re: Strike Three for Saban

quote:

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Possibly Germans, but a buddy of mine who follows West Virginia told me that Star Jackson is now showing some interest in the Mountaineers, he was really pissed off over how the whole Applewhite thing went down.

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ANDREW BONE: Commitments take recruiting visits
Tuscaloosa News

The recruiting board is winding down with names as we approach National Signing Day with Tide targets and commitments visiting other schools in the home stretch. The University of Alabama hosted one visitor over the weekend with a chance to lure this out-of-state prospect to Tuscaloosa.

T.J. Bryant, Scout.com four-star cornerback from Lincoln-Tallahasse-Lincoln, (Fla.), took an official visit to the Capstone as the lone visitor on campus. Bryant is one of the South's top uncommitted prospects and has the Tide as one of the remaining favorites. Bryant has kept a very low-profile throughout his recruitiment. A decision is not expected until Signing Day with Florida State as a contender as well.

Four Alabama commitments were known to take official visits to other schools. Burton Scott (Vigor) to Florida, Destin Hood and Mark Barron (St. Paul's) to Auburn and Undra Billingsley (Woodlawn) to Tennessee. All four commitments returned home and remain solid with their pledge to Alabama. Scott expects to take an official visit to Miami, (Fla.) for his final visit.

Star Jackson (Lake Worth, Fla.), Scout.com four-star quarterback, does not plan to visit any other schools. We all know this can change in a moment's notice, but look for Jackson to sign with Alabama Feb. 6.

Other top Tide prospects who took official visits over the weekend included Julio Jones (Foley), Scout.com five-star wide receiver tripped to Gainesville. No one is going to hear any comments from Julio Jones until he announces his college decision on National Signing Day. He will visit Oklahoma this weekend.

Jerrell Harris (Gadsden City), Scout.com four-star linebacker, visited Auburn and returned from the Plains with an unexpected, "no comment" following the trip. Harris will visit USC in Los Angeles this weekend. Harris will announce on National Signing Day with the Tide, Auburn Tigers and Trojans as contenders.

Marcel Dareus (Huffman), Scout.com four-star defensive tackle visited North Carolina . Dareus had a great trip, but Alabama remains the team to beat for his signature. He will make an announcement on National Signing Day.

Robert Quinn (North Charleston-Fort Dorchester, S.C.) visited the home-state school of North Carolina. Alabama, Auburn and North Carolina are the favorites with a decision expected in the very near future.

Alonzo Lawrence (Lucedale-George County, Miss.), Scout.com four-star corner back, visited Ole Miss over the weekend. He has canceled an official visit to LSU adding Miami to the list for an official visit before making a decision.

Omoregie Uzzi (Chamblee, Ga.), Scout.com four-star offensive guard, visited Georgia Tech. He will visit Virginia this weekend with a decision expected shortly after his return. The Tide remains a contender for his signature.

It's never too early to talk about the recruiting for the class of 2009, and several of the state's top juniors attended the Scout.com Under Armour elite combine Sunday in Mobile. Scout.com combines have become the most elite events in the country for rising stars to showcase their talent.

Over 140 participants from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina attended the first combine of the season.

D.J. Fluker (Foley), Scout.com four-star defensive tackle and AJ McCarron (St. Paul's), four-star quarterback, were the two in-state headliners.

Fluker has given an early commitment to Alabama, and McCarron expects to make his decision in the spring with Alabama and LSU as the top two schools.

Other in-state standouts who attended included defensive end Anthony Orr (Sparkman), defensive end Jamontay Pilson (Greenville), wide receiver Arthur Williams (Glenwood Academy) quarterback Clint Moseley (Leroy), defensive tackle Quinton Dial (Clay-Chalkville), cornerback Jonathan Edwards (Central-Tuscaloosa), wide receiver Corey Waldon (Central-Tuscaloosa) and wide receiver Caleb Lewis (Tuscaloosa County).

Visit TideSports.com for Andrew Bone's recruiting coverage. Join us each Wednesday for recruiting chat sessions from 1-2:00 p.m. at TideSports.com. Reach Andrew Bone at abone@scout.com.