re: 2019 Football Recruiting Thread - Auburn Goes 4/7 & Land Brothers

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Kevin Rose has coached numerous future college players during his nine years at Bob Jones. He feels Jaydon Hill could end up being among the best produced by the Madison school.

Hill, a 2019 cornerback, is rated three stars and holds 25 FBS offers. Ole Miss and Mississippi State were the first to offer last summer. The 6-foot, 163-pound Hill's recruiting has exploded since the end of the season, with the likes of South Carolina, Louisville, Vanderbilt, TCU, Nebraska, West Virginia and Iowa offering.

"He's as good a prospect as we've had here since Reggie Ragland," Rose said. "I think he's definitely an SEC player. Jaydon makes a bunch of plays. I would feel very comfortable recommending Jaydon to any school in the Southeastern Conference, or any school in America, as far as that's concerned. If you're out looking for a cover corner, he's it."

Though Alabama and Auburn have yet to offer, each has shown interest. Hill attended junior day at both schools in February.

"When I went down to Auburn, the coaches showed love to me," Hill said. "I talked with (running backs) coach (Tim) Horton and (secondary) coach (Marcus) Woodson. They want me to come back. Alabama said the same, basically. They're both coming during spring practice. Coach (Nick) Saban said he wants to see me in person."

Hill said he hopes to trim his list of prospective schools within the next month.

"I'll be committing before the season," he said.

Hill will take part in Nike's The Opening regional camp in Atlanta on Sunday. He said that he may visit Georgia Tech while on the trip.

Hill was a Class 7A first-team All-State selection last season after breaking up 26 passes and picking off five others. Despite his coverage prowess, teams continually threw in Hill's direction.

"I was surprised a little bit, but I wish I was thrown at more," Hill said with a laugh.

Rose pointed out that most teams didn't have a choice when it came to staying away from Hill.

"We typically put him on their best player, so it's hard to avoid him," Rose said. "If you want to get the ball to your best player, you're going to have to go through ours."

As a sophomore, Hill worked his way from deep on the depth chart and into a starting role. He finished that season five breakups. A solid offseason led to his breakout junior campaign.

"My size increased," Hill said. "And I got better at DB technique, footwork and stuff. I improved all around in my defensive back game."

Added Rose: "I think he improved all year long. He's a really good cover guy. He's got great ball skills. His tall enough and long enough; he meets all the measurables and runs good."

Part of Hill's offseason between his sophomore and junior years involved working out with two recently-retired NFL defensive backs from Alabama - Jerraud Powers (Decatur) and Rashad Johnson (Sulligent). Hill plans to work more with Powers in the coming months.

"It was a good experience because they know what they're talking about," Hill said. "They've been there and done that, and they're teaching it to me."

Hill has kept busy this offseason playing for the Bob Jones basketball team and for the Southern Xpress 7-on-7 travel team. He also took part in the U.S. Army All-American Combine in January. Hill's work with his 7-on-7 team gave him the opportunity to face some top-tier receivers, including four-star Trey Knox of Blackman, Tenn.

"You pay man mostly and it helps playing the ball; it helps you, technique-wise," Hill said.

Hill is likely to see more action on offense this season, according to Rose. Bob Jones' top receiver from a year ago, Demontrez Brown, signed with Troy after totaling 1,179 yards and 13 touchdowns. Hill was used some on offense in last season's first-round playoff loss to Mountain Brook and he caught a 55-yard slant that set up a touchdown (the first highlight in the video below).

In addition to Hill's on-the-field talents, Rose praised his star player's demeanor.

"He's real quiet. He's not very demonstrative, loud or a big talker," Rose said. "He's very mild-mannered and just goes out there and plays. As a coach, those are the kind of guys you really enjoy coaching; you get the good play without the baggage."

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St. Paul's rising senior A.J. Finley may be the prototypical college football player.

"He really does have all the things you want in a player and, in addition to that, he's a great leader," Saints' coach Steve Mask said.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Finley helped St. Paul's to its third Class 5A state title in four years in 2017. He played primarily in the offensive backfield, sharing carries with sophomore teammate Jordon Ingram.

However, running back may or may not be his position in college.

"He could play running back or he could play in the secondary I think," Mask said. "We are going to work him in the secondary this spring and summer and get him schooled up there. Everyone loves his length. He has great hands and outstanding ball skills."

Finley is currently ranked No. 38 among 2019 prospects in the state of Alabama, according to the 247 composite rankings, and is trending upward. His college offers already include Duke, Iowa, Ole Miss, Purdue, South Alabama, Tennessee, Tulane and Wake Forest.

Mask said Finley would definitely play running back again this fall for the Saints but also could see time at corner, safety and kick returner. As a junior, he ran for 994 yards and seven touchdowns on 166 carries. He also caught 16 passes for 134 yards and a TD

St. Paul's rallied to beat Briarwood Christian 17-14 in the Class 5A title game in Tuscaloosa in December.

"We'll use him a lot like we did (Alabama signee) Jalyn (Armour-Davis)," Mask said. "The difference would probably be Jalyn started on defense and played some on offense. A.J. will probably start on offense and play some on defense, though he could start there as well."

Mask said Finley is a physical specimen who has "really come on in the last 18 months." He missed most of his sophomore year after breaking his collar bone in the third game of the season but has quickly made up for lost time.

"A.J. has made himself a Division I football player," Mask said. "He's a legit 4.5 (40) guy with high character and a great family. He's getting a lot of college interest right now and he will get even more when folks watch him play on defense this spring, summer and fall."

Mask said in-state powers Alabama and Auburn have both shown increasing interest in Finley, though neither has offered yet. Some colleges are still projecting where he may fit in on the next level.

"Ole Miss is recruiting A.J. on both sides of the ball," Mask said. "Iowa is recruiting him as a running back. Everyone else I think is kind of planning on figuring it out when he gets there. In my mind, he could be a great safety in college. He's got great range. We'll see."

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Hoover receiver George Pickens -- like many prospects who make an early commitment -- is trying to strike a delicate balance.

The 6-foot-5, 202-pounder has been committed to Auburn since June 2017, but that hasn't stopped other schools from continuing to recruit him. Pickens has also taken recent visits, including to LSU last weekend, and said Georgia has shown intense interest lately.

With December's National Signing Day about nine months away, how is Pickens handling a recruiting situation he described as "hectic?"

"I try to show coaches at Auburn that I still love the program and how they run things there," Pickens said, "and show other schools that they still have a chance and show them that I'm not really done with recruiting. I'm still a junior. You really never know. But I'm still showing Auburn that they still have the upside."

A four-star prospect according to 247sports, Pickens is one of two Auburn commitments for the Class of 2019. Pinson Valley quarterback Bo Nix is the other.

Pickens caught 46 passes for 735 yards and five touchdowns last year while playing alongside receiver Shedrick Jackson, who enrolled at Auburn in January. He also returned two punts for touchdowns in 2018.

In the 48-20 victory over McGill-Toolen in the Class 7A championship game, Pickens caught two touchdown passes.

Pickens said he realizes recruiting probably won't slow down until the fall.

"Once the season comes, the college season is also starting right after the high school season," he said. "It's really busy as they're trying to get their teams settled and their players organized. So, right now, I'm trying get to as many schools as I can before spring (practice) hits."

Pickens recently sat down with AL.com to talk about recruiting and discussed a wide range of topics:

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Q: Shedrick Jackson signed with Auburn from Hoover last year and is already there. Does that help you?
"I've talked to him a lot. We're close friends, very close friends, and we played together this past year, and his presence at Auburn, it doesn't really help. I know him, so since I know him, it lures me in. But it doesn't really change anything."

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Q: What do you think you do best? What are your strengths on the field?
"When I get the ball in my hands, all I think is the end zone. I think I do a really good job of making people miss, (and) in the open field with the ball and breaking tackles. I'm not really much of a 6-5, 202 jump-ball guy for a first down. I'm more a hitch, take-it-to-the-house type guy."

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Q: Your brother is former Spain Park defensive back Chris Humes, who played for Coach Malzahn at Arkansas State. How much do you talk recruiting with him?
"Not a lot. When he was going through recruiting, I was there. The letters, at the time I didn't know what it meant. He would tell me. Then, we went to different colleges and I was along for the ride. Now that I'm getting recruited and going to different colleges, I see what it is. Now, I might see old coaches who still might be there."

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Q: Looking ahead to the 2018 season, what kind of expectations do you have for yourself and for the team?
"For the team, I expect us to bring a great culture of the season, go back to the state championship, have some consistency. For this team, I expect us to grow. For me, I expect break records and take my game to a whole new level."

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Since when was Top 10 classes in 7 of the last 8 years sub par recruiting?

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