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

quote:

---

Tennessee can absolutely grab some home run signatures. It is what coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff are aiming for — and they need to get it done.

It’s not always the most exciting, but the home runs will come first by rebuilding the offensive line. Offensive coordinator Tyson Helton wants to run a pro-style system built on a power running game. Tennessee doesn’t have the size or depth to truly accomplish this right now.

The Vols will take Jackson Lampley. The 4-star Nashville, Tenn., guard was the first 2019 commitment for the staff. He was always going to end up at Tennessee, but he’s a home run nonetheless.

Tennessee hosted 5-star tackle Darnell Wright this weekend. He came to campus with his coach, which is a good development for the Vols. Landing a talent as good as Wright would elevate the class to another level.

The Vols are in the top-2 with 4-star tackle Wanya Morris along with Auburn. Tennessee is trending in his direction, too.

Landing all three would give the Vols a great offensive line, for starters. Then I think a quarterback and running back and wide receivers will follow suit. The coaching staff wants to build the offensive line from the outside in. Knocking some of the commitments at the position out of the park is paramount right now.

Last year, the early signing period in December provided an interesting wrinkle in its first year. A lot of the top programs locked up around 80 percent of their class. This allowed them to turn their entire focus to just a handful of prospects for National Signing Day in February.

Expect this to be the strategy for the majority of programs this season. It hurt Tennessee to make a late hire last December, and the Vols were scrambling down the stretch to fill out the class.

It’s still so far out, that it’s not clear which prospects are deciding in December and which will wait until February this go-round. Tennessee likely will be pushing for signatures in the early signing period, though.

---

quote:

---

Chester Kimbrough has generated a ton of buzz on the recruiting trail this spring, collecting offers from Alabama, Texas, Michigan and Florida, among several other notable college football powers. Naturally, it begs the question of whether LSU will be the next to offer the talented in-state prospect.

LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond has been in touch with Kimbrough a lot in recent weeks. Kimbrough attended the first day of spring football practice, then sat down with Raymond for a meeting afterward. The staff is hoping to bring Kimbrough back on campus more over the next few weeks, evaluate him during Warren Easton (La.) High School practice in April and hopefully encourage the 4-star corner to camp at LSU for a second consecutive year in June.

Kimbrough is not opposed to camping at LSU and insisted that he is still open to the in-state team — even if an offer comes through late.

Right now, however, Raymond’s cornerback board for 2019 is led by 5-star Dunham (La.) prospect Derek Stingley Jr. and 4-star Edna Karr (La.) prospect Devin Bush. Out-of-state targets include Texas 4-star Marcus Banks and Alabama 4-star Christian Williams. Remember that the Tigers are holding tight to 4-star Tennessee cornerback commit Maurice Hampton.

At 6-foot and 168 pounds, Kimbrough would likely be a fit as a nickel in LSU’s system. That’s something Raymond would love to see up close and personal during the evaluation period next month and in a camp setting against elite competition.

Remember that when dealing with in-state prospects, LSU must be careful about the timing of offers. When it comes to Louisiana talent, LSU must be ready to accept a commitment after an offer is extended. Racey McMath and Cameron Wire are two recent examples of this from the past two signing classes. McMath didn’t earn his offer until the elite prospect camp in June; Wire was offered in the midst of the spring evaluation period.

Kimbrough is one of the top man-to-man corners not only in the state, but in the country. He’s certainly deserving of an offer from LSU, but he will have to show mutual interest and make visits and camp appearances in order to procure one. We will see what transpires over the next three months in regards to that.

---

quote:

---

Alabama bolstered its defensive line depth going into next season with its latest commitment from Tevita Musika, BamaOnLine has confirmed. The College of San Mateo (Calif.) product announced his pledge to the Crimson Tide following an official visit to Tuscaloosa over the weekend.

Alabama offered the 6-foot-1, 300-pounder earlier this month after head coach Nick Saban said the Tide would continue looking at options both at quarterback and along the defensive line in his post-National Signing Day press conference. The Tide lost Bobby Brown to Texas A&M, and Malik Langham opted for Florida over the Tide back in February leaving UA with just two true defensive line signees in its 2018 class in Stephon Wynn and Christian Barmore.

Musika garnered interest from Texas A&M and Kansas, but after the Tide put the offer on the table it was clear it was most likely the team to beat.

“They’re the national champs,” Musika said of what sticks out about the Tide. “You can’t really get better than Bama. They have the No. 1 weight room. I think if I read it right it said that their facilities are better than most professional facilities. It’s going to be hard not to commit. Like I said, they’re the best. They’re ranked the No. 1 team in all of college football right now.”

Originally a member of the 2015 class, the junior college product took some time off from school and had a stint at Foothill College in California before ending up at College of San Mateo. Last season, the Milpitas, Calif. product racked up 42 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Musika has three years to play two remaining on his eligibility sheet. Tide defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi led the charge on landing Musika.

---

quote:

---

Jamar King

---