re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

Nation’s No. 2 JUCO player: ‘Everything about Alabama is appealing to me’



Lakia Henry will visit Alabama this summer

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There’s not much of a difference from where Lakia Henry once was to where he is now.

Henry, the nation’s No. 2 junior college prospect from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, moved from Vidalia, Ga. to Dodge City (roughly 160 miles west of Wichita) after high school. There’s usually an adjustment period for players who attend junior colleges in the middle of the country where there’s not much to do other than practice, sleep, study and play video games in your dorm room.

“We have a Wal-Mart and a bowling alley,” Henry told SEC Country. “I moved away from home to go back to home in a way.”

Leaving home for his new home was a result of what Henry classifies as a “stupid mistake.” Henry had the talent to play high-caliber football when he was at Vidalia High School. Henry had 95 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries his senior season playing alongside future Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nate McBride. He was also the team’s running back where he amassed 909 yards on the ground and scored 12 touchdowns.

Yet not one college expressed interest in Henry. Schools didn’t have a choice. Henry didn’t take his work in the classroom seriously. He ran the lead leg on Vidalia’s 4 x 100 track team with McBride as the anchor, but Henry couldn’t run his senior year because he was academically ineligible.

The schools that were interested in Henry knew that he wasn’t going to be able to qualify.

“I was absent a lot. I didn’t turn in the work I was supposed to do. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it. I just wasn’t determined to get it done,” Henry explained. “I have to live with that. I wish I was able to go back to my 9th-grade year and start all over again.”

He got his second chance though at Dodge City. His academics are in line and he’s on track to graduate this December where he’ll have 3 years left at a university to play 2 college football seasons. Henry believes going to JUCO was actually a blessing for him. He doesn’t think he would have been ready for a university, both academically and athletically.

With being at Dodge City, he’s learned that he needs to tackle his assignments in the classroom just as strongly as the offensive players on opposing teams. Henry racked up 110 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 1 INT in 11 games this past season for Dodge City. That performance attracted some of the biggest schools in the country, like Alabama. The Crimson Tide consider Henry to be one of the team’s top inside linebacker targets in the 2019 class.

The top JUCO inside linebacker in the country plans on visiting Tuscaloosa after his semester ends in May. When Henry received his offer from Alabama in February, he knew the work he put in was all worth it.

“That was a huge, huge offer,” Henry said. “I knew I was a D1 player, but I didn’t know I was an Alabama football-like player. I don’t even know how to put words to all of this recruiting. It’s unreal, honestly. I dreamed about this when I was little. It’s all starting to happen now.”

Alabama recruiting a junior college inside linebacker makes sense. The team whiffed at the position in the 2018 class. The Crimson Tide wanted JJ Peterson, but once Jeremy Pruitt left for Tennessee, that was a done deal. The Tide also liked Vernon Jackson, but it came apparent that he wasn’t going to sign with Alabama, so the staff stopped recruiting him. The team also liked Brandon Kaho, but he surprisingly signed with Washington.

Bama did sign 3-star inside linebacker Jaylen Moody, who surely was a backup plan for the team. He got offered in the final days leading up to National Signing Day. He’ll likely redshirt this season.

Dylan Moses and Mack Wilson are the likely starters entering this season, but the latter is a candidate to enter the NFL draft at the conclusion of the year. Outside of Moses and Wilson, there are a lot of unknowns at inside linebacker and that’s why getting a guy like Henry who has college experience is of supreme importance.

“I talked to Nick Saban a few weeks ago and he told me that they don’t recruit players that they don’t think can play for Alabama,” Henry said. “He told me that they are light at inside linebacker. They’re going to need some help. He thinks I am one of those guys who can step right in and play.

It’s an appealing factor for any school. I’m not running from competition or anything like that, but I do want to go somewhere where I have a good shot to play. I don’t have 4 years to wait. If I had 4 years, I wouldn’t mind. I only have 2 playing years.”

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound prospect will make his decision before Dodge City’s season begins this fall. Alabama will certainly be one of his finalists. He named Alabama along with Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M and Tennessee as schools that he wants to visit this summer.

Henry said the Aggies are the team that is recruiting him the hardest at the moment. At least one coach from TAMU is in communication with him every day. He speaks with Alabama inside linebackers coach Pete Golding around twice per week. Golding has made a positive impression on Henry.

“I can tell he’s a good coach,” Henry said of Golding. “He has a nice swagger that I like about him. He’s just really confident. He knows Alabama is a good program and knows that good players are going to go there. When he talks to you, he knows he doesn’t have to sell much.”

Georgia was Henry’s dream school when he was growing up. The Bulldogs haven’t shown interest in the JUCO prospect. He said that he doesn’t have a dream school anymore. It’s all business from here on out.

But, he does have dreams of competing for a national championship.

“Alabama is the national champion,” Henry said of why he’s so interested in the Tide. “Everybody wants to play for a winner. If you want to go to a winning program, you go to Alabama.

“When I think about Alabama, I think about how crazy their fans are. I think about the championships. I think about the tradition. Everything about Alabama is appealing to me. Alabama is just one of those schools.”

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5-star tackle Kenyon Green ‘still very much in love’ with LSU

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Kenyon Green celebrates 17th birthday at LSU

Even after de-committing from LSU three months ago, the nation’s No. 2-ranked tackle has kept the Tigers in the fray.

That was made evident by Kenyon Green and his entire family spending a three-day unofficial visit in Baton Rouge. Green, along with his parents and sister, took in LSU’s second spring practice session on Tuesday, toured campus on Wednesday and celebrated his 17th birthday on Thursday eating gumbo, fried fish and shrimp with the entire coaching staff looking out onto Tiger Stadium.

Green’s father, JR Green, made the plans to return to Baton Rouge weeks ago, but didn’t realize the dates would coincide with his son’s birthday.

“We had a little birthday dinner down there and the staff sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to him. Everything was professionally done,” JR Green said. “We had great food. We were able to see the field and see him dress out. I wanted him in that purple and gold, and it looked great. A beautiful birthday card was in the mail by the time we were coming back home.

“We made the plan to be down there before his birthday, but because we made a promise to Coach O [Ed Orgeron], we came and started a relationship with Coach [James] Cregg. Kenyon respects Coach O and the whole staff. We had a phenomenal time. My wife loved the school. I love the school and my daughter was loving it. It was a great experience to get down there and that was a driving factor.”

Much of Green’s first visit back to Baton Rouge centered around reconnecting with Orgeron and getting to better know Cregg, who replaced Jeff Grimes as the Tigers offensive line coach in December.

Orgeron has established himself as one of the most impactful coaches in Green’s recruitment, a theme that continued after this most recent trip.

“He’s a great coach,” JR Green said of Orgeron. “He’s A1, down to earth. He’s not going to blow smoke. He tells the absolute truth, not all the bells and whistles. Everyone tells you that sky is going to open and nothing will fall out for you, but he [Orgeron] was honest about everything and we had a great time with him.”

Green spent much of Tuesday walking around LSU’s practice field with his eyes fixated on Cregg, who was working primarily with the interior linemen. Cregg was loud and passionate as he worked with his position group.

This visit gave Cregg an opportunity to spend face-to-face time with the 2019 Under Armour All-American.

“He’s a phenomenal guy. He’s a real, top-shelf guy,” JR Green said. “He sat us down and talked to Kenyon and tried to build up a relationship with him. Being a young man, all he knew is Coach Orgeron and Coach Grimes. It felt like someone had stolen something from him when Grimes left. Coach Cregg is a very good guy and they’re building that relationship.”

Kenyon Green ‘still very much in love’ with LSU

The term “student-athlete” is of paramount importance as the Greens navigate the recruiting process. LSU took a major step forward in that department as the family toured the university’s engineering department.

While Green enjoyed seeing the team practice and celebrating his birthday with a view of Tiger Stadium, the highlight was a conversation with LSU’s head of engineering and receiving added insight into a future in that field.

“LSU is a prestigious school, and when I say he [Kenyon] had a wonderful time … the high point of the whole visit and what impressed Kenyon the most was going to the engineering department. It was out of this world,” JR Green explained. “As a dad, it made me feel real warm and fuzzy inside. They were so interested in knowing what he wants to major in. Taking out the aspect of always football, it really showed us a different side of LSU. Not all schools do it like that.”

Green informed the head of engineering he planned to major in civil engineering, but then got a firsthand look at the other forms of engineering as well. By the time the Greens left LSU and returned home to Humble, Texas, the 6-foot-5, 317-pound tackle had a whole new take on the subject.

“They found out Kenyon wanted to be civil engineer. When we sat down with the head of engineering, they explain to Kenyon the different forms of engineering … civil, mechanical, construction management,” JR Green recalled. “We know the football part. We know LSU is a powerhouse. He was so high-strung on LSU when he first got the offer and it’s still one of his top schools. He’s still very much in love with it. He never fell out of love, but he has to make right decision to benefit himself in the long run.”

The emphasis on academics was a major point of discussion when Green met with Orgeron 1-on-1.

With a handful of LSU’s current offensive linemen eligible for the NFL draft next year, Green understands that he can compete for playing time right away. With the engineering degree in mind, Orgeron also pushed the notion that he could achieve much more than just a starting role.

“I loved Coach O in The Blind Side and he told Kenyon he wanted to make another one,” JR Green laughed. “Kenyon is that kid, but he has the backing. He’s a got a mom and dad and mama and papa, cousins, aunts, nieces. He’s got all that. Coach O said by him having that, he’s well-rounded. With the grades, Coach O said to imagine coming in here, being a stud football player and a Rhodes Scholar. Looking into the future, he said: ‘You’re going to make it. You got that ambition.'”

Kenyon Green’s take on James Cregg

Green, who ranks as the top overall prospect from the Lone Star State, was focused on forming a bond with Cregg before leaving Baton Rouge. Consider that a success.

Cregg, who has coached current NFL linemen such as Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil, has brought that same demeanor to his new position at LSU. That caught Green’s attention in a convincing way.

“It went great,” Kenyon Green told SEC Country. “I had a chance to get to know Coach Cregg and get a better feel for him. I was impressed by the way he coaches and how he interacted with his players. It’s the same stuff that he was dong when he was coaching in the NFL.”

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Orgeron sounds like a cheesy used car salesman with all of his bullshite pre-school recruiting tactics.

5-star DE Kayvon Thibodeaux impressed by ‘intense’ Florida practices

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kayvon Thibodeaux, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, has wrapped up his two-day visit to Florida.

The 5-star defensive end from Oaks Christian High School (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) arrived in Gainesville on Friday and attended the first two practices of the Dan Mullen era.

“It was super fun. I really liked it,” Thibodeaux told SEC Country. “These coaches get after it. The practices are high tempo and they’re having fun. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty intense.”

Thibodeaux has visited the Sunshine State before, but this weekend was his first time at Florida. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound prospect spent time with several coaches and staff members during his trip, which concluded with a meeting in Mullen’s office.

“Coach Mullen is honestly a great dude,” Thibodeaux said. “I respect him as a man. I respect his morals. It was actually a great experience to talk to him one-on-one and really find out who he is.”

During the talk, Thibodeaux was able to hold one of Florida’s national championship trophies and took a picture with Mullen. The first-year Gators coach made a strong impression on him.

“He’s just straight forward,” Thibodeaux said of Mullen. “He’s not a used car salesman like most coaches are. He is who he is. There’s nothing to hide or under his sleeve. What you see is what you get. He’s probably one of the most honest and respectable men I’ve ever met.”

Thibodeaux said he will make a return trip to Gainesville, most likely for a game. The nation’s top-ranked player added that he can see himself attending Florida after spending a couple days on campus this weekend.

“I can definitely spend my college years here,” Thibodeaux said. “Honestly, it’s a great place. It’s a real college town. The fans are crazy. It’s big-time football with great coaching.”

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Auburn’s No. 1 recruiting priority in Class of 2019

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As is often the case, the top recruiting priorities are dependent on the top misses in the last class.

In the 2018 class, there were two position groups that could fall into the “miss” category. Auburn’s two primary disappointments in 2018 came at tackle and cornerback. The Tigers swung and missed on tackle targets such as Dylan Wonnum and Richard Gouraige. Their top cornerback targets landed at Alabama and Clemson in the form of Jalyn Armour-Davis and Kyler McMichael.

The cornerback situation was salvaged somewhat with the additions of Christian Tutt and Roger McCreary. At tackle, there were no 2018 solutions.

Still, when I look at the 2018 season depth chart, the bigger future concerns I see are at cornerback, not tackle.

Sure, Auburn didn’t land any tackles in the last class, and the Tigers missed on their top graduate-transfer tackle in Calvin Anderson. But when you look at how things are shaping up in spring practice, the immediate future of the tackle position isn’t a major concern.

Prince Tega Wanogho and Calvin Ashley are shaping up nicely at left tackle and right tackle, though the Tigers continue to evaluate other grad-transfer tackle options. Redshirt freshman Austin Troxell has caught the attention of many on the offensive staff, as well.

When you scan the Auburn defensive backfield, however, there are more glaring holes.

Auburn has run a few defensive drills during media practice availability this spring. The first-team corners are Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean, a solid foundation for the 2018 season. But as you look toward the future, the second-team corners were Tutt, a freshman, and Noah Igbinoghene, a receiver who recently switched to corner.

To me, the depth at that position provides more long-term concerns than at tackle or anywhere else on the roster.

Here are the top five corners the Tigers are in the hunt to land:

4-star Christian Williams, Daphne, Ala.
4-star Kaiir Elam, North Palm Beach, Fla.
4-star Devin Bush, New Orleans
4-star Brandon Turnage, Oxford, Miss.
4-star DJ Turner II, Suwanee, Ga.

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BOL has a story up about a JUCO linebacker who is originally from Montgomery. He says Alabama may be close to offering and if they do, they would be at the top of his list.

Sam Williams JUCO Highlights

Just a reminder of what can happen to your body by drinking a lot of alcohol:



LINK

He needs a “Sorry for Partying” shirt.

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As I posted above, Florida added his brother to their Class of 2018 over the weekend.

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In regards to Trey Sanders brother i think his main offer was from Jackson State. Mullen gonna Mullen.

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Florida adds brother of former Alabama commit 

Umstead Sanders had been looking for his next home for quite some time. Sanders, a junior college linebacker, had received considerable interest from Texas A&M, which hosted him on an official visit. The Aggies didn’t push for Sanders’ commitment, though.

That brings us to Sunday. Sanders, who is the brother of the nation’s No. 1 running back in the 2019 class in  Trey Sanders, visited Florida last Saturday for the Gators’ spring practice with his brother and mother, who is a noted Gators fan.

The Gators decided to offer the elder Sanders brother, who is in the 2018 class, a preferred walk-on spot with the possibility of earning a scholarship down the road. He’ll join the team this summer. That undoubtedly will help Florida when it comes time for Trey Sanders, a former Alabama commit, to make his next decision.

Trey de-committed from the Crimson Tide on Jan. 1, but he told SEC Country just days later that Alabama remained his No. 1 team and the reason for backing off his pledge had to do with him wanting to take visits as an uncommitted prospect. He has since backed off that stance of declaring Alabama his top school.

Alabama is going to be a factor for Sanders until he signs his letter of intent, but the addition of his older brother by Florida, combined with his mother’s support of the school, weakens Alabama’s chances of adding Trey Sanders to its 2019 class.

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>>> Highlights - hudl