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

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Alabama finished seventh in the 2018 class recruiting rankings, but expect the Crimson Tide to be back on top in 2019. SEC Country’s Chris Kirschner will answer the Recruiting Question of the Day each weekday. You can ask him your questions on  Twitter or on  Facebook. Find our previous questions and answers  here.

Why is Alabama allegedly not recruiting Sopsher nearly as heard as LSU? Also, is a legitimate effort actually being made for Kayvon Thibodeaux?
-- from Mike Idjit

Ishmael Sopsher, the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2019 class from Amite (La.) High School, told SEC Country last month that LSU is the school that is recruiting him the hardest. Is that a big deal? No. Not at all.

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Petitto got his coaching start at Amite High School and was a big reason why DeVonta Smith ended up choosing the Tide in the 2017 class. Smith has said he considers Petitto a father figure in his life. While Sopsher isn’t as close with Petitto as Smith is, there is some history there.

“He’s my dad’s friend,” Sopsher said of Petitto. “I didn’t really know him as well as DeVonta [Smith] did. DeVonta is really close with Coach Petitto. My dad grew up with Coach Petitto, though. They played on the same high school team together.”

Sopsher’s recruitment will likely come down to Alabama and LSU. From all I’ve heard, the Crimson Tide are in excellent position to land Sopsher when he makes his decision on National Signing Day in February. I expect the Tide to land him, as of now.

As for the second part of your question, Mike, Alabama is putting in effort with Kayvon Thibodeaux, the nation’s No. 1 overall player. Thibodeaux visited Tuscaloosa last month and is planning on taking an official visit this fall for the Iron Bowl.

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Lee and Smith were teammates at Amite High School and have known one another since Lee was sixth grade. Lee calls Smith one of his best friends. When Smith was going through his recruiting process two cycles ago, Lee would usually tag along when Smith visited Tuscaloosa.

So when Lee saw Smith catch the touchdown pass that will live on in college football history, the 4-star wide receiver couldn’t help but to recall all of the memories they have shared together.

“I was so excited. I was jumping everywhere. I got emotional,” Lee told SEC Country. “I sent him this big, long message after that. He was so excited to make the play. It was crazy. We played on the same team, and he caught the game-winning touchdown for Alabama in the National Championship Game. It was amazing. He lived for that. He’s always been dedicated to being great.”

Smith is back in Louisiana and the former teammates have already made plans to work out and run some routes. Lee said he plans on asking Smith all about his experience at Alabama in the weeks ahead now that Smith is back home.

The Tide have positioned themselves nicely with one of their top receiver targets in the 2019 class, and a big reason for that is Smith’s accomplishments as a freshman last season.

“It would be really special to play on the same team again,” Lee said. “It would be so special to play with my brother, man. I would like to play with my brother. I know he would push me to do what it takes to get on that field.”

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What’s next for Devonta Lee

The nation’s No. 14 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite will not commit until National Signing Day in February. He claims no favorites other than the top 12 he put out in late March — Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

The Crimson Tide will be in the mix until the end for Lee. Inside linebackers coach Pete Golding was at Amite High School checking in on Lee and his teammate, 5-star defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher, last week. Golding, who is Lee’s primary recruiter, is in touch with the receiver almost every day, according to Lee.

An interesting note about Lee’s recruitment: He said Alabama also likes him at safety. He said the Tide have talked to him about the possibility of playing on either side of the ball, which Lee doesn’t mind. He mentioned that Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas are also recruiting him as an athlete.

Lee was offered by the Tide in February while on a visit for junior day. It was a moment he had been waiting on for more than a year. “It meant a lot to me because I was waiting on that offer,” Lee said. “I stayed patient and kept on waiting knowing it would come.

"Every time I went to their camp, I always performed well. They told me that they thought I was a great athlete, coachable and they liked my attitude and how respectful I am. So when I was there for junior day, I went to Coach [Nick] Saban’s office and he offered me then. Alabama is very high on my list.”

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