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

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Northridge 2013 wide receiver James Cox added offers from Southern Miss and Arkansas on Thursday. He will camp at Alabama this summer. His performance there will determine if he lands a Crimson Tide offer or not. 2014 athlete Bo Scarbrough was offered by Arkansas and Michigan on Thursday. He already has an Alabama offer.

Alabama quarterback target Connor Mitch committed to South Carolina on Tuesday, removing another option for the Crimson Tide. However, Wednesday Rivals.com reported that 2013 UGA commitment Brice Ramsey had a 90-minute Skype session with UA coach Nick Saban. Ramsey said he and his family plan to visit Alabama in June. Riley Ferguson had previously stated that he will name leaders soon and that Alabama and South Carolina are definitely in that group. You have to think that Mitch's commitment affects his decision. Anthony Jennings tweeted Thursday that he got an Alabama offer. As with every offer, Alabama will want Jennings to throw for Coach Saban at camp.

2012 Alabama commitment Dakota Ball won the Georgia state championship in the shot put. He is expected to report to Tuscaloosa May 27.

Another quarterback the Crimson Tide is evaluating is Boynton Beach signal caller Jake Lutzen. Lutzen is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.

Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt visited Tallahassee Godby Thursday to check in on 2014 safety Deion Singleton and 2015 athlete Jaylin Hayward.

Last week I told you that Alabama stopped by to recruit south Florida cornerback Adrian Baker. This week Baker announced that his top five schools are FSU, UF, LSU, Alabama and Ohio State. He said he will make a decision soon.

Alabama visited Jacksonville safety Nick Washington Thursday. Washington committed to Florida in February.

The Crimson Tide dropped by Immokalee Thursday to recruit Mackensie Alexander and recent FSU de-commitment, Deadrin Senat.

Alabama visited 2014 offensive tackle K.C. McDermott of Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla., Thursday. McDermott is 6-foot-6, 285 pounds.

Pruitt also visited 2013 offensive guard Tyler Reagan of Bartram Trail High School in Fruit Cove, Fla. Reagan is 6-5, 279 pounds.

2014 safety and former teammate of 2012 UA commitment Geno Smith, Nick Glass was visited by UA assistant Chris Rumph Thursday. Glass is committed to Georgia.

Stud 2014 tight end/linebacker Kevin Crosby of Bamberg, S.C., has Alabama high on his list. He said the Crimson Tide is pursuing him the hardest.

One of the best center recruits in the country, Brandon Kublanow, was visited by Alabama this week. Georgia is the school to beat.

Wide receiver Ryan Jenkins of Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.) said he plans to visit Tuscaloosa soon.

Pruitt visited Northview (Dothan) cornerback Marquez White recently. White has the size, 6-foot-1, that Alabama likes on the corner. He plans to camp at Alabama this summer.

New UA offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier's previously relationship with 2013 quarterback Hayden Rettig has carried over to Alabama. Nussmeier checked in with the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder Thursday.

Alabama is showing heavy interest in 2014 offensive tackle Cameron Robinson from Monroe, La. Robinson is a massive prospect at 6-foot-6, 320 pounds. He has Alabama in his top two.

Another 2014 prospect the Tide is interested in is College Park, Ga., athlete Terry Googer, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect.

Alabama visited Tucker, Ga., athlete Juwaan Williams Wednesday. Williams is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds.

Hoza Scott, a 2014 linebacker prospect from La Porte, Texas, said he received a verbal offer from Alabama this week. Scott is a 6-foot-3. 225-pound outside linebacker.

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1) Coach Saban usually takes at least one impact JUCO guy per year. Who do you see filling that role for the upcoming class?

A) Typically Alabama JUCO targets emerge no sooner than November or December of a recruiting cycle as the staff wants to know 1) whether that prospective target will be a December graduate which is highly desired out of JUCO signees and 2) whether or not they have been able to address that need through the high school ranks. I wouldn't be surprised to see an offensive tackle prospect emerge out of the JUCO ranks if Alabama feels like they didn't address this adequately with their high school targets.

Q) How many TEs will Bama take this year? Who are Bama's top TE targets?

A) Alabama already holds a commitment from four-star prospect OJ Howard who is an athletic receiving threat in the mold of an Aaron Hernandez or Jimmy Graham, but the thinking here is that the Tide will try and sign one more conventional target at the position - someone who can put their hand down and be a devastating blocker as well as pass receiver. Durham (NC) Hillside Top 247 prospect Josh McNeil has named the Tide his leader as recently as last weekend, and UA remains in outstanding shape for the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder. The other top candidate for the Tide's second TE signee for 2013 is Pulaski Academy's Hunter Henry, a huge target at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds. Henry has Alabama firmly in his top five.

3) Has Lucky started recruited some beautiful ladies for next year's BOL Signing Day Fax Cam?

A) Sort of skimpy on volunteers so far other than TG Paschal who promises to wear his OR scrubs if we hire him for the job.

4) What do you feel today about DeMarcus Walker?

A) I think Walker was/is certainly intrigued by Alabama, but the feeling here is that he has a lot of people in his ear about Florida, including some very close friends who are in Gainesville. I would have felt better about UA's chances if he had committed in late April/early May, and while UA is not out of it, I think Florida has some momentum right now.

5) Since there aren't any true HS 0 technique NT's in this class, do you see our staff going the JUCO route to find a big guy to anchor the middle?

A) It is a rather skimpy year nationally for true interior run pluggers, but luckily for Alabama they have stockpiled some impressive depth there. Jesse Williams figures to man the spot this fall, and Brandon Ivory, Alphonse Taylor (should he not stick at guard), and Darren Lake are all young, promising prospects at the position. I think UA could get away with not signing someone in 2013 at the position, but if they are less than pleased about the progress of their younger guys, then a JUCO guy could certainly be an option.

6) We have commitments from two great running backs, but still continue to make other offers. Would we really take three, or are one of our commitments not really solid?

A) I think it is more of a Saban/staff philosophy more than anything else. They ideally want three or four guys they can play at any point in a game, and with injuries and bumps and bruises always a concern, it is hard to pass on top flight guys at a position that is the focal point of your offense. Altee Tenpenny and Tyren Jones are true tailbacks, but some of the other targets the Tide is recruiting (Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry for example) can play multiple positions. Jones and Tenpenny at this point are solid to UA.

7) Character is a driving aspect utilized to evaluate talent. How many players out there does this impact, and are there any examples you are aware of where conditional offers were made with this in mind if certain changes or improvements were made? Is this less of a driving aspect for offers on athletes the staff considers to be at the top of their position?

A) I think Alabama does a great job screening kids in this respect. The off the field issues have been minimal in recent seasons. The Tide's NFL draft picks have been low risk character targets. I think Alabama is recruiting at the level now that kids that have big red flags are passed on pretty early, and those who fail to drop bad habits (I can think of one recent former UA commit who has since gone in another direction) are passed over as well. UA can afford to be picky here, and the kids that have those huge red flags are luckily few and far between anyway.

8) In your conversations with recruits and families what are the prevalent aspects of the program that attract athletes to Alabama. More specifically how much does the graduation rates, academic programs and support systems really influence the decisions made?

A) Lately, the NFL success and opportunity to play for a championship has been prevalent in discussions with kids. I think developing into a recruiting powerhouse is a multi-step process that begins with stability on your coaching staff, success on the field, competing for championships and finally success placing kids into the pros. Most of the programs Alabama are competing with for kids are going to have top-notch support systems in place for student-athletes. Kids certainly mention these things in our interviews, but generally most big-time, successful schools are going to have similar support programs in place.

9) The obvious but how will the departure of Phillip Sims affect QB recruiting?

A) I think it positively affects the targets that Alabama are pursuing. Quarterbacks, more so than most other positions, are looking heavily at depth charts. You can only play one guy at a time, and few programs rotate other quarterbacks into the game unless you have an injury or blowout situation. Otherwise, you are sitting on the bench. Alabama now has just two back-up quarterbacks on scholarship, and the opportunity to come in and compete for a starting job in a year or two just got a little easier if you are a UA QB target.

10) If we were to strike out on Riley Ferguson and Cooper Bateman, who would be our top quarterback target?

A) I think you would have to look to summer camps to determine a back-up plan and then there’s Georgia commit, Brice Ramsey, who UA continues to work.

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