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

Army Bowl: Rivals100 DB Tyson Campbell getting ready for official visits

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Rivals100 defensive back Tyson Campbell has been having a great week of practice at the Army All-American Bowl. The Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage star has been working hard to shut down wide receivers but he is also working on figuring out the remaining month of his recruitment.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“As of right now I don’t have any official visits scheduled but I plan on taking some next week so I should be trying to confirm some as the week goes on,” Campbell said. “Alabama and Georgia will get official visits. Clemson and Miami are recruiting me pretty hard too.

“Georgia was kind of iffy in the first half of their game against Oklahoma but they really picked it up and play good football as the game progressed,” he said. “In the overtime they played their best football. Coach Smart, coach Tucker, and coach Cooley tell me I’m a great player and that if I work hard enough I could see some early playing time there. I could help the Georgia team do big things. I’ve been to campus twice and I feel comfortable there. I enjoyed myself and so did my parents.

“Alabama played well against Clemson,” said Campbell. “They dominated on both sides of the ball but I fell asleep so I didn’t’ see the whole game. Coach Ansley and coach Saban tell me that I’m a player they want and that they see me as a top player that can do big things at Alabama. I really didn’t get to be with the players all that much when I visited but I plan to see how I fit in with them when I take my official visit."

“It didn’t end too well for Miami this year but they had a good season overall,” he said. “I think the future is bright for them. I talk to a couple players that and I know I get along with them pretty well.

“Clemson’s defensive line is pretty good so, as a defensive back, I wouldn’t have to cover long if I went there,” Campbell said. “I talk to coach Reed a lot and he’s telling me that I’m one of his favorite recruits and I’m a guy that they think I could produce early. Everywhere there is pretty nice. The campus is in the middle of nowhere but it’s a good school.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

Campbell keeps his cards hidden for the most part but it seems like Georgia might have a slight edge over the competition because of how comfortable he and his parents felt on campus. Alabama, Miami, and Clemson are also major contenders and his reaction to the official visits should be very telling.

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UA Future 50 Video: Kenyon Green Interview

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Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell speaks with Rivals100 offensive lineman Kenyon Green.

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UA Future 50 Video: Evan Neal Interview

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Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell speaks with Rivals100 prospect Evan Neal.

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How close major Alabama LB target JJ Peterson is to Tennessee commitment

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JJ Peterson, the nation’s No. 2 outside linebacker out of Colquitt County High School (Moultrie, Ga.), seemed like he was a near lock to end up in Alabama’s 2018 recruiting class.

Once Jeremy Pruitt accepted the head coaching job at Tennessee, Peterson to Alabama seemed like a longshot. His closest relationship with any college coach is Pruitt. His head coach at Colquitt County is Rush Propst, who hired Pruitt to be his defensive coordinator at Hoover (Ala.) High School.

Now that Pruitt won’t be coaching in Tuscaloosa anymore, Peterson just doesn’t have the relationships he has at Alabama that he does at Tennessee. Not only do the Vols have Pruitt but also Kevin Sherrer who was Peterson’s primary recruiter at Georgia and two former teammates in Shawn Shamburger and Jay Blakely.

Peterson will make his commitment this Saturday at the Army Bowl. It’ll be a shock if he doesn’t choose Tennessee.

“If I find a hat, it’s over. If I find a Tennessee hat, it’s over,” Peterson told SEC Country’s Benjamin Wolk. “There aren’t too many people out here that’s going to Tennessee.”

The Army All-American has never visited Tennessee before, but he isn’t one of those recruits who cares about how the campus “feels” and whether or not the facilities or dorms are up to date. The only thing that has mattered to Peterson is having someone at the school he can trust. Peterson didn’t grow up in the best family environment. Propst and his wife look after Peterson and his baby daughter, Alexandria. Peterson has always felt like he can look to Pruitt for guidance. That’s why Alabama led for so long and it’s why the Tide will no longer land one of the nation’s top recruits.

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Sounds like a smart kid.

No chance of any bias in his dad’s comments at all, nope. Haha

Sounds like Jake' father needed his own 15 minutes of fame.

Sounds like Saban was saving you from being cucked, Emerson

So ungrateful.

Saban was sparing him the heartache of walking in on Joey Freshwater naked grinding his wife.

He should be praising Saban not admonishing him smh.

The bottom line is Jake was a life-long Georgia fan, his dad is a Georgia alum, but its funny how the story changed over time.

After committing to Alabama (No Mention of Kirby):

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But there he was on Saturday, with his father Emerson and Alabama head coach Nick Saban, in Saban's office a few hours before the Crimson Tide knocked off Arkansas 27-14. The class of 2017 four-star recruit, who earned the Crimson Tide offer in the spring, knew what he wanted to do. He just had to say it....

"We got to talking about football. When we were talking, I felt my heart pounding and felt that tug on my heart. I decided at the end of the conversation, 'Hey coach, I really want to play for you and I really want to come to Alabama.'"

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"When Nick Saban looks at you and tells you that your kid's the right fit and looks Jake in the eye and says that you're the kid we want in the '17 class, I don't know how you turn that down," Emerson Fromm said.

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"When he makes his mind up, he's all in," Emerson Fromm said. "He wants to play a part in helping recruit receivers he can build a relationship with and throw to when their turns come up at Alabama.

"I don't want to find out what it's like to go visit somewhere else under Nick Saban. I'm joking, but at the same time, there's no reason to take an official visit (elsewhere). If we told him that's what we're going to do, then that's what we are going to do."

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How Jake Fromm's Commitment unfolded...

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After Flipping to UGA (It was all about Kirby):

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“When Kirby left, it made it tough. Kirby was a big draw to go to Alabama,” Emerson said.

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“Kirby said he wasn’t necessarily going to try to steal him from Alabama, but at the same time, we’re going to talk and not just give up on Jake,” Emerson Fromm said. “It’s interesting how there was very little contact after that from Alabama. Kirby was our point of contact there.”

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“For his entire life, from the moment he could understand what football is, he was a Georgia fan,” Emerson Fromm said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of emotion there, so we went back to Alabama. He just couldn’t connect with the coaches there. It was just hard to have a relationship with those guys. Kirby was our point of contact there. He likes Kirby and wants to play for Kirby.

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Jake Fromm's dad opened up on his son picking Kirby Smart over Nick Saban

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And then now we have the articles calling Nick Saban's tactics bizarre. I mean it is what it is, they are the enemy now, but its just funny how his tune changed.