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

quote:

---

Nicholas Petit-Frere

Schools in the mix: Florida, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State

Breakdown: Florida was the heavy favorite before the program went through its coaching change, though the Gators are still very much in play. These days, however, Notre Dame seems to have closed the gap a bit. Ohio State will get a late official visit, so don’t count out the Buckeyes, either. Petit-Frere’s recruitment is difficult to project, which should create some late intrigue.

---

quote:

---

Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network.

THE SITUATION

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Under Armour All-America Game are finished and those are always some of the most valuable evaluation periods throughout the recruiting calendar.

Some players shine. Some players are exposed. And during the weeks in San Antonio and Orlando, recruits are challenged in numerous ways and either respond or fold under the pressure.

So who stood out? And who came back down to Earth a little bit?

The final rankings cycle for the 2018 class is coming up in a couple weeks leading up to National Signing Day and performances at the Army Bowl and at Under Armour will definitely be reflected.

There will be lots of movement - just like every year - and here are a few takes on which players stood out the most and which ones did not exactly live up to their billing.

FIRST TAKE - CHAD SIMMONS, RIVALS.COM

“I loved Olaijah Griffin's swag and confidence going against some of the best wide receivers in the country. He showed great short-space quickness and he had a great performance in press coverage. With Brevin Jordan, he was arguably the most consistent performer on his team from start to finish. His hands were golden and he moved much better than some may have expected.”

SECOND TAKE - MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM

“Jordan Davis disappointed me because he’s ranked so high and I expected to see a kid who would push for five stars. He wasn’t horrible any stretch, but he was No. 37 in the country coming in, a kid committed to Alabama who everybody thought was pretty special.

“The Maurice Washington kid was a surprise. I’m not saying he is a four-star even, but he was the biggest shocker of all. He didn’t do much in practice and then he gets the opportunity in the game and has an historic Under Armour game.

“The other disappointment for me was Devon Williams. It just didn’t look like he cared. He didn’t go through any drills with any energy, didn’t try to catch any balls that were out of his catch radius, just sort of went through the motions. If you’re talking about a surprise who’s ranked lower would be Nick Petit-Frere and Olaijah Griffin, along with Brevin Jordan.

“Jordan was so good, I just wish he was 6-foot-5. He’s so fast. He reminds me of Evan Engram now. He’s a flex tight end who no one can cover.”

---

quote:

---

Michael Thompson

Schools in the mix: Missouri, USC, Nebraska, Miami, Alabama

Breakdown: Thompson took official visits to Missouri and USC prior to the Early Signing Period and considering the Tigers have been the leader for the better portion of his recruitment, it was a little surprising he didn’t sign. That delay has opened the door for some other programs to at least get a shot, with the Huskers and Canes among those mentioned as possible visit destinations.

---

quote:

---

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with some 2018 prospects that will get five-star consideration next week in rankings meetings, Georgia leads the way for teams that has surprising 2017 seasons and look at how lame the coaching carousel could potentially be in 2018.

---

quote:

---

Rivals100 defensive lineman Tyler Friday has been quietly moving closer to a commitment date and the Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep star can now see the finish line. Officially, Friday has been working with a top five of Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA, Penn State, and Miami but three schools, including one that isn’t in his top five, are in the best position to land his commitment.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“As of right now I’m just taking my time with the process,” Friday said. “I don’t have any official visits planned right now. As far as committing, it’ll be when I feel comfortable, which should be soon.

“I’m still thinking about the same schools that were in my top five,” he said. “I would say Michigan, Ohio State, and Alabama are the ones that I have better relationships with but Miami, UCLA, and Penn State are still in play.

“Michigan felt like home,” said Friday. “They have a lot of New Jersey connections there and a lot of guys are there that I either played with or played against. I feel comfortable with the players and the coaches there. The coaches are telling me to take my time. They are being really cool about it and are letting me make my decision.

“For Ohio State, Coach Johnson and I think coach Schiano is also coming to see me on Friday,” he said. “Hopefully it’ll be an atmosphere where we can just talk and discuss where we are with the process. I have a really great relationship with them. I feel really comfortable with the coaches and we talk pretty much every day. Ohio State has a lot of familiar faces there. I took two visits there so I have a good relationship with them. I’ve seen a lot of their commits and I feel like it will be a great class. We could do something very special and build our own legacy at the school if I do end up going there.

“It was a great game on Monday night,” Friday said of the National Championship game. “Alabama didn’t give up even though they were down early and found a way to fight back. That’s what Alabama does. I’ve been giving Alabama a chance because they started recruiting me late in the process. Now that they’ve come on I’ve been listening to what they have to say.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

For the large majority of Friday’s recruitment, it felt like Michigan was in the driver’s seat but over the span of just a few months Ohio State and Alabama have significantly closed the gap and possibly overtaken the Wolverines. Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson has had a big impact on Friday’s thought process and is the driving force behind Ohio State’s surge. Alabama was late to the party but their success with defensive linemen as well as Nick Saban’s reputation as a defensive-minded head coach helps the Crimson Tide with Friday. Michigan's many different relationships with Friday as well as the success of the defensive linemen over the past few years are just a few of the things Michigan has going for them.

Friday’s commitment shouldn’t come any earlier that Friday evening because he wants to give the Buckeyes an in-home visit, just like he did with Michigan and Alabama. He will likely be announcing a commitment by this coming Wednesday if he doesn’t announce it over the weekend.

---

quote:

---

FOURTH IN A SERIES: The first-ever Early Signing Period has changed the college football recruiting landscape dramatically, with a good portion of the nation’s recruits signing with the colleges of their choice. That has left some programs searching to fill spots, opening new doors for the players who elected to wait and sign in February. With the dead period now over and the month-long race to Feb. 7 now on, we take a look at the best available unsigned prospects at each position. Today we take a look at highest-ranked offensive linemen still on the market.

---

quote:

---

Nicholas Petit-Frere

Schools in the mix: Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama, Florida

The breakdown: Despite there being less than a month until Petit-Frere makes his decision, there are still several schools who feel like they have a very real shot of landing his commitment. He’s already visited Michigan and Notre Dame and the Buckeyes, Tide and Gators are all expected to have him on campus this month. It will be a race to the finish between several of college football’s bluebloods to add the athletic lineman.

---

quote:

---

Jordan Davis will not enroll early

Jordan Davis, a 4-star Jack linebacker who signed with Alabama during the early signing period, was debating on whether he was going to enroll in school this month. He has decided to wait until May to enroll.

“I just want to enjoy the rest of high school,” Davis told SEC Country.

Davis’ mother was in a car accident and wasn’t at 100 percent health when we last talked to him in Orlando for the Under Armour All-America Game last week. Davis is taking care of his mother as she continues to get better.

The All-American was arguably the team’s most loyal commitment in the 2018 class. He committed to the Tide on Dec. 10, 2016, and never looked back.

I’ll admit that when Davis committed to the Tide last year, I had never heard of him. I actually had to reach out to a source close to the program to ask if his commitment was legit. He was a 3-star prospect at the time with offers from Kentucky and Memphis. Since then, Davis has turned into a force on the field. He’s now rated as one of the top 100 prospects in the 2018 class, according to the 247Sports composite, and is the nation’s No. 5 weakside defensive end.

He visited Tuscaloosa several times this fall for games and was always hanging out with other recruits to try to convince them to commit to Alabama. Davis, in a sense, has been the perfect commitment for the Tide — didn’t waver once, helped recruit others and got significantly better on the field throughout the fall.

Not to mention, the 6-foot-5, 238-pound prospect is one of the nicest guys to talk to. There was a time when Davis and his mother were living in a shelter when he was 5 years old. Things have turned around for his family, but one of the main reasons why he chose Alabama is because he feels like it’s the school that will help him provide for his mother one day.

“Going to Alabama just fits my lifestyle with how I grew up,” Davis said. “Competing was something my mom had to do every day when I was a child. She had to compete and we had to fight when we were growing up, and we were poor. At Alabama, I’m going to have to compete every day for what I want.

“Alabama just keeps it 100 [percent] with you. That’s what I really love about them. They’re not going to sell you a dream. But what they do say is that if I work out hard and do well on and off the field, I will have a chance to get to the league. [Outside linebackers] coach [Tosh] Lupoi tells me all of the time that he sees a big-time outside linebacker in myself getting drafted in the next four years.”

---

quote:

---

“I just want to enjoy the rest of high school,” Davis told SEC Country.

---

quote:

---

What are the chances Brown signs with Alabama on Feb. 7?

“Hundo (100 percent),” he said.

---