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

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The breakdown: The most interesting question to me surrounding this group heading into spring camp is whether Alabama will move Davis inside and fill Da’Ron Payne’s loss. The team could also play Davis on the opposite side of Isaiah Buggs and have Dwight, a fifth-year player, fill in for Payne.

There’s not a lot of depth at defensive tackle. We don’t know what Wynn and Barmore will bring to the team, but both have a good chance of making an early impact. I would lean toward Wynn seeing the field sooner than Barmore because he’s already on campus and Barmore is just very raw as a player.

As for the 2019 class, the top target is Sopsher, but the Tide have some ground to make up. He didn’t include Alabama in his top 12 back in September. It’s not that big of a deal because those things change frequently. Jalyn Armour-Davis didn’t have Alabama in his top 6 at one point and was firmly committed to the school a few months later. It helps Alabama’s cause with Sopsher because he’s former teammates with DeVonta Smith and teammates with Devonta Lee, a top wide receiver target for the Tide. Sopsher has visited Tuscaloosa several times throughout the process already.

Tuitele is former teammates and distant cousins with Tua Tagovailoa. Tuitele doesn’t have an offer from Alabama yet, but that will likely change on April 5 when he visits. Alabama likely hasn’t offered because it is waiting to see just how serious Tuitele is about leaving the West Coast for college.

Walker is leaning toward Georgia. Ika de-committed from BYU shortly after receiving an offer from the Tide. Cheney de-committed from Georgia. South Carolina and Alabama are two schools firmly in the mix. Dale is an in-state prospect who is very high on Alabama.

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Alabama released its 15-day spring football practice schedule Tuesday, and spring ball will be back in Tuscaloosa in two weeks.

The Crimson Tide will return to the field Tuesday, March 20, for its initial spring practice following the university's week-long spring break (March 12-16). It will be the team's first time back on the practice field since winning the Tide's 17th national championship.

March 20 will also be the first practice for Alabama's new assistant coaches -- and the first practice as coordinators for Mike Locksley and Tosh Lupoi -- and five early enrollees.

All practices are closed to the public, other than the A-Day Game on April 21. It will take place at Bryant-Denny Stadium and will air on ESPN at 1 p.m. CT.

2018 Spring Football Practice Schedule:

Tuesday, March 20 -- 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 -- 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 -- TBD
Tuesday, March 27 -- 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 29 -- 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 3 -- 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 5 -- 3:30 p.m.
**Saturday, April 7 -- TBD
Monday, April 9 -- 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11 -- 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 13 -- 3:30 p.m.
**Saturday, April 14 -- TBD
Tuesday, April 17 -- 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 19 -- 3:30 p.m.
**Saturday, April 21 -- 1 p.m.

** indicate scrimmage dates at BDS.

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Alabama signed two 5-star prospects (Jack LB Eyabi Anoma and CB Patrick Surtain Jr.) in the 2018 class. As it stands now, I’m expecting the Tide to sign more than two 5-star prospects in the 2019 class.

Currently there are 29 5-star prospects, according to the 247Sports composite. I don’t think there were 10 5-star players throughout the 2018 cycle who were strongly interested in Alabama. The Tide already have that in the 2019 class.

Here are the prospects Alabama is in good shape with right now: Georgia LB commit Nolan Smith, RB  Trey Sanders, OC  Clay Webb, OT  Kenyon Green, RB Quavaris Crouch, OT  Darnell Wright, DT  Faatui Tuitele, LB  Nakobe Dean, OT  Pierce Quick and CB  Chris Steele.

I didn’t even mention prospects such as Michigan DE commit  Chris Hinton, CB  Akeem Dent, CB  Derek Stingley and DT  Ishmael Sopsher. Those four are major targets who are leaning elsewhere, but Alabama likely will be in the race for them at a later date.

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Clay Webb is a major priority. He has the closest relationship with offensive line coach Brent Key. He’s also good friends with Alabama commit Pierce Quick. Quick is recruiting Webb heavily.

Quavaris Crouch is built like an Alabama running back. He has visited Tuscaloosa and the staff is working to get him back on campus. Clemson is a huge threat.

Darnell Wright’s decision could come down to Alabama and Ohio State.  Here’s what Wright recently told me.

Faatui Tuitele doesn’t have an offer from Alabama, but he’s very interested in the Tide. He will get an offer when he visits. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is his former teammate and distant cousin, which will help the Tide. Not only that, but Taulia Tagovailoa might choose the Tide, too.

Nakobe Dean is one of the Tide’s most important inside linebacker targets this cycle. He’s visited Tuscaloosa numerous times. He told SEC Country that Bama and LSU are two teams that would make his top five.

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Marcel Brooks says he’s only going to Alabama or LSU

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. —  Marcel Brooks, a 4-star outside linebacker from Marcus High School (Flower Mound, Texas), announced Alabama and LSU as his finalist schools last month. Often in recruiting, other schools enter the picture before a decision is made. For Brooks, that decision will come on June 25, his birthday.

He’s adamant that he’ll end up at one of the two SEC West schools, though. “I’m not going anywhere other than those two schools,” Brooks told SEC Country at the Pylon 7v7 National Qualifier in Cartersville, Ga. “I may take visits to other schools, but nothing is going to get in between them. I have done all my research. There’s no other school I want to go to.”

Brooks made his first visit to Tuscaloosa last month for junior day. He’ll visit LSU in two weeks. Neither school holds an advantage, he says. That may change after he visits Baton Rouge, but for now, both are on equal ground. He did say that he has several family members in Louisiana and talks to Ed Orgeron every day, but he won’t be 100 percent sure about LSU until his visit.

“They’re big-time programs,” Brooks said. “They’re in the SEC. They always have big-time players, and you have to know where you fit in at. You have to know your worth.”

Alabama is recruiting Brooks as an outside linebacker and safety. He doesn’t have a preference on which position he’ll play. Brooks does have a good connection with defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi, though. Brooks said he talks to Lupoi daily.

“The best thing I liked about Alabama was the love from the coaches,” Brooks said. “I don’t get into all of the fancy stuff like uniforms and things like that. It’s mainly about the coaches’ love. It’s amazing to see top coaches in the country loving my game and my film. I have two types of film. I have one that’s all pass rushing and one that’s me playing safety. They like both of them.”

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect did get a chance to experience part of the “fancy stuff” while in Tuscaloosa. While meeting with Nick Saban, Brooks tried on the coach’s national championship rings.

“It was amazing. It was something I never experienced going on a college visit,” Brooks said. “I don’t want to sound cocky, but I knew my time was coming. I worked my arse off for this.”

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Marcel Brooks

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