re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

Posted on 5/3/17 at 5:35 am to TigerPaw1

Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 5/3/17 at 5:35 am to TigerPaw1

5-star T.D. Moultry: Auburn’s 2017 LB class aiming for first Butkus winner in program history (SECCountry)

quote:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Auburn football signed one of its best-ever linebacker classes this year. And the trio of T.D. Moultry, K.J. Britt and Chandler Wooten have matched that lofty status with an even loftier goal.

Moultry said the three blue-chippers want to be the first in program history to win the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best linebacker.

“We want to start something new,” Moultry told SEC Country. “I think Chandler would say the same thing. K.J. and I both said we want to win a Butkus Award, because no linebacker at Auburn has ever got that award. And there have been some great linebackers there. We want to make history and try to get that.”

Auburn hasn’t had many contenders all-time for the Butkus Award, which was created in 1985. Former Auburn High School star Reuben Foster won the 2016 award at Alabama. The Crimson Tide have had three all-time — Foster, C.J. Mosley (2013) and Derrick Thomas (1988).

Moultry grew up an Alabama fan and pulled for some of the best to play the position in Tuscaloosa. His goal is for Auburn linebackers to reach that level while he’s on the Plains.

“I’m trying to start something new and make my own foundation instead of doing what everybody expected me to do,” Moultry said. “I’m just trying to beat the odds.”

The 5-star Moultry believes the Tigers took a step closer to revitalizing its linebacker tradition last fall. In his first year as linebackers coach, Travis Williams guided a strong unit of mostly inexperienced players — including Deshaun Davis, Tre’ Williams and Darrell Williams.

“I believe in my linebackers coach,” Moultry said. “And their linebackers, they looked like the real deal, especially (Davis) and (Tre’ Williams). They’re looking real good. They believed in themselves.”

Moultry will enroll at Auburn early next month. He’ll begin his Auburn career working at both Money linebacker and the hybrid Buck pass-rushing spot.

The Jackson-Olin (Ala.) product will join with his classmates Britt and Wooten, who enrolled early for spring practices. Wooten made quite an impression on coaches during drills, and Britt picked up plenty of mental reps while sitting out with a knee injury.

All three will be on the field in fall camp, where they’ll begin their friendly competition to become the nation’s best linebacker.

“We’ll be talking and K.J. will say, ‘We’re going to have two runners-up from the same school as the Butkus Award winner,'” Moultry said. “He’ll say, ‘I’ll get it before you.’ And I’ll say, ‘I’ll get it before you.'”

This dude is gonna be a monster. I have a feeling he ends up being a crucial piece to our pass rush this season

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Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 5/3/17 at 5:39 am to TigerPaw1

Why LSU leads for Mountain Brook running back Harold Joiner (AL.com)

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Mountain Brook running back Harold Joiner could be taking his talents out of state.

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Joiner says that LSU is his leader. Joiner visited the school in March and maintains communication with the coaching staff every day.

"They're just a family team," Joiner said. "They're all put together. They always have a powerful offense and I just feel at home down there."

Joiner rushed for 744 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior and caught nine passes for 180 yards and two scores. He's a four-star recruit and ranked as high as No. 54 nationally by 247Sports.

He may not be done growing, though, as Joiner is still just 16 and won't turn 17 until the summer. He's hoping to stay at his height so he can play the running back position at the next level.

"(If I grow), I'll just have to talk it over with my dad and see what the best thing to do is," Joiner said.

Mountain Brook's Harold Joiner has unbelievable potential
The four-star running back recruit has 20-plus offers

LSU has 16 commitments in the class of 2018, but none at the running back position. He said LSU coaches talk to him strictly about playing running back.

"They're very powerful," Joiner said. "I feel like they run the ball a good amount and that's really good."

His coach, Chris Yeager, raves about his hands. Those were evident during Tuesday's spring practice in pass skeleton drills. Mountain Brook's starting quarterback, Hamp Sisson, who has college offers, is out with a broken leg. Joiner was going high and low to corral passes with ease, and did so in front of coaches from Tennessee and Texas.

Auburn running backs coach Tim Horton was at Mountain Brook's practice on Monday.

"He's from Alabama, so it's pretty good," Joiner said of his relationship with Horton. "He's like a dad to me. He knows everything."

Joiner went to Auburn's A-Day game on April 8.

"It was pretty good," Joiner said. "They threw the ball well. They ran the ball all right."

He said that he doesn't have a No. 2 school right now, and several schools are in the running including Auburn, Texas, "maybe" Texas A&M, South Carolina and a few more.

This slightly deviates from his recent "unofficial" top five of Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia and Ole Miss, but also stresses that Joiner was serious when he used the word "unofficial."

Joiner plans on coming out with a top 10 in June. Alabama offered earlier this month, but not as a running back. He said that the Crimson Tide will be in his top 10, "but that's about it."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban mentioned tight end, linebacker, safety and receiver as positions he sees Joiner developing into, but right now Joiner wants to play running back.

Joiner said he could make his decision in June sometime after he announces a top 10, or at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Joiner was invited to participate in the game, which will be in early January.

"It's a great opportunity," Joiner said. "I get to play with other great running backs and see how they do and try to learn off of them."