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Posted on 5/24/18 at 10:48 am to remaster916
quote:it just dawned on me that this name seems like he should be a Star Trek the next generation character
Will Reichard
Posted on 5/24/18 at 10:49 am to TidalSurge1
quote:personally, I hope he never has to kick a field goal.
I hope Will becomes the greatest kicker Bama's ever had.
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to Che Boludo
LINK ]Wiltfong's Weekly Buzz: Nakobe Dean stands out in the 2019 class (247Sports)
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If you live in the Dean household, you get a daily reminder to “get your mind right” and you’re often told to “set a pace.” Neketta Dean, the mother, is the tone-setter. She served in the Army for three years before finding a career in law enforcement and community affairs and public service.
Her children Nikolas, Nakobe and Brooklyn have stayed on track. The eldest, Nikolas, is an honor student at Ole Miss. The youngest, Brooklyn, is 15 years old and described as a high achiever. Nakobe, the middle child, is 247Sports’ No. 1 ranked inside ‘backer in the 2019 class.
The special qualities for Nakobe Dean showed pretty early. Despite a speech impediment he worked to fix until fifth grade, the Horn Lake (Miss.) High standout flourished with math early. When his peers were learning to write numbers, him mom said he was already adding them. Come first grade he could already do multiplication.
Dean has only gotten one ‘B’ in his entire life, a typing class his mother made him take in middle school. His most recent high school semester rocked a 4.7 GPA. When he was young his mother wouldn’t let up in games of Scrabble and he’d study the dictionary to get his vocabulary up to par.
In third grade, Dean told his mom he wanted to invent something and got mad when his mom told him a car printer was already out there. He’s active in 4-H and, given his mother’s line in work, it’s no surprise Nakobe is active in community service.
“He’s a worker,” Neketta says. Working pays off in the Dean household — literally. Get all As on the report card and you get $100. Just one B and that drops to $25. The Dean children don’t get Cs. Nakobe won a prestigious county wide math competition in fifth grade, and he loves numbers and science to this day.
Nakobe has talked about sports medicine or engineering as a college major with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M among the programs working hard to land him.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 11:29 am
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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“He’s very organized,” his mother added. “I’m the parent, but his discipline exceeds mine. His self-discipline, his self motivation, everything he does applies some methodology to it. Whether it’s come home from practice or school, get a snack, study for x amount of hours, workout for x amount of hours, it’s almost a routine for him.”
The first sport the elder Dean noticed her son excelling at was baseball in middle school. He also shined at basketball but football is where his passion lies. “I like football, I watch football but I didn’t know football,” Neketta said. “Some people recognized his talents before I did, to be honest. I was there, but I didn’t recognize how talented of a kid he was athletically until I started to learn more about the game.”
Athletically, there aren’t many like the 6-foot, 216-pound Dean, who has run 4.6 in the past on the Nike Football laser with close to a 40-inch vertical. The athleticism translates to the field where the explosive power is evident. He’s a hard hitter, impacting the game with sideline to sideline pursuit plays, blitzing off the edge and dropping in coverage. Dean closes quickly on the football and obviously has a high IQ.
Then the offers started coming. Mom was “super excited.” Everything Nakobe grinded for was coming to fruition. If Stanford allowed early enrollees, they’d be in this picture. But Dean doesn’t need the second semester of high school; he’s ready to start working towards his next set of goals making this an SEC battle with a few ACC programs sprinkled in.
“I’m trying to let Kobe know, ‘Hey this is your decision and I support you wholeheartedly,’” Neketta said. “But I’m his A-1 from day one so of course he’s going to listen to what mom says. What I want to make sure from my point of view and we’re thankful for the offers, but [the No. 1 priority in a school] is his overall well-being, which is his health and safety. Number two is academics. Number three, football, will take care of itself.”
Dean visited the in-state schools, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia at the start of the spring. He returned to the UGA campus and hit Clemson in the last week. “I had an awesome time at Georgia, I must add that,” Neketta said. Moving forward, Mississippi State and Texas A&M are on the slate for visits in June as is Alabama for an official. Dean was supposed to visit Florida State this week but won’t be able to make it because of illness.
As far as a final decision goes, it’s obvious Dean is going to be thorough when it comes to that.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 11:49 am
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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Kayvon Thibodeaux -- You might’ve seen that I went foggy on my 247Sports Crystal Ball for the No. 1 player in the 247Sports Composite, after a long-standing pick in favor of USC. I believe the Trojans are down the list some for the Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Oaks Christian standout. I think you have Florida State, Alabama, LSU and Oregon in a better spot. One source believes the Seminoles lead as it stands right now for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Thibodeaux.
~ (skip forward) ~
Daxton Hill -- Oklahoma is the heavy 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite for the 247Sports Composite’s top-ranked safety, but I’ve been hearing a lot of pro-Michigan stuff as of late as the Wolverines battle for the speedster. Hill visited Ann Arbor in March and during the current recruiting period the Michigan staff has let Hill know much of a priority he is for them in 2019.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 12:16 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
LINK ]Where things stand with the top uncommitted 2019 recruits (247Sports)
Quavaris Crouch
Quavaris Crouch
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Summer isn’t officially here yet, but it might as well be. Graduations are happening all over the country, and high school recruits are free for a summer full of visits and camps. The recruiting calendar usually turns well before the ink is dry the previous cycle, but for the casual fan this is the time of year when your eyeballs really track toward the next year’s class.
In this case, we’re now looking toward the 2019 recruits. While quarterbacks and skill talent dominated last cycle, this 2019 group is heavy on talent in the trenches. Seven of the top 10 players in the 247Sports Composite are either offensive or defensive linemen, and you won’t find a QB until No. 42 in the rankings.
Since the 2019 cycle is still fresh in a lot of eyes without the name-recognition that comes with high-profile skill players, 247Sports is using this week’s Thursday 10 to look at the top 10 uncommitted prospects headed into the summer.
These recruits range from game-changing defensive ends to the offensive tackles tasked with stopping them. It’s a list that also includes 10 of the top 14 recruits in the country. Prospects are committing earlier than ever with the accelerated calendar, but there’s still plenty of intrigue remaining heading into the summer.
Leaning on the expertise of 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong, let’s look at where the recruitments of the top 10 uncommitted prospects stand.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 12:12 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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1. KAYVON THIBODEAUX
Position: Defensive End
247Sports Composite: No. 1
A 6-foot-5, 235-pound pass-rushing force that lives in Thousand Oaks, California, Thibodeaux’s made visits to Oregon, Florida State and Alabama this summer. It’s important to also note that Thibodeaux (as you can tell from the last name) is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, and has visited LSU.
He’s said in the past that location isn’t really a factor in his decision. Right now the 247Sports Crystal Ball is heavily in favor of USC at 73 percent, with FSU (13%) and LSU (7%) trailing. However, things may be shifting in his recruitment. Thibodeaux said earlier this year that he’d like to make a “late-summer” commitment.
Wiltfong’s Read: “I’m hearing Florida State may be the leader for him with Oregon and LSU firmly in it. USC is obviously the Crystal Ball favorite and they’re not going to go away, but the feel is the other three right now.”
Interesting Fact: Thibodeaux is writing a blog about his recruiting process through USA Today Sports. In his last post, he admitted his art class is currently making a full-size sculpture of him. Odd, but I guess you get a statue early on in life if you’re the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect.
Note: Thibodeaux has said he'll take fall OVs before committing and will sign in Dec. Maybe Wiltfong doesn't know how much of a player Bama is or doesn't like it. I'll post Thibo's blog.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 3:47 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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3. DARNELL WRIGHT
Position: Offensive Tackle
247Sports Composite: No. 3
The first of a few offensive tackles on this list, Wright is a 6-foot-6, 314-pound beast on the blind side with the quick feet to match his impressive frame.
A West Virginia native, Wright’s current Crystal Ball projection is very much in favor of Ohio State at 71 percent with Tennessee (14%) and Alabama (14%) trailing.
But it’s early in Wright’s recruitment and his decision is likely to go the distance. Wright’s taken visits to Alabama and Tennessee this spring, and he’s got others on deck that could shift his recruitment.
Wiltfong’s Read: “Obviously Alabama is very much in it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went to Tuscaloosa the way it’s going right now. But he’s got some big visits coming up to Georgia and Clemson that could be game changers.”
Interesting Fact: Harrison was a middle school tight end/linebacker and his high school coach told Wiltfong earlier this year that Wright was “6-foot-3, 230 pounds and just terrorizing the youth league.”
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 12:51 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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4. ISHMAEL SOPSHER
Position: Defensive Tackle
247Sports Composite: No. 4
A 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle from Amite, La., LSU is predictably the Crystal Ball favorite at 94 percent. Other schools in the race include Alabama and Florida State.
It is interesting to note that Sopsher is teammates with another Top247 player, Devonta Lee, whose Crystal Ball is currently in favor of Alabama (56%) over LSU (44%). Sopsher does not currently have a commitment timeline and his recruitment is likely to go to the end.
Wiltfong’s Read: “The Crystal Ball is on LSU, but any time you’re talking about a Louisiana kid there are challengers. Typically Alabama has the best luck against LSU in Louisiana, and I believe he likes Florida State as well.”
Interesting Fact: Top Louisiana recruits usually stay home. Of the 12 247Sports Composite five-star prospects from the state since 2011, nine have signed with the Tigers. That said, the exception has usually been Alabama, which has signed two of the other three. The Tide recently nabbed 247Sports five-star DeVonta Smith from — yep — Amite.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:08 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:10 am to TidalSurge1
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5. TREY SANDERS
Position: Running Back
247Sports Composite: No. 7
The nation’s top-ranked running back and the only skill player currently ranked in the top 10 nationally, Sanders’ recruitment is pretty wide open. He’s already taken visits to Baylor, Miami, Florida State, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma within this calendar year, and Alabama is also squarely in the race despite Sanders dropping his Crimson Tide pledge in January. Expect this recruitment to go the distance.
Wiltfong’s Read: “You’ve got Florida and Florida State in there. Miami is swinging, and then you’ve got Alabama and Georgia among others.”
Interesting Fact: Sanders is the nation’s top-ranked running back, and he actually shares a backfield at IMG Academy with the country’s second-ranked rusher Noah Cain.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:06 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
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6. DEVONTAE DOBBS
Position: Offensive Tackle
247Sports Composite: No. 10
An athletic 6-foot-4, 270-pound tackle, Dobbs has been on the recruiting radar for a while now after earning his first offer as a freshman back in 2016. Dobbs, who hails from Michigan, is taking summer official visits to both USC and Auburn.
But right now Michigan State is a heavy favorite in the Crystal Ball for him with 85 percent of the predictions. Dobbs has visited the Spartans unofficially on at least three occasions within the last calendar year. He’s said in the past he’s likely to take all five of his official visits.
Wiltfong’s Read: “I still like Michigan State when it’s all said and done. His teammate Julian Barnett is committed to the Spartans. But there are a lot of threats. Clemson, Georgia, USC, Ohio State, he’s got an official visit scheduled to Auburn. There are still several in play there.”
Interesting Fact: Dobbs has dominated high school opponents in Michigan for years now, and he’s done so with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Dobbs had shoulder surgery in February. It’ll be interesting to see how Dobbs fares during the camp circuit and during his senior season now that he’s finally 100 percent.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:12 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
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8. CLAY WEBB
Position: Center
247Sports Composite: No. 12
A rare five-star center, Webb is an imposing and athletic 6-foot-3, 289 pounds. And as it often happens in Alabama, this one is a battle between the Crimson Tide and Tigers. Alabama holds a commanding lead in the Crystal Ball at 100 percent, but Webb did recently visit Auburn. Then again, he also tripped to Tuscaloosa in back-to-back weeks in April. Georgia is also in the mix here.
Wiltfong’s Read: “I like Alabama. If it wasn’t going to Alabama I’d say Auburn. But no one thinks it’s not Alabama. But it’s recruiting so you never know.”
Interesting Fact: Webb isn’t just an offensive lineman. He’s also a state-champion wrestler. Webb is a part of an Oxford High School team that’s won back-to-back 6A Duals state titles.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
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9. DAXTON HILL
Position: Safety
247Sports Composite: No. 13
The brother of star Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, Daxton is going to have a far more wide-ranging pool of offers to choose from. The Cowboys are in the mix, of course, holding 15 percent of Crystal Ball projections, but it’s the Sooners who lead the way at 85 percent for the Tulsa product. Hill’s also taken visits to Michigan and Alabama this spring.
Wiltfong’s Read: “I don’t know if his brother is a factor at Oklahoma State or not. I think Michigan and Oklahoma are in a great spot for him. Alabama and Ohio State, among others, are also really pushing. He’s an extremely bright kid. He’s got a 3.9 GPA to go along with that 4.3 40-yard dash. He’s a unique guy.”
Interesting Fact: Justice Hill, who’s had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Oklahoma State, had just four listed offers out of high school. Daxton, on the other hand, had five-plus Power Five offers before the end of his sophomore season. Ironically, or at least surprisingly, Oklahoma offered Hill a full month before the Cowboys did.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:22 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
LINK ]The Kayvon Thibodeaux Blog: FSU and Bama visits, Nipsey Hussle and more (USA Today)
quote:
Kayvon Thibodeaux is the No. 1 overall player in the ESPN 300 with college football heavyweights like Alabama, Miami, USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and many others all in hot pursuit.
This past season at Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), the 6-foot-6 defensive end racked up 20 sacks and 99 tackles, including 70 solos and 28 tackles for loss to lead the Lions to a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 champions.
Now he’s agreed to give USA TODAY HSS exclusive access into his world by chronicling everything from intimate details about his recruitment to his everyday life in a monthly blog.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:34 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
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What’s world this is Kayvon Thibodeaux coming at you with my second blog!
So you may have heard that I’ve gone on a few visits recently. I just got back from Florida State and, man, I had a great visit.
It was the craziest flight down ever though. I feel like everything bad was happening; I lost my wallet, they loaded us on the plane then one of the carts that they load the luggage crashed into the plane and damaged it so after sitting on the tarmac for about 30 minutes they switched us to another plane.
When we finally got there we had to drive 2.5 hours to get to Florida State. It was a crazy trip! I grabbed a quick shower and got right to the visit though.
When I got there the players were watching film and I went to the locker room and took pics with all the gear on and everything. That was fun!
I met with all of the coaches plus Jameis Winston was there, Deion Sanders was there and a few other guys. That was cool to see everyone!
On Saturday we got started early with a campus tour and I met the President of the school and the academic advisors. I really liked that part.
Then we went to the spring game and that was pretty wild! I loved to see their fans do that Tomohawk chop! That’s a crazy thing to see.
After the game they had a 90’s throwback hip hop concert with Salt-N-Pepa, Doug E. Fresh all those guys! We had a ball! I’m an old school hip hop fan so I was loving it.
Me and my mom had some great talks with the coaching staff too. I would definitely give the visit a 10 out of 10.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:40 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:11 am to TidalSurge1
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Before the FSU visit, I went to Bama and that was a lot of fun too!
With Alabama they’re at the peak right now so their greatness is already assumed going into that visit for sure.
I loved everything about it though; I’d probably give that visit a 9 out of 10. I felt like the meeting with the academic advisors was a little drawn out.
I just like things quick and to the point, but other than that it lived up to everything you would think about them.
Now I’m headed to Oregon this weekend and I’m very excited about that!
My plan is to cut my list at some point during the summer and have a decision by the end of my official visits in the fall.
I’m NOT gonna be the guy who commits but still takes official visits. That’s not me at all.
I figure I should have a decision by the beginning of November.
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:46 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:12 am to TidalSurge1
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OK, other than that school is going pretty well. I’m trying to maintain. I’ve got four A’s and three B’s so I’m trying to get it up higher. English is pretty tough on me, but I’m hanging in there.
Oh I’ve got to tell you guys about the full size sculpture we’re doing of me in my art class! It’s literally my body; they wrapped me up and everything. Haha! I’ll have to post pics when it’s done.
On the music, I’m definitely gonna have to recommend Nispey Hussle’s new album “Victory Lap” that’s a slap! “World is Yours” by Rich The Kid is a slapper too! Check those out for sure.
OK, so people ask me all the time how often I workout and the answer is five days a week. I get that question all the time so I wanted to address that.
Spring ball has just now started for us too, we had our first practice on Monday. I’m not making any predictions or anything like that, but I’ll just say I’m excited about next season.
As far as camps, I’ll be doing The Opening Finals in June and that’s probably the last camp I’ll do in my high school career.
OK, guys this has been K.T. giving you the real talk as always; I appreciate you guys reading my blog and all of the support you’ve been giving me.
I’ll be back soon with more insight.
Don’t forget to follow Kayvon Thibodeaux:
Twitter: @kayvonT8
Instagram: _.kt8._
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 1:50 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:12 am to TidalSurge1
LINK ]Antonio Alfano says Josh Gattis won his commitment to Alabama (BamaOnLine)
quote:
Reaching into New Jersey for an elite-level prospect is never easy in the South, but if anyone can make it look routine, it's the University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide's expertise in reloading a focal position group that's been paramount during the program's decade-long dominance.
One of Alabama's newest 2019 commits, four-star defensive tackle Antonio Alfano, detailed the thought process in the final moments before last week's much-anticipated decision Tuesday on Tide 102.9 The Game with Ryan Fowler. First-year Alabama assistant Josh Gattis was instrumental in landing his commitment, Alfano says.
Alfano, who pushed his decision back from December to May, points to Gattis switching staffs as the primary reason he'll play in Tuscaloosa next season.
“They weren’t going to be in my top schools when I was committing and they were definitely not the school I was going to commit to back in December,” Alfano said. “Seeing Josh Gattis go to Alabama really did help them a lot and pushed them over the top. That second visit down there really helped.”
"I knew Coach Gattis when he was back at Penn State before he moved to Alabama and he was a guy I really looked up to,” Alfano said. "Him moving down and becoming a full-time coach really helped him. When we went down there and he was down there, I really felt the same love like when he was at Penn State.
"This is a person who can watch my back down here, because I am going to be far from home. It’s a 15-hour car ride from New Jersey and a 2.5-hour plane ride. It’s not close. So I mean, to have someone who knows the area down there is really going to be good.”
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 2:24 pm
Posted on 5/24/18 at 11:12 am to TidalSurge1
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247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong believes Alfano, the top-ranked player in New Jersey according to the 247Sports Composite, will be an integral part of Alabama's reload along the defensive front.
"On film, you see a dominant combination of power and quickness at the point of attack, with Alfano even making offensive linemen miss en route to the backfield," Wiltfong writes. "With the Crimson Tide not signing a defensive end in 2018, this is a big pickup for the defending National Champs."
Alfano picked Alabama over Georgia and Penn State after spending two full days in Tuscaloosa on his final visit. He watched a practice and took in a game scrimmag and says the players embraced him as if they were his own teammates.
“Just playing PS4 in the dorm room, listening to music and all that,” Alfano said on Tide 102.9. “They showed a brotherhood and they really cared about each other. That really pushed Alabama over the edge for me."
Alfano says he'll be living out a childhood dream playing college football, especially showcasing his talents for a legend like Nick Saban.
“When I first got offered by them when I went down there, me and my dad looked at each like, 'Oh my god, did that just happen?’ sort of thing,” Alfano said. "It was like a dream. It’s kind of crazy how the dream is coming true."
This post was edited on 5/24/18 at 2:28 pm
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