re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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One week after hosting several of its top remaining recruiting targets, Alabama is set to host several more top prospects.

Seven Crimson Tide targets are scheduled to take official visits to Alabama this weekend, AL.com has learned.

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Five-star cornerback Olaijah Griffin

From: Mission Viejo, California

Size: 6-foot, 170 pounds

247 Composite rankings: Third-best cornerback and 28th-best overall prospect in the 2018 class

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Four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland

From: Pensacola, Florida

Size: 6-foot, 190 pounds

247 Composite rankings: 12th-best wide receiver and 67th-best overall prospect in the 2018 class

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Three-star cornerback Eddie Smith

From: Slidell, Louisiana

Size: 6-foot, 180 pounds

247 Composite rankings: 41st-best cornerback and 429th-best overall prospect in the 2018 class

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Three-star quarterback Brock Purdy

From: Gilbert, Arizona

Size: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds

247 Composite rankings: 36th-best pro-style quarterback and 823rd-best overall prospect in the 2018 class

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1. Who is the top flip candidate from your region and what's your prediction on him?

Rob Cassidy (Florida/Southeast): Most of the committed guys around here are also signed, though, I am waiting for the first time a signed player attempts to flip. You think it’s insane because you don’t cover Florida. I’m telling you, this will eventually happen and I can’t wait. I guess Miami commit Nesta Silvera is one you’d name if you had to name one, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere. The drama factor is relatively low around here, which kinda stinks.

Mike Farrell (National):I’d say Quay Walker is probably the guy or Otis Reese. Walker is committed to Alabama but could end up at Tennessee or Georgia and Reese is committed to Michigan but could end up at Georgia. Neither signed during the early signing period, which is a clear indication that they aren’t truly committed.

Adam Friedman (Mid-Atlantic): Virginia commit DJ Brown is playing the field. He took an official visit to Cal last weekend and this weekend he is at Northwestern. Immediately following that trip he will start an official visit to Notre Dame. It appeared Notre Dame's momentum had slowed with Brown but his impending official visit is a sign of the opposite. Northwestern was in the best position to flip Brown but the Fighting Irish could supplant the Wildcats as the favorite depending on how the official visit goes.

Adam Gorney (West Coast/National): Four-star quarterback Brevin White has taken a late visit to Alabama after being offered on Thursday night and he's definitely one to watch. The Lancaster (Calif.) Paraclete QB has been happily committed to Princeton for months, choosing academics as a key part of his decision, but turning down the Crimson Tide could be difficult. Once White landed the offer, he booked a red-eye flight and is in Tuscaloosa. It could be a tough decision leading up to signing day.

Josh Helmholdt (Midwest): Current Kentucky commit Xavier Peters. He committed to the Wildcats in July, but did not sign in the early period. Trips to Florida State and Miami take place over the next two weekends, and could lead the newly-minted Rivals100 prospect to decide his college future is in the Sunshine State.

Nick Krueger (Texas): Jalen Preston is all of a sudden the name to watch. With Texas seemingly looking to add one more receiver from this class, and its first choice in Jaylen Waddle being far from a sure thing, Preston is now on Flip Watch after being committed to Texas A&M since the summer. He will be in College Station this weekend for his official visit to A&M, then follow that up with a visit to Texas the weekend ahead of National Signing Day. Panic flags shouldn't necessarily be waving as Texas chose not to offer him earlier in the process and that may have left a sour taste in his mouth, but Aggies fans can't be pleased with this news.

Chad Simmons (Southeast): Quay Walker has been committed to Alabama since June, but the Tide have their work cut out for them to keep this Rivals100 linebacker. Since Jeremy Pruitt took over at Tennessee, the Vols have been a much bigger player here. Walker visited Knoxville a couple of weeks ago and the Vols have been trending since. Georgia is another school to keep an eye on. The in-state Dawgs get the last visit before National Signing Day. He has stayed committed to Alabama, and he likely won’t open his recruitment up, but the odds of him signing with Nick Saban’s program are not high right now.

Woody Wommack (Southeast): It's tough in my region because so many of the unsigned guys have already de-committed but one guy to watch is three-star Vanderbilt commit Rayshad Williams. He elected not to sign early despite being committed to the Commodores for months while Mississippi State and Tennessee have both shown interest. His visit schedule is still in flux and Vanderbilt fans are waiting anxiously.

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2. What's going to be the top storyline at the end of the day on Feb. 7?

Rob Cassidy (Southeast): I think we’ll be talking about Georgia again. And this time, we’ll be speaking of it in terms of Smart spending the next few years challenging Nick Saban for title of SEC Emperor. Will he actually topple Saban? Who knows, but I can see this being the narrative. The aging teacher pitted against time and his promising former pupil.

Mike Farrell (National): It will probably be that Alabama didn’t win the recruiting title because it’s such a rarity when that happens. Whomever takes the title home will be the talk of the day but you can bet Alabama will be mentioned a million times even though it will likely end up with a top five class.

Adam Friedman (Mid-Atlantic): There will be two national storylines following National Signing Day. The first will be about Texas and how the Longhorns are stacking up quality recruiting classes and should be surging in the next couple years. The second will be about how the SEC dominated the top of the team rankings with more than one-third of the top 15 coming from that conference.

Adam Gorney (West Coast/National): How the Early Signing Period has taken over. I was shocked and surprised to see just how smoothly everything went in the early period and I think a lot of 2019 prospects saw it, too, and will decide to sign early next recruiting cycle. There are plenty of elite-level recruits still on the board leading to National Signing Day but my prediction is that Early Signing Period will take over starting soon.

Josh Helmholdt (Midwest): Alabama has won six of the last seven team recruiting rankings title. The Crimson Tide are not going to get there this year, and that should be the biggest storyline. While there are likely to be surprise decisions, prospects who don't sign and last-minute flips, the whole recruiting game is about building winning teams down the road. Alabama's dominance on the field over the last decade has mirrored its dominance in recruiting, but other programs are stepping up to meet the Crimson Tide.

Nick Krueger (Texas): While Patrick Surtain is the highest-ranked player in the Rivals rankings that has yet to make a commitment, the more interesting prospect to keep an eye on is Nicholas Petit-Frere. Opinion varies on who is the presumptive favorite with him - most commonly led by Florida or Alabama, but he is taking his final official visit to Ohio State on the weekend ahead of National Signing Day, and that could very well shake up everything that was thought about his recruitment up to this point. He was one of the stars during Under Armour week, and after seeing his stock soar, many teams are hoping to snag him at the last minute.

Chad Simmons (Southeast): The top storyline will be that Alabama not only didn’t sign the No. 1 recruiting class, but that they possibly finish outside the top five. Look for Alabama to close well, but not well enough to be at the top where it customarily finishes every year under Nick Saban.

Woody Wommack (Southeast): It's going to be where Alabama finishes. This has been an odd year for the Tide as they've been hanging back in the team rankings for most of the process. They currenlty sit at No. 9 and could go higher, but with so many changes on the coaching staff it remains to be seen how things will shake out over the next two weeks.

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Hakeem Beamon
@hakeem_beamon

BLESSED and HONORED to get an offer from The University of Alabama

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2020 DT Jayson Jones from Calera is a big dude, but he has nothing on Raekwon Davis: 

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