re: LSU’s Botched Recruitment of Tim Williams

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A decision that I argue may result in the biggest botched recruitment in college football history

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Alabama won the SEC 9 out of 11 seasons between 1971 and 1981. The other 2 seasons they finished 2nd. From 1977 to 1981 they won the SEC 4 out of 5 times. But from 1982 to 1985 they finished 6th, 3rd 7th and 3rd.

In 1982 Alabama was recruiting a lifelong Alabama fan named Vincent Jackson. Some Bama recruiter told him that he "might" start by his junior season. Meanwhile, the coach at Auburn, coming off back to back 5-6 seasons, no bowl game appearances in 7 seasons and hadn't won an SEC Championship in a quarter of a century told him there was a good chance he could play as a freshman.

Auburn went on to win the SEC game in Jackson's sophomore and 4 times in the 80's. Alabama would not win the SEC again until tying Auburn in 1989. Jackson, better known as Bo also had a pretty fair career at Auburn that culminated in a Heisman Trophy.

But a kid from Baton Rouge who didn't want to go to LSU and plays in 33% of Alabama's defensive snaps as a junior is surely the "biggest botched recruitment in college football history".