re: 2013 Alabama Football Recruiting Thread - DH Decommited from UGA

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O,J, Howard just made a ridiculous catch that drew in-awe head shakes from the analysts. #RivalsChallenge

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For the second straight day a lot of the buzz around the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge centered around Alabama 2013 tight end commitment O.J. Howard. Howard was completely dominant in his one-on-one drills, even getting the best of five-star Notre Dame commitment Jaylon Smith on more than one occasion.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Howard was smooth in and out of his breaks and used his superior size advantage to make every catch that came his way. He was able to get off the line of scrimmage with ease and past defenders with his speed.

With a talented tight end group represented, including Josh McNeil and Kevin Crosby, it was Howard who stood out the most. When asked to pick the best tight end one coach responded, "Howard. By far. He's so fluid on the field. He's a physical specimen. He looks like a sophomore or junior in college right now."

After watching Howard in the early individual drills, one observer quipped, "How is he not a five star right now?"

All things point toward Howard making a climb up the board when the next Rivals.com rankings are released.

Other tight ends that stood out

Although Howard was clearly the top tight end on the field, McNeil and Crosby proved they've got game too. McNeil combine his size with nice route running to get open all day. At 6-foot-5.5, 235 pounds, McNeil had a field day going up against smaller linebackers.

Crosby showed a knack for getting off of the line of scrimmage with ease, beating his defender with superior athleticism. He's not particularly tall (6-foot) , but the South Carolina athlete may have been the most athletic of the group, only behind Howard. He has great leaping ability and has good speed. Watching him it was easy to see why Alabama likes him so much. He is a perfect fit for the Crimson Tide's H-back position.

Defensive backs

A talented group of defensive backs showcased their stuff, including a strong showing from Alabama targets Tony Brown, Kendall Randolph and Jalen Ramsey.

Ramsey had an outstanding day and it was easy to see why his offer list is so impressive. He has the total package of size, speed and athleticism. During the one-on-one drills, Ramsey jammed the wide receiver coming off the ball, backpedaled and then zipped in front of the pass for an interception.

Brown, who camped at Alabama in June, has a great build to be a corner back, although he said he could play either position in the secondary.

Foster injured?

Five-star linebacker Reuben Foster tweaked his knee and sat out most of Saturday's events. He told me it's nothing serious and that it happened last season during a play where he intercepted a pass. In fact, Foster wanted to participate but the trainers held him out for precautionary reasons.

The nation's No. 2 overall player went through early morning individual drills during which time he aggravated the knee. He went through a couple of more drills before he limped off the field to ice his knee.

But Foster being Foster, he didn't retreat to the locker room. Instead he stayed on the field for the duration to encourage fellow recruits.

Hill impresses

Another Alabama class of 2013 commitment, Grant Hill, was impressive during one-on-one drills. Hill, who told me he's slimmed down to 297 pounds, displayed excellent footwork and good hand placements during most of the drills. He repeatedly lined up at right tackle, where he went head-to-head with Da'Shawn Hand, Carl Lawson and several more of the country's top defensive linemen.

What really impressed me about Hill was how solid he is put together. High school offensive linemen can look really bad body-wise compared to the other positions, but Hill holds his on in that respect. He's put a lot of work in during the past year, and it's really beginning to show. I would rank him as the best offensive lineman in the state at the moment

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sarc

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Josh McNeil

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They're reporting that McNeil was either ejected or asked to leave the field

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