward to spending time with his baby daughter, Alexandria, before he leaves for school.
“I’m just chilling right now,” Peterson said. “I’m going to try to take all of my visits, but right now, I just want to buckle down with my daughter and spend as much time with her as I can before I leave. I know it’s going to be hard when I go to college.”
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:53 am to TideSaint
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:54 am to TideSaint
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Emory Jones to Alabama seems unlikely
Emory Jones, a 4-star quarterback from Heard County High School (Franklin, Ga.), has been pegged to flip from Ohio State to Alabama for several months now. That doesn’t seem likely anymore.
A source close to the Alabama program told SEC Country on Sunday night that he believes the Crimson Tide are out of the running for Jones after taking official visits to Florida and Florida State this weekend. The Gators are now seen as the favorites to land Jones when he signs on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Alabama was always going to have a tough time signing one of the nation’s best quarterback prospects because the depth chart in Tuscaloosa is young. Jalen Hurts is a sophomore and Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones are both freshmen. It’s not an appealing situation for a highly ranked quarterback because playing time doesn’t seem obtainable for a few years.
Jones has said to me on multiple occasions, however, that early playing time wasn’t important to him. He was planning on redshirting if he went to Ohio State or Alabama. But, after Florida moved on from 4-star quarterback Matt Corral, who flipped to Ole Miss, the opportunity to visit Gainesville presented itself for Jones. The Gators’ quarterback situation is atrocious and it’s very possible Jones could start as a freshman in Dan Mullen’s offense. He’s the perfect quarterback to run the offense Mullen runs.
My prediction is Jones ends up at Florida.
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:55 am to TidalSurge1
He's believed to sign on the 20th. LSU side just isn't sure that he's 100%. Only other teams mentioned are Alabama and Auburn. B
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:55 am to TideSaint
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Two surprising commitments this past weekend
Out of nowhere, Brandon Kaho, a 4-star linebacker from Reno (Nev.) High School, flipped his commitment from BYU to Washington.
Kaho was a major priority for Alabama, and I thought there was a good chance he would ultimately flip from the Cougars to the Tide. That’s not happening anymore. With Kaho off the board, I do expect current linebacker commits Quay Walker and Vernon Jackson to stick with Alabama. The Tide are also recruiting JJ Peterson, who we talked about above.
Another surprise was 3-star defensive tackle Billy Ferrell committing to Arkansas.
The Tide just started recruiting Ferrell this month but they had already made him a priority. Alabama needs defensive tackles this year, and the team thought it had a chance to get Ferrell on board. He was expected to take an official visit to Alabama in January, but that’s likely not going to happen.
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:56 am to TideSaint
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Jerome Ford to sign early
Jerome Ford, a 3-star running back from Armwood High School (Seffner, Fla.), committed to Alabama on Sunday. He didn’t announce if he was going to sign early or not. He told SEC Country on Sunday night that he will be signing this week. He will not enroll at Alabama until the summer, though.
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:58 am to TideSaint
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Count Paul Finebaum among those who aren’t fans of the new early signing period.
Speaking on WJOX 94.5 FM on Monday, the noted ESPN analyst gave his opinion on the early signing period that will take place from Wednesday to Friday. Earlier, Alabama coach Nick Saban voiced his displeasure with the situation. Finebaum shares the same view.
Here’s what the analyst said about the topic on the radio appearance:
“It’s a mess. And I know there has been some criticism of Saban’s comments. There always will be. … But I understood the intent of this. But instead I think it has blown up, and it has just created unnecessary pressure. What is going to be accomplished by announcing now versus six weeks from now? We’re not talking about that much time. And I just think some players, because they have their ESPN timeslot already booked for next Wednesday, will make faulty decisions. I don’t need to tell you guys how important this [choice] is. So why move it up?”
Some have criticized Saban and others who have disagreed with the early signing period, pointing to the fact that coaches are paid lots of money to handle the tasks of their job. Still, Finebaum and Saban make good points.
Especially for a coach like Saban, who is preparing for a College Football Playoff appearance against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, you can only accomplish so much in a day. And then there’s the reality that kids are making choices a few months earlier than normal, with some perhaps being “pressured” to sign this week instead of weighing more options later.
But bottom line, the early signing period is here. Saban and other coaches must adjust, no matter how much they dislike the new recruiting landscape.
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 8:59 am to TideSaint
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Casey Rogers returned to Tuscaloosa for the second time this year after visiting Alabama for camp this past summer where he worked out as a defensive end, linebacker and tight end.
Rogers, a 3-star prospect from Avon (Conn.) Old Farms School, took an official visit to Alabama this past weekend. He has seen his recruitment interest skyrocket this month. Ohio State hosted him on an official visit last weekend before Alabama did this week. Arizona State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Penn State are some of the other schools who have started to recruit Rogers.
What makes Rogers an intriguing prospect is his versatility. He left Tuscaloosa without an offer, but it sounds like one could be coming down the road after the early signing period wraps up at the end of this week.
“Let’s just say that the next month will be pretty crazy for me,” Rogers told SEC Country. “I’m expecting good news.”
As far as what position Rogers would be offered at remains unclear. He has the ability to play defensive end, linebacker and tight end. Defensive end seems like the likeliest position for Rogers to get offered at considering the team’s needs at the position.
“That’s one thing that I do have going for me that I can play a couple of different positions,” Rogers said. “I think it will all come down to what these schools need and how they want to use me.”
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect was once committed to Syracuse to play lacrosse where his father was an assistant coach on the staff. After getting late football offers from Western Michigan and West Virginia in last year’s recruiting cycle, Rogers decided to take a post-grad year at a boarding school where he could focus solely on football.
“A school like Syracuse, which is where I was committed to, is kind of like the Alabama of lacrosse,” Rogers said. “It was a tough situation for me. I had to do a lot of thinking. Football just gives me a feeling I don’t get when I play lacrosse. I love lacrosse, but I think football is in my heart. I just feel like there’s nothing better than playing football. I feel like I’m on top of the world when I’m playing. You just have to do what your heart tells you to do. That was the deciding factor for me.”
Rogers won’t make his commitment until February because he expects to receive more scholarship offers in the coming weeks. But, if he did get one from Alabama, Rogers said it would be a tough decision for him to turn down the opportunity.
“Obviously, a school like Alabama, you go there to win championships and then bounce,” Rogers said. “That’s intriguing to me. I don’t have a list of top schools at the moment just because I’m still weighing what options I’ll have. They’re Alabama, though. They would obviously be in consideration.”
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 9:00 am to TideSaint
Maybe Peterson is just making things interesting?
Posted on 12/18/17 at 9:00 am to TideSaint
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Tyler Friday hadn’t visited Alabama before this weekend. He admits that before making the trip from New Jersey to Tuscaloosa, it was difficult to gauge his interest in the Crimson Tide because he hadn’t stepped foot on campus.
Friday, a 4-star defensive tackle from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), says Alabama is now in a good spot for him after this weekend’s visit.
“They’re more relevant than what they were before this visit,” Friday told SEC Country. “They’re Alabama. When a team like that tells you that they want you, you need to take that into consideration. They’re definitely in play.”
Heading into the visit, Michigan and Ohio State were considered the teams to beat. Alabama has now inserted itself into the picture for Friday when he makes his decision in February.
“It’s becoming more clear to me,” Friday said on where his recruitment stands. “Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State are definitely going to be in my top 3.”
The 6-foot-3, 263-pound prospect said he doesn’t have any other official visits set just yet. He has already taken visits to Michigan and Ohio State. Friday said he’s just going to take his recruitment week-by-week before deciding if he wants to use his two remaining official visits.
As far as the best part of his trip to Tuscaloosa this weekend, Friday said seeing Alabama work in person is what impressed him the most.
“Honestly, just watching the process,” Friday said. “Everyone knows that Alabama is a great team. Just seeing the process and watching them go through it step by step, it’s kind of self-explanatory to see why they’re so good.”
What can Alabama do at this point to position itself to land his commitment?
“Just keep communicating with me and let me know what’s going on,” Friday said. “I know they have a few guys who are going to the draft this year. I want to continue building my relationship with the coaches.
“There’s a great opportunity for me to play at a great program. It’s definitely appealing to me.”
LINK
Posted on 12/18/17 at 9:01 am to TideSaint
Casey Rogers' high school mascot for the win:
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