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re: Class of 2017 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Say Your Goodbyes Edition
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:18 pm to TideSaint
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:18 pm to TideSaint
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Welcome to the Alabama recruiting mailbag, I am your letter-opener Chris Kirschner.
Questions for the mailbag were submitted to me via my Twitter account, which you can follow here. If you didn’t get a chance to submit your question for this edition of the mailbag, you still can send me questions for future editions by tweeting me or emailing me at chriskajc@gmail.com.
There were A LOT of good questions this week, so let’s dig in.
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Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:19 pm to TideSaint
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Is Alabama closing the gap with UGA for DeAngelo Gibbs?
(@rickythegreat8)
In short, yes, Alabama has closed the gap with Georgia for 4-star safety DeAngelo Gibbs. So much so that I think Alabama and Georgia should be considered the 1A and 1B schools for him at this point. I don’t believe he will be committing to any other school not named Alabama or Georgia.
Nick Saban landed in a helicopter on Grayson High School’s (Loganville, Ga.) football field on Thursday to make a grand entrance to speak with Gibbs, who is one of Alabama’s top targets regardless of position.
Gibbs’ own interest in Alabama certainly has surged since he took an official visit to Tuscaloosa for the Texas A&M game. Gibbs is expected to take an official visit to Georgia this weekend but it’s possible he doesn’t make it because Grayson is playing in the state championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
It’s possible he shows up in Athens on Sunday, but he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. This weekend is the last time he’ll be able to take an official visit because he’s an early enrollee, and the dead period goes into effect Sunday at midnight.
Even if he doesn’t make it to Georgia, Gibbs has been to Athens over 15 times throughout his recruitment. While he certainly has visited Georgia more than Alabama, that doesn’t mean he’ll be a Bulldog. Derrick Brown, a 5-star defensive tackle in 2016, was at Georgia almost every week, and he ended up committing to Auburn.
I truly think this may be a similar situation with Gibbs and Alabama. Right now, I’m leaning toward Alabama.
He will make his commitment at the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 1.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:19 pm to TideSaint
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What are the percentages you would give Alabama to get Shaun Wade and/or Stanford Samuels right now?
(@DanyWithOneN)
At one time, I thought Wade, a 5-star Ohio State cornerback commit, was going to be a likely addition for Alabama. I don’t think that’s the case anymore. You asked for a percentage, so I think there’s about a 30 percent chance he signs with Alabama.
I was told by a source close to the Ohio State staff that Wade actually reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes when the coaches visited him in Jacksonville, Fla. Things change all of the time in recruiting, but that certainly wouldn’t bode well for Alabama’s chances. The Tide do have until January to get him to change his mind on the Buckeyes as he is an early enrollee, but it doesn’t look too promising right now.
As for 5-star Florida State cornerback commit Stanford Samuels, there’s even less of a chance he signs with Alabama. It was always going to be hard for the Tide to get him to flip his commitment because he is a Seminoles legacy, but Alabama certainly has tried.
The best chance Alabama had at flipping him was if Jimbo Fisher took the LSU job. That didn’t happen, and I believe he’s locked in with Florida State. There’s a less than 5 percent chance he ends up at Alabama.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:20 pm to TideSaint
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Does the Oregon coach visiting Tua change anything with Alabama?
(@MileHighStriker)
This visit is certainly interesting and one that should be closely watched. New Oregon coach Willie Taggart used his first recruiting trip on the job to fly to Hawaii to see 3-star defensive end Myron Tagovailoa, Tua’s cousin, and the Alabama quarterback commit himself.
Let’s get this out of the way: Taggart would not waste any time on the job if he didn’t believe there was a chance at getting Tagovailoa to change his mind or if the Tagovailoas expressed interest in hearing what he had to say. Do I think anything will change with his commitment to Alabama? No, I don’t.
There’s not enough time for Tagovailoa to seriously consider Oregon because he’s an early enrollee. If there was more time in his recruitment, then I think there would be a chance because I am fully aware how much Tagovailoa idolizes Marcus Mariota.
Oregon offered Tagovailoa this summer. It really screwed itself by not offering sooner so he could develop a relationship with the staff and familiarize himself with the campus.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:20 pm to TideSaint
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What has changed with Isaiah Buggs? It seemed like there was no chance with him.
(@dbrown33177)
There’s always been a chance with 4-star junior college defensive end Isaiah Buggs — albeit a small one. Buggs has never visited Tuscaloosa, but he’s always said Alabama was one of his top four schools.
He is finally expected to take an official visit to Alabama this weekend. If he actually makes it to Tuscaloosa, then we can discuss him being an actual, serious target for the Crimson Tide. The Alabama staff loves Buggs’ game and you better believe the coaches will put the full-court press on him this weekend because getting several quality defensive linemen in the Class of 2017 is a major priority that hasn’t been addressed just yet.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:21 pm to TideSaint
From the Tennessee SEC Country mod:
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As for 4-star safety DeAngelo Gibbs, that ship has sailed for the Vols. The blue-chip safety from Grayson (Ga.) is headed to either Georgia or Alabama.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
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SEC recruits cover the spectrum, but one group may be most critical to success in the conference.
There are 2-star recruits who have to outperform all of their projections, but those recruits who develop into all-conference players are the exception rather than the rule. There are 5-star prospects expected to be game-changers when they step on campus. But most schools not named Alabama only get one or two of them in a recruiting class, if that. You still have to fill out the rest of your roster.
It’s the 4-star prospects who make the biggest difference in the SEC. They can make an impact right away but still have room to grow. There are a lot more of them to go around, so unlike the 5-star standouts, most SEC teams usually can field quite a few of them at once.
Who have been the best 4-star recruits to come through the SEC recently? The following are the top 5 4-star recruits in the league during the past decade.
Among them, there are two Heisman trophies, three NFL first-round picks and countless other honors. Take a look:
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Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:25 pm to TideSaint
5. Tennessee DE Derrick Barnett
4. LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu
3. Georgia RB Todd Gurley
1. Auburn QB Cam Newton
4. LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu
3. Georgia RB Todd Gurley
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2. Alabama RB Mark Ingram (2008)
There’s an argument to be made that Ingram may not have even been the best player on his team when Alabama won the national title in 2009. Fellow former 4-star Rolando McClain (an honorable mention below) could have definitely made a case, as could former 5-star RB Trent Richardson.
Regardless, Ingram’s production is tough to dispute, and a Heisman Trophy helps move him up the list as well. He ran for 1,658 yards on 6.1 yards per carry in 2009 with 17 touchdowns. Some felt his Heisman win was undeserved. But to win the award when he wasn’t the highest-rated prospect on the team, let alone at his position, is remarkable.
1. Auburn QB Cam Newton
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:27 pm to TideSaint
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With 56 days remaining before National Signing Day 2017, SEC Country is priming fans for the most optimistic day of the never-ending college football calendar.
As of Dec. 7, it’s clear Georgia and Alabama are winning the SEC recruiting battle when it comes to the higest ranked players.
Fifty of the top 166 recruits according to the 247sports composite are committed to SEC schools, and 24 of those 50 are committed to either Alabama or Georgia.
Both the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs have commitments from 12 of the 50 highest-rated SEC commits. However, the most noteworthy difference is the fact that Alabama has the word of seven of the top 17 highest-rated SEC commits. Six of Georgia’s commits that are part of the top 50 highest rated are among the last 20 players on the list. Alabama also has a commitment from the No. 1 overall ranked player and three of the top 10 ranked recruits in the class of 2017. Georgia’s highest ranked commit is No. 27 Richard LeCounte III.
LSU has six players on the list, and Auburn and Texas A&M have five apiece.
LSU and Tennessee are the only schools outside of Alabama with a commitment from a player ranked in the top 25 of 247Sports’ composite rankings. LSU’s top-ranked commit so far is safety JaCoby Stevens, who is ranked 24. Offensive tackle Trey Smith, who committed on Tuesday, is Tennessee’s highest ranked commit at No. 25.
Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida have three players on the list of top 50 highest-rated SEC commitments. Ole Miss has one player on the list.
Five of the 14 teams in the league — Vanderbilt, Missouri, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Arkansas — in the conference don’t have a commitment from one of the highest-rated SEC commitments.
Top 50 highest-rated SEC commitments:
166. WR Hezekiah Jones (Stafford, Tx.) — 4-star, committed to Texas A&M
164. RB Brian Robinson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
162. S Derrick Tucker (Marvel, Tx.) — 4-star, committed to Texas A&M
161. QB Myles Brennan (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) — 4-star, committed to LSU
160 CB Elijah Blades (Pasadena, Ca.) — 4-star, committed to Florida
157. WR Daquon Green (Tampa, Fl.) — 4-star, committed to Florida
156. ILB Tadarian Moultry (Birmingham, Ala.) — 4-star, committed to Auburn
150. DT Akial Byers (Fayetteville, Ark.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
149. DE Malik Herring (Forsyth, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
146. ATH Tray Bishop (Dawson, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Auburn
143. OG Nick Brahms (Navarre, Fl.) — 4-star, committed to Auburn
136. RB Toneil Carter (Houston, Texas) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
134. WR Mark Webb (Warminster, Pa.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
133. OLB Jaden Hunter (Atlanta, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
132. OT Austin Troxell (Madison, Ala.) — 4-star, committed to Auburn
131. Jeremiah Holloman (Covington, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
130. DE Zachary Carter (Tampa, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to Florida
128. WR OrTre Smith (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) — 4-star, committed to South Carolina
126. OLB Hamsah Nasirildeen (Concord, N.C.) — 4-star, committed to South Carolina
123. OT D’Antne Demery (Brunswick, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
118. CB Kary Vincent (Port Arthur, Tx.) — 4-star, committed to LSU
117. OLB Christopher Allen (Baton Rouge, La.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
107. WR Tyrell Shavers (Lewisville, Tx.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
91. QB Kellen Mond (Bradenton, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to Texas A&M
89. OLB Markail Benton (Phenix City, Ala.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
83. OG Netori Johnson (Ellenwood, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
82. DE Robert Beal (Bradenton, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
81. WR D.D. Bowie (Morton, Miss.) — 4-star, committed to Ole Miss
77. LB Anthony Hines (Plano, Tx.) — 4-star, committed to Texas A&M
75. WR Jhamon Ausbon (Bradenton, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to Texas A&M
74. OT Andrew Thomas (Atlanta, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
73. RB Ty Chandler (Nashville, Tenn.) — 4-star, committed to Tennessee
72. S Grant Delpit (Bradenton, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to LSU
68. OLB VanDarius Cowan (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
63. S Maleik Gray (La Vergne, Tenn.) — 4-star, committed to Tennessee
54. CB Jamyest Williams (Loganville, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to South Carolina
45. QB Jake Fromm (Warner Robbins, Ga.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
43. OT Jedrick Wills (Lexington, Ky) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
39. DT Tyler Shelvin (Lafayette, La.) — 4-star, committed to LSU
37. RB D’Andre Swift (Philadelphia, Pa.) — 4-star, committed to Georgia
36. OT Austin Deculus (Cypress, Texas) — 4-star, committed to LSU
33. QB Tua Tagovailoa (Honolulu, Hawaii) — 4-star, committed to Alabama
30. OT Calvin Ashley (Orlando Florida) — 5-star, committed to Auburn
27. S Richard LeCounte III (Riceboro, Ga.) — 5-star, committed to Georgia
26. WR Jerry Jeudy (Pompano Beach, Fla.) — 5-star, committed to Alabama
25. OT Trey Smith (Jackson, TN) — 5-star, committed to Tennessee
24. S JaCoby Stevens (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) — 5-star, committed to LSU
8. OLB Dylan Moses (Bradenton, Fla.) — 5-star, committed to Alabama
6. OT Alex Leatherwood (Pensacola, Fla.) — 5-star, committed to Alabama
1. RB Najee Harris (Antioch, Calif.) — 5-star, committed to Alabama
This list is subject to change in the eight weeks leading up to the National Signing Day.
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Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:28 pm to TideSaint
Regarding the list above, we currently have 12 of the top 50 commitments in the entire SEC.
We held a commitment at one point from 3 others on the list.
We held a commitment at one point from 3 others on the list.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:29 pm to TideSaint
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A great running back can be the crown jewel in an SEC recruiting class. In a league defined by the ground game, teams need difference-makers in the backfield.
Some impressive difference-makers are coming to the SEC in the Class of 2017. From the nation’s top overall recruit to a lower-rated prospect who dragged his team to the playoffs, the conference will get an influx of extremely talented backs on National Signing Day.
Let’s take a look at some of the best individual statistical seasons by SEC RB commits in 2016:
1. Alabama commit Najee Harris – Antioch (Calif.), 5-star, No. 1 RB, No. 1 overall
269 carries, 2,596 rushing yards, 9.7 yards per attempt, 33 rush TD, 11 100-yard games
13 receptions, 240 receiving yards, 2 rec TD
Harris has been committed to the Crimson Tide since before his junior year. Alabama has to be happy about getting a verbal from him so early now that he’s putting up video-game numbers. And he’s put up those numbers as his team’s only legitimate offensive weapon. With 2,836 total yards, he accounted for 49.9 percent of Antioch’s total offense in 2016.
Alabama’s chief competition for Harris is Michigan. He’s taking an official visit to Ann Arbor before the dead period, but it doesn’t look like the Crimson Tide need to be worried about him sticking to his commitment.
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This post was edited on 12/9/16 at 12:31 pm
Posted on 12/9/16 at 12:43 pm to TideSaint
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4-star DE Markaviest Bryant is expected to now take an official visit to Alabama this weekend.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:00 pm to TideSaint
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What has changed with Isaiah Buggs? It seemed like there was no chance with him.
This also coming off a weekend that he spurned LSU by not showing up for his OV there..........
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:01 pm to TideSaint
Huzzah a DE!
We need a couple three more.
We need a couple three more.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:04 pm to Kcoyote
I think Markaviest Bryant is Montravious Adams' cousin. Could be wrong though.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:04 pm to chattabama
From Weagle25:
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Leatherwood visit went well. Auburn is preaching development and having a couple lineman honored this weekend helped. Unnamed source says "We'll see"
He's expected to have a final decision early next week
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:07 pm to chattabama
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The Rivals.com recruiting rankings for the class of 2017 have been updated, and there's a familiar program in the top spot of the team recruiting rankings: Alabama.
But the Crimson Tide isn't necessarily a lock to finish atop the rankings come National Signing Day. They'll have to find off the likes of Ohio State and possibly others.
We break down the contenders for the top spot, changes in the top 10 and more in this team rankings analysis.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:08 pm to TideSaint
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THE RACE FOR NO. 1
Everybody is chasing Alabama for the top spot in the 2017 team rankings.
According to the team rankings formula, the Crimson Tide has amassed 3,085 points already. To put that into perspective, Alabama has won the team rankings crown every year except two (USC in 2010 and 2015) since 2008, Saban’s first recruiting class. A team has only surpassed 3,000 points four times. Three of those teams finished first in the team rankings. Alabama’s 2015 class is the only class to get more than 3,000 points and not win the team rankings crown.
Rivals100 No. 1 Najee Harris and five-stars Jedrick Wills, Jerry Jeudy, Alex Leatherwood and Elliot Baker lead Alabama’s 2017 recruiting class. Highly rated targets like five-star offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson, Rivals100 defensive lineman LaBryan Ray and Rivals250 wide receiver Henry Ruggs are uncommitted so there is a good possibility Alabama could extend their lead over Ohio State, Oklahoma, Georgia and the rest of the field.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:08 pm to TideSaint
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Recruiting fans have paid special attention to the stars of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game this week, especially with some of the nation’s top talents still undecided. Rivals.com Southeast analysts Rob Cassidy and Woody Wommack spent plenty of time talking with the prospects throughout the week and are ready to hypothesize on where some of the biggest names will land come National Signing Day.
LINK
Posted on 12/9/16 at 1:09 pm to TideSaint
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Cam Akers
Latest: Who knows? Akers spoke in generalities on Monday before declining interview requests on Tuesday. He has become as difficult to project as any player in the country. Tennessee feels good about its chances, as do Florida State and Ole Miss. Ohio State and LSU remain involved to some extend as well. When every coaching staff feels like it leads the way for a commitment, nobody does.
Prediction: Ole Miss, but it’s no sure thing. Akers is proud of his Mississippi roots and would likely choose the rebels if all things were equal. Problem is the looming NCAA investigation and a mediocre season. Ole Miss has a chance to overcome that stuff, but this is no lock.
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