Yesterday I took a look at the top uncommitted prospects left on Alabama's recruiting board. Today, I'll be giving you a couple of prospects that are currently committed elsewhere who the Crimson Tide has a legitimate shot at landing on Signing Day. Of course, turnabout is fair play, and while Bama is looking to pick someone else's pocket, others are looking to get their hand in Bama's. We'll start by taking a look at some current Tide verbals who may end up wearing something other than Crimson next season.
Tide Commits On The Move...?
Daryl Collins, Wide Receiver (Alabama)
Rivals: 3* Scout: 3*
Committed to Bama Since: 3/23/2010
The long-time commit currently finds himself on the wrong end of the Tide's numbers crunch. Bama is currently carrying way more verbal commitments than they actually have room to accept (around 10 more, to be precise) and looking to add a few more. In particular, they're a bit overstocked at the wide receiver position with 4 true WR commits and a few more guys who can play the spot but may go to defense. Of the 4 true WRs, Collins is by far the least heralded. It may sound harsh, but he's the sort of solid player with some upside that you take as insurance in case your bigger targets don't pan out. Unfortunately for Collins, Bama hit it big with nearly all of it's WR targets, namely Marvin Shinn and Danny Woodson, Jr. As of today, Bama is still willing to honor Collins' commitment but only with a greyshirt offer (meaning he won't be able to join the team on scholarship until next spring). Obviously that's not the most desirable situation for a recruit, so, with the blessing of Bama's coaching staff, Collins has recently been exploring his options with Kentucky, Louisville, and Southern Miss. Of the three, Kentucky seems to be his most likely destination, if he wants to play next season.
My Best Guess: Switching to Kentucky
LaMichael Fanning, Defensive End (Georgia)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Committed to Bama Since: 4/17/2010
Another long-time commit that's recently been taking a look around. Fanning is quite a physical specimen (6'6", 285 lbs.) with huge upside but is rumored to be a longshot to be academically eligible to enroll this fall (not surprising for a guy who's bounced around to four different high schools), and there's some scuttlebutt that the Tide wouldn't be disappointed if he committed elsewhere so they don't get a surprise in August if he were to somehow get eligible and have to conjure up a roster spot for him. Fanning spent this past weekend on an official visit to Auburn but hasn't talked to the media since, so it's unclear where he stands right now.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Bama
Isaac Luatua, Offensive Lineman (California)
Rivals: 3* Scout: 3*
Committed to Bama Since: 6/8/2010
This one is all hunch. Luatua has gone almost totally under ground since his commitment to the Tide in June. He has taken no official visits and hasn't talked to the recruiting media in months. But it sure is a long way from La Miranda, California, to Tuscaloosa. And just because it hasn't been documented in the press doesn't mean he hasn't been looking. I'm not going to call for it, but don't be surprised if he ends up signing somewhere closer to home tomorrow.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Bama
As of today, I think every other Tide commit is as solid as solid gets, and it would be a major surprise if anyone other than these 3 went elsewhere. Now we'll hit the flipside.
Rival Commits On The Market...?
Brent Calloway, Athlete (Alabama)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Currently Committed To: Auburn
I'm not going to rehash the sordid details of this one. If you need to, you can catch up here, just scroll down a bit. I think most Bama fans had written off Calloway following that whole fiasco. But apparently Nick Saban hadn't. He convinced Calloway to take an unexpected official visit to Tuscaloosa last weekend and made one last push to convince him to sign with the Tide. How successful was he? Calloway isn't talking. To anybody. And likely won't until he signs his LOI tomorrow. However, it's worth noting that at the same time Calloway was on his visit, his adoptive father was quoted in an incendiary article lambasting the way his son switched his commitment and not-so-subtly knocking the credibility of Auburn's coaches. While his father did say the ultimate decision would belong to Calloway, I think it's safe to say which choice the family supports. And you really can't underestimate that. So it would seem the late momentum is with the Tide. But the Auburn coaches are nothing if not dogged recruiters (to put it nicely) and they tend to not lose guys once they get their hooks into them.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Auburn
Robenson Therezie, Safety (Florida)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Currently Committed To: Auburn
If the rumors are to be believed, Therezie actually contacted Tide coaches and said he would be committing to Bama at the Under Armor All-American game. But then the game came and he instead announced for Auburn. He's since remained committed to the Tigers but has also kept his ears open to other overtures, and Bama has stayed on him. In fact, it could be argued the Tide has more momentum with Therezie than Auburn, despite maintaining his commitment. But like I just said, for whatever reason (coughcough), this AU staff doesn't lose guys too often.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Auburn
So for those of you keeping track, I've predicted Bama to pick up one uncommitted prospect tomorrow, lose one current commitment, and strike out on their two main committed targets for a net of...0. Watch out for Nickolas Brassel, though. And there may be a little more smoke coming from Jeoffrey Pagan than I previously gave us credit for.
I'll check back in sometime tomorrow to evaluate where we're at.
Showing posts with label 2011 Recruiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 Recruiting. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Bama Recruiting Overload: Uncommitted Hype
With less than 48 hours remaining until Signing Day, the year-long recruiting hype train is, really, just getting warmed up. The next 3 days are going to be filled with a non-stop barrage of rumors and innuendos, never letting up until every last teenager has done something silly with a baseball cap and every last LOI is faxed. And as has been the case every year since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is expected to be at the forefront of it all on February 2nd, for better or for worse (but mostly better). Will Bama fans be feeling triumphant when it's all said and done, as they were in 2008 and 2009 when the Tide reeled in #1 rated signing classes? Or will we be left feeling melancholic and strangely disappointed after missing out on several high-profile prospects late in the game like last year (though still finishing with a consensus Top 5 class, mind you)?
As regular readers may have picked up on by now, I'm a little bit jaded to the whole recruiting phenomenon. But don't get me wrong: I have no doubt that recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football team. It's a fact. The teams that do it the best consistently tend to be the best teams on the field in the fall. And I want Alabama to be one of those teams. I think I'm mainly just turned off to the industry of recruiting and the culture of general insanity that's grown up around it (and really exploded over the last 5 years or so). As Pat Forde said in regards to the Cam Newton situation, and I think generalizes to the broader state of the recruiting industry, we've all gotten a little too far into the sausage factory.
All that said, this here's a college football blog, and recruiting is going to be THE story in college football this week. So I'm gonna do my duty to add to the insanity by giving you the best coverage of Alabama's 2011 recruiting class that I'm capable of (which may not be much).
Much like last recruiting cycle (and likely every cycle from here on out as long as Saban is around), Bama hoarded commitments early in the process and will be spending most of the end of the cycle protecting their current commits from poachers and chasing after a select few elite prospects. This way of doing things led to somewhat of a sleepy Signing Day in 2010, but that doesn't look to be the case this year. The Tide is still a legit player for several big-time recruits capable of making an instant impact on campus. So today, I'm kicking things off with a look at the top uncommitted prospects that Alabama is still actively recruiting and has a realistic shot at signing.
Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End (South Carolina)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: South Carolina
This guy needs no introduction. He's #1 on everybody's board, but his recruitment has essentially been a two-horse race between Bama and his home state Gamecocks since this past summer. At one point, there was even a status update on his Facebook page saying that he had chosen the Tide, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Actually, I'm still not sure what that was about. If all things were equal, I think he'd be a lock to Alabama. He projects as a prototypical Jack linebacker (pass rush specialist) in Saban's scheme. However, distance from home is a big concern for his family, particularly his mother and she seems to be the identified "decision maker" in his recruitment. She recently accompanied her son on an official visit to Tuscaloosa (her first trip to T-town), and word is Mrs. Saban worked Mama Clowney hard. But was it too little too late? No one knows since Clowney has reportedly shut down all communication in the lead up to his announced signing date of February 14th. But the Gamecocks have developed an improbably strong pull amongst in-state recruits over the past few years, and I'd have to consider them the slight betting favorite.
My Best Guess: South Carolina
Cyrus Kouandjio, Offensive Tackle (Maryland)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Auburn, Iowa, New Mexico
If Clowney is the top guy on Bama's board, Cyrus isn't far behind. He's 6'7", 322 lbs, and has an incredibly well-developed physique for a high school OL. He looks chisled out of stone. More to the point, he looks like a 4-year starter at left tackle. His older brother, Arie, signed with the Tide last year and redshirted this past season. Needless to say, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have a long-standing relationship with the family and have to be considered the heavy favorites to land the big guy. But you shouldn't assume this is a "lay down" either. Cyrus is on the record regarding his reservations about competing against his brother for playing time (reportedly allayed by the coaching staff laying out their plans for Arie at RT or guard only) and has repeatedly declined to name a leader and has taken every one of his official visits, including back to back trips to Iowa and Auburn. Auburn is a late addition to Cyrus' Top 5 and mainly got there by virtue of Miami falling off his list after the sacking of Randy Shannon. There was some talk that Auburn would make a logical alternative to Bama if his concerns about competing with his brother won out (due to being an easier trip for his parents to visit both), but it's really difficult for me to believe Auburn could pull him from Bama after getting into the game so late. If that were to happen, I'm sorry, but something smells funny on the Plains, as usual.
My Best Guess: Alabama
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back (Georgia)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Georgia
At one point, Crowell was the Tide's #1 running back target in this class. Maybe he still is (if so, it didn't stop Bama from taking the commitment of fellow 5* RB Dee Hart and get him enrolled this spring). Crowell's commitment has been a bit of a roller coaster. Early in the process, he was basically a lock for Bama. Georgia made some significant strides with him over the summer to make it a 50/50 race. But then the Dawgs went on that horrible losing streak early in the season and lost momentum. Since the season ended, Georgia has put an all-out blitz on Crowell, sending small armies of coaches to visit him at once and offering a scholarship to his previously no-scholarship-offer-having friend. So they worked it back to something close to 50/50 again, with maybe a slight edge to UGA. I think the tipping point for his decision was the commitment of Hart, though. You just DON'T get two backs of that caliber in the same class. Not enough carries to go around. Bama is still fighting for him, but ultimately I think this plays out like Auburn's pursuit of Marcus Lattimore after already taking Michael Dyer last year. It's one or the other, never both.
My Best Guess: Georgia
Nickolas Brassell, Wide Receiver (Mississippi)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Ole Miss
The one-time Mississippi State commit now seems to no longer even be considering the Bulldogs. After his decommitment (what a word), it was widely assumed Brassell would quickly follow his good friend Tobias Singleton to Ole Miss, but that was not the case. Brassell kept his options open which left the door cracked for the Tide to get in as a serious player for his signature. In fact, Bama was able to score his last official visit this past weekend. And while Bama isn't exactly hurting for receivers in this class (already holding commitments from 4 pure wideouts), Saban is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to find his next #1 receiver after the departure of Julio Jones. There is also some scuttlebutt that Saban may have talked to Brassell about making a move to defensive back (which IS a position the Tide could use a little help with in this class) on his visit. His openness to this possibility will probably go a long way towards influencing his decision. Right now, this one is too close to call.
My Best Guess: 50/50
Jeoffery Pagan, Defensive End (North Carolina)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Georgia
Much like Brassell, Bama got serious about Pagan (one-time Florida commit turned Clemson commit turned uncommitted) late in the process. On the surface, it bodes well for Bama that Pagan decided to part ways with Clemson following his official visit in Tuscaloosa. The Tide had a tremendous amount of momentum at the time, but that was quickly derailed when Ray Drew committed to Georgia. Pagan has a good relationship with Drew, and the general consensus was that Pagan was going to end up wherever Drew did as long as it wasn't Auburn. Well, it wasn't Auburn. Bama is going to keep working on him, but it would be a major surprise if he inks anywhere other than Georgia.
My Best Guess: Georgia
So there you have it. Of the top uncommitted guys, I say we get Kouandjio, maybe Brassell, and that's it. Not a very inspiring projection for Signing Day, I know, but you have to keep in mind Alabama already has Rivals' #1 ranked recruiting class WITHOUT any of these guys. While they likely wouldn't hold onto that spot (who cares?) with strong finishes from the likes of FSU or Georgia, the fact is it's an incredibly strong class as it stands right now. It only gets better with the addition of any of these guys, not worse without them.
So that's that.
I plan to be back tomorow to look at which current Bama commitments might end up elsewhere come Signing Day and which other schools' commitments may end up in Crimson when it's all said and done.
As regular readers may have picked up on by now, I'm a little bit jaded to the whole recruiting phenomenon. But don't get me wrong: I have no doubt that recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football team. It's a fact. The teams that do it the best consistently tend to be the best teams on the field in the fall. And I want Alabama to be one of those teams. I think I'm mainly just turned off to the industry of recruiting and the culture of general insanity that's grown up around it (and really exploded over the last 5 years or so). As Pat Forde said in regards to the Cam Newton situation, and I think generalizes to the broader state of the recruiting industry, we've all gotten a little too far into the sausage factory.
All that said, this here's a college football blog, and recruiting is going to be THE story in college football this week. So I'm gonna do my duty to add to the insanity by giving you the best coverage of Alabama's 2011 recruiting class that I'm capable of (which may not be much).
Much like last recruiting cycle (and likely every cycle from here on out as long as Saban is around), Bama hoarded commitments early in the process and will be spending most of the end of the cycle protecting their current commits from poachers and chasing after a select few elite prospects. This way of doing things led to somewhat of a sleepy Signing Day in 2010, but that doesn't look to be the case this year. The Tide is still a legit player for several big-time recruits capable of making an instant impact on campus. So today, I'm kicking things off with a look at the top uncommitted prospects that Alabama is still actively recruiting and has a realistic shot at signing.
Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End (South Carolina)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: South Carolina
This guy needs no introduction. He's #1 on everybody's board, but his recruitment has essentially been a two-horse race between Bama and his home state Gamecocks since this past summer. At one point, there was even a status update on his Facebook page saying that he had chosen the Tide, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Actually, I'm still not sure what that was about. If all things were equal, I think he'd be a lock to Alabama. He projects as a prototypical Jack linebacker (pass rush specialist) in Saban's scheme. However, distance from home is a big concern for his family, particularly his mother and she seems to be the identified "decision maker" in his recruitment. She recently accompanied her son on an official visit to Tuscaloosa (her first trip to T-town), and word is Mrs. Saban worked Mama Clowney hard. But was it too little too late? No one knows since Clowney has reportedly shut down all communication in the lead up to his announced signing date of February 14th. But the Gamecocks have developed an improbably strong pull amongst in-state recruits over the past few years, and I'd have to consider them the slight betting favorite.
My Best Guess: South Carolina
Cyrus Kouandjio, Offensive Tackle (Maryland)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Auburn, Iowa, New Mexico
If Clowney is the top guy on Bama's board, Cyrus isn't far behind. He's 6'7", 322 lbs, and has an incredibly well-developed physique for a high school OL. He looks chisled out of stone. More to the point, he looks like a 4-year starter at left tackle. His older brother, Arie, signed with the Tide last year and redshirted this past season. Needless to say, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have a long-standing relationship with the family and have to be considered the heavy favorites to land the big guy. But you shouldn't assume this is a "lay down" either. Cyrus is on the record regarding his reservations about competing against his brother for playing time (reportedly allayed by the coaching staff laying out their plans for Arie at RT or guard only) and has repeatedly declined to name a leader and has taken every one of his official visits, including back to back trips to Iowa and Auburn. Auburn is a late addition to Cyrus' Top 5 and mainly got there by virtue of Miami falling off his list after the sacking of Randy Shannon. There was some talk that Auburn would make a logical alternative to Bama if his concerns about competing with his brother won out (due to being an easier trip for his parents to visit both), but it's really difficult for me to believe Auburn could pull him from Bama after getting into the game so late. If that were to happen, I'm sorry, but something smells funny on the Plains, as usual.
My Best Guess: Alabama
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back (Georgia)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Georgia
At one point, Crowell was the Tide's #1 running back target in this class. Maybe he still is (if so, it didn't stop Bama from taking the commitment of fellow 5* RB Dee Hart and get him enrolled this spring). Crowell's commitment has been a bit of a roller coaster. Early in the process, he was basically a lock for Bama. Georgia made some significant strides with him over the summer to make it a 50/50 race. But then the Dawgs went on that horrible losing streak early in the season and lost momentum. Since the season ended, Georgia has put an all-out blitz on Crowell, sending small armies of coaches to visit him at once and offering a scholarship to his previously no-scholarship-offer-having friend. So they worked it back to something close to 50/50 again, with maybe a slight edge to UGA. I think the tipping point for his decision was the commitment of Hart, though. You just DON'T get two backs of that caliber in the same class. Not enough carries to go around. Bama is still fighting for him, but ultimately I think this plays out like Auburn's pursuit of Marcus Lattimore after already taking Michael Dyer last year. It's one or the other, never both.
My Best Guess: Georgia
Nickolas Brassell, Wide Receiver (Mississippi)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Ole Miss
The one-time Mississippi State commit now seems to no longer even be considering the Bulldogs. After his decommitment (what a word), it was widely assumed Brassell would quickly follow his good friend Tobias Singleton to Ole Miss, but that was not the case. Brassell kept his options open which left the door cracked for the Tide to get in as a serious player for his signature. In fact, Bama was able to score his last official visit this past weekend. And while Bama isn't exactly hurting for receivers in this class (already holding commitments from 4 pure wideouts), Saban is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to find his next #1 receiver after the departure of Julio Jones. There is also some scuttlebutt that Saban may have talked to Brassell about making a move to defensive back (which IS a position the Tide could use a little help with in this class) on his visit. His openness to this possibility will probably go a long way towards influencing his decision. Right now, this one is too close to call.
My Best Guess: 50/50
Jeoffery Pagan, Defensive End (North Carolina)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Georgia
Much like Brassell, Bama got serious about Pagan (one-time Florida commit turned Clemson commit turned uncommitted) late in the process. On the surface, it bodes well for Bama that Pagan decided to part ways with Clemson following his official visit in Tuscaloosa. The Tide had a tremendous amount of momentum at the time, but that was quickly derailed when Ray Drew committed to Georgia. Pagan has a good relationship with Drew, and the general consensus was that Pagan was going to end up wherever Drew did as long as it wasn't Auburn. Well, it wasn't Auburn. Bama is going to keep working on him, but it would be a major surprise if he inks anywhere other than Georgia.
My Best Guess: Georgia
So there you have it. Of the top uncommitted guys, I say we get Kouandjio, maybe Brassell, and that's it. Not a very inspiring projection for Signing Day, I know, but you have to keep in mind Alabama already has Rivals' #1 ranked recruiting class WITHOUT any of these guys. While they likely wouldn't hold onto that spot (who cares?) with strong finishes from the likes of FSU or Georgia, the fact is it's an incredibly strong class as it stands right now. It only gets better with the addition of any of these guys, not worse without them.
So that's that.
I plan to be back tomorow to look at which current Bama commitments might end up elsewhere come Signing Day and which other schools' commitments may end up in Crimson when it's all said and done.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Big Recruiting Day For Georgia
It was just about a week and a half ago when Georgia landed their first three verbal commitments since August in the form of DB Damian Swann, LB Ramik Wilson and WR Sanford Seay. With National Signing Day quickly coming up on us two Georgia targets chose Wednesday to make their verbal commitments. TE Jay Rome, #18 on the ESPNU 150, and teammate WR/DB Malcolm Michell, #45 on the ESPNU 150, both announced their college intentions today but did it at different locations (which caused me to think they might be going separate ways). Jay Rome went first and announced on ESPNU that he would be attending Georgia over Alabama. I was expecting this as Rome has been rumored as a heavy lean towards Georgia for the last several weeks. And why not, Georgia has a really good recent history with TEs making it to the NFL (Leonard Pope, Ben Watson, Randy McMichael, Jermaine Wiggins). I'm not sure what kind of immediate impact Rome will have on the field as Georgia has Orson Charles and Aron White ahead of him but I think he will see the field this year and could set up some good mis-matches if on the field at the same time as Charles.
Next up was Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell announced his intentions at a local restaurant and on a radio show. Jay Rome made it back from his ESPNU trip, which was filmed in Tallahassee, in time to be decked out in Georgia gear for the announcement. Mitchell started off by announcing that Florida was still in the mix and he thanked Georgia coaches (which is the recruiting kiss of death). But in the end Mitchell, who himself said that Alabama had led the whole way in his recruiting, chose Georgia. Mitchell is very interesting because he can go both ways on the field and Rivals has him listed as the #1 CB prospect in the Nation and #30 overall. Recruiting rankings are so subjective but it still feels good when you read that Georgia has Rivals #1 and #3 CB recruits from this years class. But will Mitchell play CB or will he play WR at Georgia? Obviously WR is a little more wide open in the immediate future with the departure of AJ Green and Kris Durham and CB is in decent hands with 3 returning players (Boykin, Commings and Smith). Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 13 TDs in his senior season. His coach called him "the best athlete I've ever coached."
Also this week, Georgia scored a commitment from DB Quintavious Harrow, who just happens to be a friend and teammate of Isaiah Crowell. Harrow did not have any previous offers but did take a visit to Alabama on January 14th according to Scout.com. Harrow is undersized at DB but could be an asset in the kick game and on special teams with his 4.4 speed. Some have said that he didn't get any offers because his academic standing was in question until recently. Scout has him listed as a 2-star prospect. Harrow is not somebody who looks to contribute immediately but could be a Tim Jennings or Tyson Browning type down the road (although both of them were rated higher by recruiting services).
These two kids (Rome and Mitchell) haven't even stepped on campus and we don't know if they will be all they are cracked up to be but it was a feel good moment that Georgia needed. After a dismal season things are starting to look up with the latest flurry of verbal commitments and Texas poaching our OL coach (yes I think this is a positive, the Georgia OL has been awful the last two years and this past season was one of...if not THE...most underperforming units in all of college football). Now we await word on RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew and NT John Jenkins. If Georgia lands 2 of those guys then this really might be the "Dream Team" that the Georgia coaches are touting.
Next up was Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell announced his intentions at a local restaurant and on a radio show. Jay Rome made it back from his ESPNU trip, which was filmed in Tallahassee, in time to be decked out in Georgia gear for the announcement. Mitchell started off by announcing that Florida was still in the mix and he thanked Georgia coaches (which is the recruiting kiss of death). But in the end Mitchell, who himself said that Alabama had led the whole way in his recruiting, chose Georgia. Mitchell is very interesting because he can go both ways on the field and Rivals has him listed as the #1 CB prospect in the Nation and #30 overall. Recruiting rankings are so subjective but it still feels good when you read that Georgia has Rivals #1 and #3 CB recruits from this years class. But will Mitchell play CB or will he play WR at Georgia? Obviously WR is a little more wide open in the immediate future with the departure of AJ Green and Kris Durham and CB is in decent hands with 3 returning players (Boykin, Commings and Smith). Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 13 TDs in his senior season. His coach called him "the best athlete I've ever coached."
Also this week, Georgia scored a commitment from DB Quintavious Harrow, who just happens to be a friend and teammate of Isaiah Crowell. Harrow did not have any previous offers but did take a visit to Alabama on January 14th according to Scout.com. Harrow is undersized at DB but could be an asset in the kick game and on special teams with his 4.4 speed. Some have said that he didn't get any offers because his academic standing was in question until recently. Scout has him listed as a 2-star prospect. Harrow is not somebody who looks to contribute immediately but could be a Tim Jennings or Tyson Browning type down the road (although both of them were rated higher by recruiting services).
These two kids (Rome and Mitchell) haven't even stepped on campus and we don't know if they will be all they are cracked up to be but it was a feel good moment that Georgia needed. After a dismal season things are starting to look up with the latest flurry of verbal commitments and Texas poaching our OL coach (yes I think this is a positive, the Georgia OL has been awful the last two years and this past season was one of...if not THE...most underperforming units in all of college football). Now we await word on RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew and NT John Jenkins. If Georgia lands 2 of those guys then this really might be the "Dream Team" that the Georgia coaches are touting.
Alabama Bric-A-Brac is Back
Well, the offseason has thoroughly settled in on us, so it's time for the return of my completely irregular updates on what's happening with Alabama football, or just whatever I think is pertinent to talk about at any given moment. I figured now would be a good time to tie up some loose ends from the past couple of weeks as we get ready for the inevitably wild conclusion of the 2011 recruiting season that will no doubt be fueling the blog for the next week or so.
Let's get this started...
The NFL Draft: No Surprises
Last time I checked in, we speculated on which Bama juniors would be declaring for the Draft. Three were absolute no-brainers to leave school early, and they did as expected. Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, and Mark Ingram will all be 1st round picks (probably in that order), so congrats to them. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the decisions of Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw, and Marquis Maze.
Hightower announced his intentions to return to Alabama for his senior(?) season alongside Dareus, Jones, and Ingram, ending that press conference on a somewhat happy note. A week later, Barron held his own presser and also stated he would be returning to school. Neither Upshaw nor Maze made public decisions, but the deadline to declare came and went without either filing their draft papers. I was a bit taken off guard by Maze's decision, as most of the information I was getting said that his mind had been made up to turn pro for some time.
All in all, I think everyone made the right decision for their respective careers.
I'm really excited about Mark Barron coming back. Due to graduation, attrition, and suspension, the Tide began the 2010 season with only one safety with any significant playing experience (that being Barron). When the Tide begins the 2011 season, the Tide will have FOUR safeties with that experience once Robbie Green returns from his NCAA suspension. The secondary will go from being a major weakness to a major strength next season.
Another Coaching Change: Nick Saban Is Never Surprised
In yet another "blink and you'll miss it" shakeup of the coaching staff, offensive line coach Joe Pendry retired and was quickly replaced by Miami (FL) OL coach Jeff Stoutland.
Pendry actually came out of retirement to join Nick Saban on his first staff at Alabama. There was a good deal of skepticism surrouding that hire in 2007, but he ultimately silenced his critics when he forged two of the most dominating offensive lines I've ever seen in 2008 and 2009. In addition to being the OL coach, Pendry also served as what you might call an unofficial "co-offensive coordinator" during his time at Bama. It's unclear if Stoutland will serve in a similar capacity, but it's doubtful.
I'm not terribly familiar with Stoutland's work, so I don't have much of an opinion on the hire. I will say I wasn't impressed by much of anything that happened at Miami over the past few seasons, but who knows how much of that was top-down incompetence stemming from Sleepyhead Shannon himself. (I'd guess a lot.) All I know is that he was Pendry's recommendation to take over and Saban doesn't miss on hiring assistants too often.
So we'll see how it goes. He certainly has big shoes to fill, and I hear Pendry intends to remain in Tuscaloosa in some sort of "advisory role" for the team.
Army High School All-American Game Madness
With the lack of any major surprises coming in the form of Draft departures, the biggest tremors felt in the Bama fanbase came at the Army All-American game. The broadcast began with long-time Alabama commit Brent Calloway (then a 5* prospect according to Rivals) publicly decommitted from the Tide and then said he would choose a new college destination later in the game. Which he did...and it was Auburn.
So that was weird and just plain sucked. In a later interview concerning his decision, Calloway basically came out and said he had been scared off by Alabama's depth chart. A tweener athlete who played running back and linebacker in high school, Calloway projects very highly as an LB in college and not very highly at all at running back. Bama was offering him the opportunity to at least attempt to play RB first, but Calloway noted Bama's 6 scholarship RBs on the roster and didn't like his odds of getting playing time there. Bama is likewise stacked at linebacker, and, as Calloway noted, they're generally much bigger than him.
And with all that in mind, as well as the encouragement of friend and Auburn commit Jonathan Rose, Calloway elected to take his talents to Auburn, where the paths to playing time at running back and linebacker are much clearer.
You always hate to lose a great athlete like Calloway, but I have no problem with his decision. I do have an issue with the way he did it, attempting to humiliate Bama on national TV, but...you know...he's a high school kid. They do dumb things. And I have no doubt he was encouraged to do it by some of the sleazebags on the AU staff. Good luck to him.
But it wasn't all bad news!
After the Calloway business was said and done, the Tide FINALLY nailed down a public commitment from 5* RB and the Army Player of the Year, Dee Hart. Hart has wanted to be at Alabama all along but various issues have always gotten in the way, most recently Hart's desire to be an early enrollee which Bama didn't have room for. But apparently they got that ironed out, and Hart donned the crimson cap, at last. Or rather...he pulled out a Bama hat...said he was going to Bama...and then put the hat on the head of his friend, teammate, fellow 5* prospect, and long-time Bama commit Hasean Clinton-Dix.
Quite the bromance those two have.
Good Journey, BJ Scott
It's official.
And now for the mea culpa...
Okay, last summer I wrote this glowing mini-biography on him: Alabama's X-Factor: BJ Scott.
And then a funny thing or two happened on the way to his breakout game. Or two.
First and foremost, JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie, once thought lost for the season with an Achilles injury, made a miraculous recovery over the summer and earned one of Bama's 3 primary cornerback spots in fall camp. Saban doesn't sign JUCO players not to play, so it was no surprise a (mostly) healthy Menzie locked up a spot in the playing rotation.
At the same time, true freshman Demarcus Milliner had a mental breakthrough and started picking up the defensive schemes quickly. Reportedly, this was the aspect of the game that Scott struggled with the most. And Saban will ALWAYS favor the player who does a better job handling the mental aspect of his scheme. (See also: Milliner's fellow true freshman CJ Mosely leapfrogging several guys at linebacker by displaying a "Rolando-like" grasp of the defense.)
And just like that...Scott lost his starting job. By the time fall camp was over, he had even been passed over as (what I would call) the "emergency" corner by LSU-transfer Phelon Jones. He saw extremely limited playing time during the season and ultimately suffered an ankle injury that shut him down at the end. The one bright spot for Scott in 2010, and perhaps in his entire Bama career, was his garbage time interception in the Tennessee game that caused a minor earthquake of jubilation on the Tide sideline.
So, I'll just admit it...I was wrong on this one. Horribly wrong. And I'm really disappointed for BJ, who, by all accounts, is a good guy and teammate. Hopefully, he'll have a great two years at South Alabama.
Oh, and don't let anyone tell you that he was cast off to make room for new recruits. Completely unfounded. In fact, as recently as a week ago, Saban had met with Scott to try to convince him to stay. Even if he was never going to play a meaningful down at Alabama, you don't get rid of guys with his work ethic and attitude who are as popular with the team as BJ was/is.
That said, I think BJ's story serves as a cautionary tale during the Silly Season that is recruiting in January and February. He himself was once a 5* propect on his way to star at one of the most storied programs in college football...Today, he leaves having accomplished nothing individually and will finish his career on an unclassified team that didn't even EXIST when he graduated high school. The moral of the story? Chill OUT, people. I'm as interested in recruiting as the next guy, but keep stuff in perspective. These are kids, and nobody REALLY knows how they're going to turn out in 3 or 4 years time.
It's not worth freaking out over if your coveted 5* offensive tackle signs with your hated rival. (Foreshadowing?) It's definitely not worth stalking a kid's Facebook page and posting insults about him. Or whatever.
With that in mind, I'll be back some time soon to fuel that insanity with a check-up on Alabama's 2011 recruiting class! Who's coming!? Who's going!? I HAVE THE ANSWERS.
Let's get this started...
The NFL Draft: No Surprises
Last time I checked in, we speculated on which Bama juniors would be declaring for the Draft. Three were absolute no-brainers to leave school early, and they did as expected. Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, and Mark Ingram will all be 1st round picks (probably in that order), so congrats to them. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the decisions of Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw, and Marquis Maze.
Hightower announced his intentions to return to Alabama for his senior(?) season alongside Dareus, Jones, and Ingram, ending that press conference on a somewhat happy note. A week later, Barron held his own presser and also stated he would be returning to school. Neither Upshaw nor Maze made public decisions, but the deadline to declare came and went without either filing their draft papers. I was a bit taken off guard by Maze's decision, as most of the information I was getting said that his mind had been made up to turn pro for some time.
All in all, I think everyone made the right decision for their respective careers.
I'm really excited about Mark Barron coming back. Due to graduation, attrition, and suspension, the Tide began the 2010 season with only one safety with any significant playing experience (that being Barron). When the Tide begins the 2011 season, the Tide will have FOUR safeties with that experience once Robbie Green returns from his NCAA suspension. The secondary will go from being a major weakness to a major strength next season.
Another Coaching Change: Nick Saban Is Never Surprised
In yet another "blink and you'll miss it" shakeup of the coaching staff, offensive line coach Joe Pendry retired and was quickly replaced by Miami (FL) OL coach Jeff Stoutland.
Pendry actually came out of retirement to join Nick Saban on his first staff at Alabama. There was a good deal of skepticism surrouding that hire in 2007, but he ultimately silenced his critics when he forged two of the most dominating offensive lines I've ever seen in 2008 and 2009. In addition to being the OL coach, Pendry also served as what you might call an unofficial "co-offensive coordinator" during his time at Bama. It's unclear if Stoutland will serve in a similar capacity, but it's doubtful.
I'm not terribly familiar with Stoutland's work, so I don't have much of an opinion on the hire. I will say I wasn't impressed by much of anything that happened at Miami over the past few seasons, but who knows how much of that was top-down incompetence stemming from Sleepyhead Shannon himself. (I'd guess a lot.) All I know is that he was Pendry's recommendation to take over and Saban doesn't miss on hiring assistants too often.
So we'll see how it goes. He certainly has big shoes to fill, and I hear Pendry intends to remain in Tuscaloosa in some sort of "advisory role" for the team.
Army High School All-American Game Madness
With the lack of any major surprises coming in the form of Draft departures, the biggest tremors felt in the Bama fanbase came at the Army All-American game. The broadcast began with long-time Alabama commit Brent Calloway (then a 5* prospect according to Rivals) publicly decommitted from the Tide and then said he would choose a new college destination later in the game. Which he did...and it was Auburn.
So that was weird and just plain sucked. In a later interview concerning his decision, Calloway basically came out and said he had been scared off by Alabama's depth chart. A tweener athlete who played running back and linebacker in high school, Calloway projects very highly as an LB in college and not very highly at all at running back. Bama was offering him the opportunity to at least attempt to play RB first, but Calloway noted Bama's 6 scholarship RBs on the roster and didn't like his odds of getting playing time there. Bama is likewise stacked at linebacker, and, as Calloway noted, they're generally much bigger than him.
And with all that in mind, as well as the encouragement of friend and Auburn commit Jonathan Rose, Calloway elected to take his talents to Auburn, where the paths to playing time at running back and linebacker are much clearer.
You always hate to lose a great athlete like Calloway, but I have no problem with his decision. I do have an issue with the way he did it, attempting to humiliate Bama on national TV, but...you know...he's a high school kid. They do dumb things. And I have no doubt he was encouraged to do it by some of the sleazebags on the AU staff. Good luck to him.
But it wasn't all bad news!
After the Calloway business was said and done, the Tide FINALLY nailed down a public commitment from 5* RB and the Army Player of the Year, Dee Hart. Hart has wanted to be at Alabama all along but various issues have always gotten in the way, most recently Hart's desire to be an early enrollee which Bama didn't have room for. But apparently they got that ironed out, and Hart donned the crimson cap, at last. Or rather...he pulled out a Bama hat...said he was going to Bama...and then put the hat on the head of his friend, teammate, fellow 5* prospect, and long-time Bama commit Hasean Clinton-Dix.
Quite the bromance those two have.
Good Journey, BJ Scott
It's official.
And now for the mea culpa...
Okay, last summer I wrote this glowing mini-biography on him: Alabama's X-Factor: BJ Scott.
And then a funny thing or two happened on the way to his breakout game. Or two.
First and foremost, JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie, once thought lost for the season with an Achilles injury, made a miraculous recovery over the summer and earned one of Bama's 3 primary cornerback spots in fall camp. Saban doesn't sign JUCO players not to play, so it was no surprise a (mostly) healthy Menzie locked up a spot in the playing rotation.
At the same time, true freshman Demarcus Milliner had a mental breakthrough and started picking up the defensive schemes quickly. Reportedly, this was the aspect of the game that Scott struggled with the most. And Saban will ALWAYS favor the player who does a better job handling the mental aspect of his scheme. (See also: Milliner's fellow true freshman CJ Mosely leapfrogging several guys at linebacker by displaying a "Rolando-like" grasp of the defense.)
And just like that...Scott lost his starting job. By the time fall camp was over, he had even been passed over as (what I would call) the "emergency" corner by LSU-transfer Phelon Jones. He saw extremely limited playing time during the season and ultimately suffered an ankle injury that shut him down at the end. The one bright spot for Scott in 2010, and perhaps in his entire Bama career, was his garbage time interception in the Tennessee game that caused a minor earthquake of jubilation on the Tide sideline.
So, I'll just admit it...I was wrong on this one. Horribly wrong. And I'm really disappointed for BJ, who, by all accounts, is a good guy and teammate. Hopefully, he'll have a great two years at South Alabama.
Oh, and don't let anyone tell you that he was cast off to make room for new recruits. Completely unfounded. In fact, as recently as a week ago, Saban had met with Scott to try to convince him to stay. Even if he was never going to play a meaningful down at Alabama, you don't get rid of guys with his work ethic and attitude who are as popular with the team as BJ was/is.
That said, I think BJ's story serves as a cautionary tale during the Silly Season that is recruiting in January and February. He himself was once a 5* propect on his way to star at one of the most storied programs in college football...Today, he leaves having accomplished nothing individually and will finish his career on an unclassified team that didn't even EXIST when he graduated high school. The moral of the story? Chill OUT, people. I'm as interested in recruiting as the next guy, but keep stuff in perspective. These are kids, and nobody REALLY knows how they're going to turn out in 3 or 4 years time.
It's not worth freaking out over if your coveted 5* offensive tackle signs with your hated rival. (Foreshadowing?) It's definitely not worth stalking a kid's Facebook page and posting insults about him. Or whatever.
With that in mind, I'll be back some time soon to fuel that insanity with a check-up on Alabama's 2011 recruiting class! Who's coming!? Who's going!? I HAVE THE ANSWERS.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Recruiting: Who Can Make An Immediate Impact in 2011?
The day for underclassmen to declare their desire to play in the NFL has passed. Now the attention turns to filling vacant coaching positions and recruiting. As technology and the internet has expanded, recruiting has taken on a bigger and bigger role with fans. There are countless sites devoted to recruiting that fans pay their hard earned dollars to in order to get an inside view of players that their team is recruiting. Recruiting has turned into a big business. But it's still hit and miss and not all of these prospects are going to pay dividends immediately, several need time to mature and also need opportunity. For the purpose of this blog I'm going to use the ESPN 150 as a point of reference. Looking back at the Top 10 over the last few years it's a pretty impressive list.
2007- Joe McKnight, Eric Berry, Noel Devine, Terrance Toliver, Jimmy Clausen
2008- Da'Quan Bowers, Julio Jones, Terrell Pryor, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson
As fans we look at these recruits and a lot of times expect them to come in and play at a high level right out of the box. Sometimes that happens but other times it takes the right kid, the right situation (playing time, coaching staff, etc) and the right position (some positions are easier to come in and start at than others). Right now 5 of the Top 10 ESPNU Top 150 have not verbally committed. But how many of these guys can come in and have an immediate impact for your team next year? Let's take a look back at the Top 10 of the ESPNU 150 Class of 2010 and see how they did in their Freshman seasons.
#1 Ronald Powell, Florida (ATH/DE)
Played in 13 games; had 16 solo tackles (25 total), 1 sack and 2.5 TFL
Named to Coaches SEC All-Freshmen Team
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 5th Team
#2 Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (DE)
Played in 8 games; had 6 solo tackles (13 total tackles), 1.5 sacks and 3 TFL
#3 Dominique Easley, Florida (DT)
Played in 7 games; had 1 solo tackle (4 total tackles)
#4 Jordan Hicks, Texas (OLB)
Played in 12 games; had 9 solo tackles (21 total tackles), 1 sack and 1 TFL
#5 Michael Dyer, Auburn (RB)
182 rushes for 1093 yds, 6.0 ypc and 5 TD
Named to Coaches All-SEC Freshman Team
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 2nd Team
#6 Lemarcus Joyner, FSU (CB)
Played in 14 games; had 18 solo tackles (23 total) with 1 interception
returned 16 kickoffs for and avg of 20.5 yds/return
#7 Robert Woods, USC (WR)
65 receptions for 792 yds and 6 TD
led team in receptions and receiving yds
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 1st Team
#8 Seantreal Henderson, Miami Fl (OT)
Named to Phil Steele's 2010 Postseason All-Freshman 2nd Team
#9 Matt Elam, Florida (ATH/SS)
Played in 13 games; had 16 solo tackles (22 total), 1 sack and 3 TFL
#10 Jonathan Dowling, Florida (S)
appeared in two games before being kicked off the team in November
Let's remember that these are just stats from these prospects Freshman years and these guys have several great years in front of them. That being said, from a fans prospective- which is looking for who can have an immediate impact for my team- it's more likely that you need to look at offensive skill positions (see: Michael Dyer and Robert Woods) to find guys that can really come in and make a significant impact in their freshman seasons. You can also look further down the ESPNU 150 to find more examples of this. South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore was the #19 prospect on this list and he had an outstanding season rushing for over 1100 yards and helping to lead the Gamecocks to an SEC East Championship. The #26 prospect WR Justin Hunter (Tennessee) came in and caught 7 TD passes.
Looking at this years ESPNU 150 from the perspective that the skill position players have a better chance to make a major impact we are left with 3 running backs (when looking at the Top 10). Isaiah Crowell is the #5 prospect and is still deciding between Georgia and Alabama. Malcolm Brown is #7 and is verbally committed to Texas and Aaron Green is #10 and a verbal commit to Nebraska. Out of the Top 10 those are the players that are most likely to come in and have an immediate impact. It really doesn't mean anything until these guys step on campus and their coaches see if they are ready to play but I thought it was interesting to look back at who had a big immediate impact from last years 2010 ESPNU Top 150 and what that might mean for 2011.
2007- Joe McKnight, Eric Berry, Noel Devine, Terrance Toliver, Jimmy Clausen
2008- Da'Quan Bowers, Julio Jones, Terrell Pryor, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson
As fans we look at these recruits and a lot of times expect them to come in and play at a high level right out of the box. Sometimes that happens but other times it takes the right kid, the right situation (playing time, coaching staff, etc) and the right position (some positions are easier to come in and start at than others). Right now 5 of the Top 10 ESPNU Top 150 have not verbally committed. But how many of these guys can come in and have an immediate impact for your team next year? Let's take a look back at the Top 10 of the ESPNU 150 Class of 2010 and see how they did in their Freshman seasons.
#1 Ronald Powell, Florida (ATH/DE)
Played in 13 games; had 16 solo tackles (25 total), 1 sack and 2.5 TFL
Named to Coaches SEC All-Freshmen Team
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 5th Team
#2 Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (DE)
Played in 8 games; had 6 solo tackles (13 total tackles), 1.5 sacks and 3 TFL
#3 Dominique Easley, Florida (DT)
Played in 7 games; had 1 solo tackle (4 total tackles)
#4 Jordan Hicks, Texas (OLB)
Played in 12 games; had 9 solo tackles (21 total tackles), 1 sack and 1 TFL
#5 Michael Dyer, Auburn (RB)
182 rushes for 1093 yds, 6.0 ypc and 5 TD
Named to Coaches All-SEC Freshman Team
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 2nd Team
#6 Lemarcus Joyner, FSU (CB)
Played in 14 games; had 18 solo tackles (23 total) with 1 interception
returned 16 kickoffs for and avg of 20.5 yds/return
#7 Robert Woods, USC (WR)
65 receptions for 792 yds and 6 TD
led team in receptions and receiving yds
Named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Freshman 1st Team
#8 Seantreal Henderson, Miami Fl (OT)
Named to Phil Steele's 2010 Postseason All-Freshman 2nd Team
#9 Matt Elam, Florida (ATH/SS)
Played in 13 games; had 16 solo tackles (22 total), 1 sack and 3 TFL
#10 Jonathan Dowling, Florida (S)
appeared in two games before being kicked off the team in November
Let's remember that these are just stats from these prospects Freshman years and these guys have several great years in front of them. That being said, from a fans prospective- which is looking for who can have an immediate impact for my team- it's more likely that you need to look at offensive skill positions (see: Michael Dyer and Robert Woods) to find guys that can really come in and make a significant impact in their freshman seasons. You can also look further down the ESPNU 150 to find more examples of this. South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore was the #19 prospect on this list and he had an outstanding season rushing for over 1100 yards and helping to lead the Gamecocks to an SEC East Championship. The #26 prospect WR Justin Hunter (Tennessee) came in and caught 7 TD passes.
Looking at this years ESPNU 150 from the perspective that the skill position players have a better chance to make a major impact we are left with 3 running backs (when looking at the Top 10). Isaiah Crowell is the #5 prospect and is still deciding between Georgia and Alabama. Malcolm Brown is #7 and is verbally committed to Texas and Aaron Green is #10 and a verbal commit to Nebraska. Out of the Top 10 those are the players that are most likely to come in and have an immediate impact. It really doesn't mean anything until these guys step on campus and their coaches see if they are ready to play but I thought it was interesting to look back at who had a big immediate impact from last years 2010 ESPNU Top 150 and what that might mean for 2011.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs Notes
- In case you were bogged down by snow in the south or live under a rock then you know that Adriel Jeremiah Green has declared for the NFL draft. It's not a big shocker for anybody. A.J. is a Top 10 pick, who could even go #1 in the draft. In 3 years at Georgia A.J. made a big mark on the UGA record books. He is 3rd in school history in catches with 166, he's 3rd in school history with 2,619 receiving yards, and he's 2nd in school history with 23 TD receptions. And those stats are with missing 7 games in his 3 years on campus (4 due to NCAA suspension and 3 due to injury). A.J. will be remembered as one of the best receivers in the history of the program and most likely the most gifted. Now it's time for Tavarres King to step up and be the man...unless someone else beats him to it.
- Only one week ago it had been several months (August to be exact) since someone had told Mark Richt and Georgia that they were verbally committing to play football for the Dawgs in 2011. Now it's a week later and 3 guys have been added to the mix. I already touched on Damian Swann and added Sanford Seay to the list of 2001 commitments. The latest guy is LB Ramik Wilson of Tampa (Fla). Wilson is an athletic 6'3, 225 pounder who played LB, TE and returned punts and kick-offs for his high school team. He had 18 sacks for his State Championship winning High School team last year. He has the body and make-up to fit as an Inside Linebacker in the 3-4 but is said to be athletic enough to play other positions if needed or ILB doesn't fit him. Scout.com pegs him as a 3-star recruit and has him listed as the #28 OLB prospect in the country. Rivals also has him as a 3-star recruit but lists him as the #16 ILB prospect in the Nation. He was also offered by Florida, USC, and Arkansas among others.
- Wilson could be put into action quickly if he has the right tools as two Bulldogs have been released from their scholarships and will transfer. Nick Williams, frustrated with being switched between safety and line backer was the first given his release. The latest is Marcus Dowtin. Dowtin looked like he had an inside track on a starting position next to Christian Robinson this upcoming season but it looks like off the field issues have derailed his Bulldog career. Last week Georgia became aware that Dowtin had been involved in a bar fight and charged with second-degree assault way back in May. Dowtin was also listed as a DNP/Coach's Decision in Georgia's loss to UCF (coaches apparently were unaware of this issue when the game was played). It's tough to see a guy with the talent of Dowtin go but the program has to be cleaned up and we cannot afford guys making mistakes like this and even worse not coming clean with the coaches when something does happen. Looks like we could be seeing a lot of Richard Samuel, or a young pup, at ILB this coming fall.
- Another recruiting nugget...Much sought after JUCO DT John Jenkins has officially de-committed to Okie State. Georgia has been hot on his trail as they've visited him twice (in Connecticut) over the past month and they have him scheduled to hit campus on January 21st. Jenkins has his final 4 as Georgia, Miami (Fl), Florida, and Auburn. Jenkins is well aware of the Dawgs needs in the middle of the defense and said "I want to be that missing link they are looking for." If the Dawgs can land Jenkins he could have a major impact for the Dawgs 3-4 defense.
LINKS TO CLICK
- Fran Tarkenton voices his displeasure with the State of the Georgia football program on a local radio program.
- AJC Recruiting Blogger, Chip Towers, talks "AJC Fab 50" and lists who is committed where and who is in consideration for non-commits. Isaiah Crowell is #1, Ray Drew is #2, Jay Rome is #3- lots of top talent is still un-signed.
- Stanford commit James Vaughters (#4 on the "AJC Fab 50") is taking a wait and see attitude on Jim Harbaugh's replacement but if he re-opens his recruitment Georgia should be one of the finalists.
- UGA VIII, Georgia's brand new mascot introduced this past fall, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He is said to be responding well to treatment.
- Pre-Snap Read has their final re-ranking of the year up (1-120) and has Georgia finishing as #55 in the country. The best 6-7 team in the Nation. The 2nd best 6-7 team in the Nation? The nerds finished #61, also 6-7. Oh, what an awful year it was.
- Only one week ago it had been several months (August to be exact) since someone had told Mark Richt and Georgia that they were verbally committing to play football for the Dawgs in 2011. Now it's a week later and 3 guys have been added to the mix. I already touched on Damian Swann and added Sanford Seay to the list of 2001 commitments. The latest guy is LB Ramik Wilson of Tampa (Fla). Wilson is an athletic 6'3, 225 pounder who played LB, TE and returned punts and kick-offs for his high school team. He had 18 sacks for his State Championship winning High School team last year. He has the body and make-up to fit as an Inside Linebacker in the 3-4 but is said to be athletic enough to play other positions if needed or ILB doesn't fit him. Scout.com pegs him as a 3-star recruit and has him listed as the #28 OLB prospect in the country. Rivals also has him as a 3-star recruit but lists him as the #16 ILB prospect in the Nation. He was also offered by Florida, USC, and Arkansas among others.
- Wilson could be put into action quickly if he has the right tools as two Bulldogs have been released from their scholarships and will transfer. Nick Williams, frustrated with being switched between safety and line backer was the first given his release. The latest is Marcus Dowtin. Dowtin looked like he had an inside track on a starting position next to Christian Robinson this upcoming season but it looks like off the field issues have derailed his Bulldog career. Last week Georgia became aware that Dowtin had been involved in a bar fight and charged with second-degree assault way back in May. Dowtin was also listed as a DNP/Coach's Decision in Georgia's loss to UCF (coaches apparently were unaware of this issue when the game was played). It's tough to see a guy with the talent of Dowtin go but the program has to be cleaned up and we cannot afford guys making mistakes like this and even worse not coming clean with the coaches when something does happen. Looks like we could be seeing a lot of Richard Samuel, or a young pup, at ILB this coming fall.
- Another recruiting nugget...Much sought after JUCO DT John Jenkins has officially de-committed to Okie State. Georgia has been hot on his trail as they've visited him twice (in Connecticut) over the past month and they have him scheduled to hit campus on January 21st. Jenkins has his final 4 as Georgia, Miami (Fl), Florida, and Auburn. Jenkins is well aware of the Dawgs needs in the middle of the defense and said "I want to be that missing link they are looking for." If the Dawgs can land Jenkins he could have a major impact for the Dawgs 3-4 defense.
LINKS TO CLICK
- Fran Tarkenton voices his displeasure with the State of the Georgia football program on a local radio program.
- AJC Recruiting Blogger, Chip Towers, talks "AJC Fab 50" and lists who is committed where and who is in consideration for non-commits. Isaiah Crowell is #1, Ray Drew is #2, Jay Rome is #3- lots of top talent is still un-signed.
- Stanford commit James Vaughters (#4 on the "AJC Fab 50") is taking a wait and see attitude on Jim Harbaugh's replacement but if he re-opens his recruitment Georgia should be one of the finalists.
- UGA VIII, Georgia's brand new mascot introduced this past fall, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He is said to be responding well to treatment.
- Pre-Snap Read has their final re-ranking of the year up (1-120) and has Georgia finishing as #55 in the country. The best 6-7 team in the Nation. The 2nd best 6-7 team in the Nation? The nerds finished #61, also 6-7. Oh, what an awful year it was.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs Recruiting Update
Before this week Georgia had not received a verbal commitment since August 15th. If it was scripted in Hollywood I'm not sure that this season could have gone worse for the Georgia program. It started with off-season issues (too may to list here), continued with their star player getting suspended for the first 4 games of the season for violating NCAA rules and then piled on when Georgia lost 4 consecutive games early in the season. Georgia rebounded winning 5 of 7 (including a devastating OT loss to Florida) but then laid an egg in their bowl game against Conference USA's UCF. This year ended with the first losing season in Mark Richt's era at Georgia. The Bulldog faithful are seriously doubting if Richt can turn this program around. He has made some minimal changes going into the off-season (a change a Strength & Conditioning, which was sorely needed, was the biggest change), and AD Greg McGarity says he has taken a lot of administrative duties off of Richt's plate so that he can concentrate more on his football duties. All that being said, the key to Richt's turning Georgia around and the key to Georgia getting turned around in the next four years is this year recruiting class. The talent in the state of Georgia this year is deeper than any other year in recent memory and Georgia is still in the fight for many key "Super 11" talents.
Today might be the first step in Georgia closing out strong in recruiting this year as CB Damian Swann has verbally committed to Georgia at the All-American bowl in San Antonio. Rivals has Swann listed as the 5th best recruit in state, the 8th best Nationally at his position and 56th in the Nation. Scout has Swann listed as 6th Nationally at his position. He was also offered by Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and USC so you can tell how highly thought of he is just by those that wanted him. Depending on the decision made by Brandon Boykin (I feel it would be in his best interest to return for his senior season) he could be put into the mix in his first year. Swann also has the talent to return kicks and play on the offensive side of the football.
Looking at who the Bulldogs have left to target there are a few guys that I think would really make an impact at Georgia if they committed. RB Isaiah Crowell of Columbus is a 5-Star guy that is down to Alabama and Georgia. Crowell has the opportunity to come in and play and make an impact immediately at Georgia. Crowell is listed at #5 on the ESPN 150. Ray Drew is a 4-Star DE from Thomasville who fits a need at DE or OLB in the 3-4 and could come in and challenge for playing time immediately. Drew is listed as #5 on the ESPN 150. Getting 2 of the Top 5 guys on the ESPN 150 would be great news for the future. Another huge need for Georgia is help along the DL and although he's committed to Oklahoma State, Jonathon Jenkins (a 4-Star JUCO) is the type of player who could come in and give the DL an immediate boost. Florida, Auburn and Georgia have all been in to visit this guy recently, he's an impact player. If they can't get Jenkins they have to get an answer at DT because right now it doesn't look like the answer is on the roster.
A guy that might not have a huge immediate impact because of the depth at his position but could be a huge get for the future of the program is TE Jay Rome out of Valdosta. Rome is a 4-Star guy that ESPN has at #18 on their ESPN 150. Rome would fit in nicely with Georgia's history of quality TEs that have gone on to NFL success. WR Malcolm Mitchell, another 4-Star guy from Valdosta, could also come in and have an instant impact at Georgia. Georgia has some talent at WR with Tavarres King, Marlon Brown, Logan Gray and Rantavious Wooten but I think 1 or 2 young guys will be able to come in and add depth at WR and secure some consistent playing time. And last but not least is 6'7" OL Xzavier Ward from Moultrie. It's hard for a OL to come in and play immediately but this is a position of need for Georgia because of how much the current OL under-performed this year.
Those are the six guys that I really see as the most important right now for Georgia. In my wildest dreams Georgia won't get all of those guys but if they can get 4 of those 6 they could help Georgia start it's turnaround. So did I miss anybody that could be an immediate impact at a position of need?
Here is a quick look at who is currently committed to Georgia for the 2011/2012 season:
QB- Christian LeMay
Matthews, NC
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #8
Rivals Star Rank: ****
ESPN 150: #79
Committed: 4/30/10
CB Damian Swann
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #90
Committed: 1/8/11
LB- Amarlo Herrera
College Park, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 2/15/10
S- Corey Moore
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #10
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 1/30/10
S- Chris Sanders
Tucker, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #20
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/30/10
WR- Chris Conley
Dallas, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #34
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/16/10
C- David Andrews
Norcross, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 2/22/10
CB- Devin Bowman
Rossville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #37
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/17/10
WR- Justin Scott-Wesley
Camilla, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #54
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #99
Committed: 5/5/10
DE- Sterling Bailey
Gainesville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank-#34
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #134
Committed: 5/14/10
DB/QB/ATH Nick Marshall
Rochelle, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank (CB)- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 6/9/10
OT Watts Dantzler
Dalton, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #21
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/19/10
OG Hunter Long
Eads, TN
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #40
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/23/10
OT Zach DeBell
Tarpon Springs, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #29
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 7/16/10
OL Nathan Theus
Jacksonville, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Rivals Star Rank- **
Committed: 7/16/10
DT Chris Mayes
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #50
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 8/22/10
WR Sanford Seay
Leesburg, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Scout.com Position Rank- #181
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/6/11
Today might be the first step in Georgia closing out strong in recruiting this year as CB Damian Swann has verbally committed to Georgia at the All-American bowl in San Antonio. Rivals has Swann listed as the 5th best recruit in state, the 8th best Nationally at his position and 56th in the Nation. Scout has Swann listed as 6th Nationally at his position. He was also offered by Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and USC so you can tell how highly thought of he is just by those that wanted him. Depending on the decision made by Brandon Boykin (I feel it would be in his best interest to return for his senior season) he could be put into the mix in his first year. Swann also has the talent to return kicks and play on the offensive side of the football.
Looking at who the Bulldogs have left to target there are a few guys that I think would really make an impact at Georgia if they committed. RB Isaiah Crowell of Columbus is a 5-Star guy that is down to Alabama and Georgia. Crowell has the opportunity to come in and play and make an impact immediately at Georgia. Crowell is listed at #5 on the ESPN 150. Ray Drew is a 4-Star DE from Thomasville who fits a need at DE or OLB in the 3-4 and could come in and challenge for playing time immediately. Drew is listed as #5 on the ESPN 150. Getting 2 of the Top 5 guys on the ESPN 150 would be great news for the future. Another huge need for Georgia is help along the DL and although he's committed to Oklahoma State, Jonathon Jenkins (a 4-Star JUCO) is the type of player who could come in and give the DL an immediate boost. Florida, Auburn and Georgia have all been in to visit this guy recently, he's an impact player. If they can't get Jenkins they have to get an answer at DT because right now it doesn't look like the answer is on the roster.
A guy that might not have a huge immediate impact because of the depth at his position but could be a huge get for the future of the program is TE Jay Rome out of Valdosta. Rome is a 4-Star guy that ESPN has at #18 on their ESPN 150. Rome would fit in nicely with Georgia's history of quality TEs that have gone on to NFL success. WR Malcolm Mitchell, another 4-Star guy from Valdosta, could also come in and have an instant impact at Georgia. Georgia has some talent at WR with Tavarres King, Marlon Brown, Logan Gray and Rantavious Wooten but I think 1 or 2 young guys will be able to come in and add depth at WR and secure some consistent playing time. And last but not least is 6'7" OL Xzavier Ward from Moultrie. It's hard for a OL to come in and play immediately but this is a position of need for Georgia because of how much the current OL under-performed this year.
Those are the six guys that I really see as the most important right now for Georgia. In my wildest dreams Georgia won't get all of those guys but if they can get 4 of those 6 they could help Georgia start it's turnaround. So did I miss anybody that could be an immediate impact at a position of need?
Here is a quick look at who is currently committed to Georgia for the 2011/2012 season:
QB- Christian LeMay
Matthews, NC
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #8
Rivals Star Rank: ****
ESPN 150: #79
Committed: 4/30/10
CB Damian Swann
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #90
Committed: 1/8/11
LB- Amarlo Herrera
College Park, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 2/15/10
S- Corey Moore
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #10
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 1/30/10
S- Chris Sanders
Tucker, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #20
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/30/10
WR- Chris Conley
Dallas, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #34
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/16/10
C- David Andrews
Norcross, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 2/22/10
CB- Devin Bowman
Rossville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #37
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/17/10
WR- Justin Scott-Wesley
Camilla, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #54
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #99
Committed: 5/5/10
DE- Sterling Bailey
Gainesville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank-#34
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #134
Committed: 5/14/10
DB/QB/ATH Nick Marshall
Rochelle, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank (CB)- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 6/9/10
OT Watts Dantzler
Dalton, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #21
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/19/10
OG Hunter Long
Eads, TN
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #40
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/23/10
OT Zach DeBell
Tarpon Springs, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #29
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 7/16/10
OL Nathan Theus
Jacksonville, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Rivals Star Rank- **
Committed: 7/16/10
DT Chris Mayes
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #50
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 8/22/10
WR Sanford Seay
Leesburg, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Scout.com Position Rank- #181
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/6/11
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
It's True: QB Phillip Ely Commits to the Tide
This is a key pickup for Bama's 2011 recruiting class. The Tide had previously struck out with QB prospects Cody Kessler (USC) and Bubba Starling (Nebraska), among others, in this recruiting cycle. With Star Jackson's transfer, Alabama would have only had two scholarship QBs on the roster for the 2011 season following Greg McElroy's graduation. The ideal situation is 4 scholarship QBs. 3 is manageable, but 2 is absolutely untenable. If Phillip Ely follows through on his commitment, Alabama will now have 3 quarterbacks on scholarship next season. Big sigh of relief here.
And Ely is no place holder. He had offers from major BCS programs like LSU, Clemson, and Ole Miss to name a few, and was drawing strong interest from Notre Dame. He comes from the powerhouse Plant program in Tampa, FL, where he follows in the footsteps of elite high school QBs like Aaron Murray and the nomadic Robert Marve. He was also a participant in this year's Elite 11 camp, making this the 4th straight year the Tide has pulled in an Elite 11 QB (Jackson, AJ McCarron, Phillip Sims, Ely).
Ely strikes me as a bit of a McElroy clone, in that he doesn't have great size or a big arm but he's very accurate, has good mechanics, and, with a 19-0 career record, seems to have the same "winning gene" as GMAC. Which is to say, he looks like a great match for Alabama's offensive system.
And Ely is no place holder. He had offers from major BCS programs like LSU, Clemson, and Ole Miss to name a few, and was drawing strong interest from Notre Dame. He comes from the powerhouse Plant program in Tampa, FL, where he follows in the footsteps of elite high school QBs like Aaron Murray and the nomadic Robert Marve. He was also a participant in this year's Elite 11 camp, making this the 4th straight year the Tide has pulled in an Elite 11 QB (Jackson, AJ McCarron, Phillip Sims, Ely).
Ely strikes me as a bit of a McElroy clone, in that he doesn't have great size or a big arm but he's very accurate, has good mechanics, and, with a 19-0 career record, seems to have the same "winning gene" as GMAC. Which is to say, he looks like a great match for Alabama's offensive system.
Alabama Getting a QB Commitment Tonight (???)
Here's a situation to keep an eye on.
Tampa QB Phillip Ely is set to announce his commitment tonight at 5pm central. He was a participant in the Elite 11 camp and is currently rated as a 4* prospect (#5 pro-style QB) by Rivals.com. Alabama was somewhat of a late entrant into Ely's recruitment, after striking out with several other QB targets. In fact, he got his scholarship offer so recently it hasn't even showed up on his Rivals offer list yet. So you would think Alabama wouldn't have much of a shot here.
Well, that may not be the case. In fact, his public commitment to the Tide may be just a formality at this point. How do we know this?
Because Rivals goofed up. This afternoon, someone at Rivals posted a story to their wireless site entitled "Ely Pulls A Shocker." Stated in the past tense, the article says Ely committed to the Tide at his press conference and goes into detail with his reasons for his decision (the usual: combination of athletics and academics, winning, relationship with coaches, blah blah blah). I believe the article has since been taken down, but I saw it with my own two eyes.
So what's the deal? There are three different scenarios here:
1. It's the truth. These recruiting beat writers always know a lot more than they go to press with. They often get tipped off, either by the coaching staff or someone from the recruit's circle, as to what a recruit's decision is going to be. Whoever posted this story got such a tip, wrote up the story, and then accidentally submitted it too soon.
2. This was the sort of "preparedness" piece that writers often work up prior to an event so they can immediately go to press with it and hopefully beat their competitors to the punch after the fact. Whoever accidentally posted this story may have had 4 or 5 of these worked up, its just that this happened to be the one he clicked the wrong button on.
3. It's a straight-up hoax. Why someone at Rivals would deliberately post a fake story, I don't know. But it's the Internet. You have to assume it's a possibility.
Just figured I'd give you guys a heads up. I'll definitely be interested to see how this pans out, no matter what. This kid looks like a good get, though. Hopefully, Bama will land him. The Tide really needs to pick up a QB in this class.
I'll check back in later to wrap up the situation, and maybe talk up the Tide's 17th commitment of the 2010 recruiting class.
Tampa QB Phillip Ely is set to announce his commitment tonight at 5pm central. He was a participant in the Elite 11 camp and is currently rated as a 4* prospect (#5 pro-style QB) by Rivals.com. Alabama was somewhat of a late entrant into Ely's recruitment, after striking out with several other QB targets. In fact, he got his scholarship offer so recently it hasn't even showed up on his Rivals offer list yet. So you would think Alabama wouldn't have much of a shot here.
Well, that may not be the case. In fact, his public commitment to the Tide may be just a formality at this point. How do we know this?
Because Rivals goofed up. This afternoon, someone at Rivals posted a story to their wireless site entitled "Ely Pulls A Shocker." Stated in the past tense, the article says Ely committed to the Tide at his press conference and goes into detail with his reasons for his decision (the usual: combination of athletics and academics, winning, relationship with coaches, blah blah blah). I believe the article has since been taken down, but I saw it with my own two eyes.
So what's the deal? There are three different scenarios here:
1. It's the truth. These recruiting beat writers always know a lot more than they go to press with. They often get tipped off, either by the coaching staff or someone from the recruit's circle, as to what a recruit's decision is going to be. Whoever posted this story got such a tip, wrote up the story, and then accidentally submitted it too soon.
2. This was the sort of "preparedness" piece that writers often work up prior to an event so they can immediately go to press with it and hopefully beat their competitors to the punch after the fact. Whoever accidentally posted this story may have had 4 or 5 of these worked up, its just that this happened to be the one he clicked the wrong button on.
3. It's a straight-up hoax. Why someone at Rivals would deliberately post a fake story, I don't know. But it's the Internet. You have to assume it's a possibility.
Just figured I'd give you guys a heads up. I'll definitely be interested to see how this pans out, no matter what. This kid looks like a good get, though. Hopefully, Bama will land him. The Tide really needs to pick up a QB in this class.
I'll check back in later to wrap up the situation, and maybe talk up the Tide's 17th commitment of the 2010 recruiting class.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Watts Dantzler following father's footsteps to UGA
When 6'7" 330 pound Watts Dantzler announced that he would be making his verbal commitment on father's day my heart knew that he would pick Georgia. Danny Dantzler played OL for Georgia from 1971 to 1973. In February of 2009 he died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). Watts recently made the decision to announce his choice of college on Father's Day in order to honor his father.
Dantzler is ranked as a 4-Star recruit and the #19 OL prospect in his class by scout.com. Rivals lists him as a 3-Star talent and the #34 ranked OL and ESPN has him as their 12th ranked OT. Watts was offerred a scholarship (according to Rivals) by Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fl), Mississippi, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Stanford.
Dantzler is an interesting guy. He played track and basketball from his high school. He also played on the JV Tennis team, because he was bored and wanted to stay active in the spring.
Some words from Watts Dantzler during his emotional Press Conference
“Georgia was the best school for me because basically I felt at home there. I’ve been going there since I was a little kid and always dreamed of putting on the red and black. Hopefully soon that will be a reality....One thing my dad taught me when I was a little kid was to say, ‘Go Dawgs, sic ‘em, woof, woof, woof!’
Doing this on Fathers Day truly means more than anything to me,” Dantzler said, his words muffled and strained. “I had and still have the best dad in the world and I know he’s going to be proud of me today.”
Welcome to the team Watts. We are glad to have you. Watts is the 12th recruit to verbally commit to playing for Georgia in 2011. USC transfer Jarvis Jones also recently chose the Bulldogs but he will count towards the 2010 class.
Here is a photo taken by Watts, that I got from a Chip Towers blog, of a bulletin board in his room (the check marks show scholarship offers).
Dantzler is ranked as a 4-Star recruit and the #19 OL prospect in his class by scout.com. Rivals lists him as a 3-Star talent and the #34 ranked OL and ESPN has him as their 12th ranked OT. Watts was offerred a scholarship (according to Rivals) by Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fl), Mississippi, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Stanford.
Dantzler is an interesting guy. He played track and basketball from his high school. He also played on the JV Tennis team, because he was bored and wanted to stay active in the spring.
Some words from Watts Dantzler during his emotional Press Conference
“Georgia was the best school for me because basically I felt at home there. I’ve been going there since I was a little kid and always dreamed of putting on the red and black. Hopefully soon that will be a reality....One thing my dad taught me when I was a little kid was to say, ‘Go Dawgs, sic ‘em, woof, woof, woof!’
Doing this on Fathers Day truly means more than anything to me,” Dantzler said, his words muffled and strained. “I had and still have the best dad in the world and I know he’s going to be proud of me today.”
Welcome to the team Watts. We are glad to have you. Watts is the 12th recruit to verbally commit to playing for Georgia in 2011. USC transfer Jarvis Jones also recently chose the Bulldogs but he will count towards the 2010 class.
Here is a photo taken by Watts, that I got from a Chip Towers blog, of a bulletin board in his room (the check marks show scholarship offers).
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Nick Marshall verbally commits to play for the Dawgs in 2011
The biggest topic right now in College Football is without a doubt Conference Re-Alignment. That being said, in the south recruiting is becoming more and more of a focus of fans and I can't help but get a little excited when my team lands a big recruit. At the end of April UGA landed a big-time verbal from Christian LeMay (scout.com has him ranked #39 overall and the #2 QB in the 2011 recruiting class). In addition to LeMay, Georgia was also recruiting some other QBs. When LeMay announced he was planning on attending Georgia my thoughts were that all of these other kids would decide to go elsewhere. Enter Nick Marshall who UGA was recruiting for both football and basketball. Marshall is thought of as one of the Top 5 recruits in the state of Georgia and one of the top athletes in the state. Marshall has drawn comparisons to Charlie Ward (for his athleticism and skill in football and basketball). Georgia originally offered Marshall as a QB (he passed for 2956 yards and 34 TDs last year) but Mark Richt called him up a couple of weeks ago and re-offered him as a defensive back. Last night Marshall called Richt and accepted the offer. He will play both sports at Georgia and will count as a football scholarship (great news for Mark Fox as Marshall is a Top 125 player in basketball). Marshall was also offered by Alabama, Florida, FSU, Clemson, and Tennessee among others.
ESPN is saying that Marshall was previously a silent verbal to go to Georgia Tech. Coming to UGA instead of Tech to play defense instead of QB is a pretty big statement. I really thought Marshall would look elsewhere after the LeMay verbal so I'm really excited that he's decided to come play football for UGA. And because he has committed as a DB we won't have to worry about him transferring if he's not getting his playing time as a QB. I think his biggest upside might be on the basketball court but I'm excited to have this kids verbal. Now we just have to keep Derek Dooley and his paws off of our recruits. Marshall is 6'2" so he fits in line with what new Secondary coach Scott Lakatos is looking for in his corners.
The first part of this video shows Marshall grabbing a 90+ yard interception and taking it to the house
ESPN is saying that Marshall was previously a silent verbal to go to Georgia Tech. Coming to UGA instead of Tech to play defense instead of QB is a pretty big statement. I really thought Marshall would look elsewhere after the LeMay verbal so I'm really excited that he's decided to come play football for UGA. And because he has committed as a DB we won't have to worry about him transferring if he's not getting his playing time as a QB. I think his biggest upside might be on the basketball court but I'm excited to have this kids verbal. Now we just have to keep Derek Dooley and his paws off of our recruits. Marshall is 6'2" so he fits in line with what new Secondary coach Scott Lakatos is looking for in his corners.
The first part of this video shows Marshall grabbing a 90+ yard interception and taking it to the house
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Alabama Lands A Surprise Commitment
Okay, I promise I'm not trying to turn this into a recruiting blog, but this just came across the wire.
Alabama made a surprising pull from the state of California with the verbal commitment of Isaac Luatua (La Mirada, CA). He plays on both sides of the ball for his high school team, guard on offense and tackle on defense, but he projects out as an offensive center in college. Rivals.com rates him as the #8 center prospect in this year's class, while Scout.com pegs him at #18. Luatua also had offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Boston College, and UCLA, among others.
Its a surprising commitment because, A) California isn't exactly a pipeline state for Alabama recruiting, and B) Luatua just received his official offer from Bama less than a month ago. Tennessee (who does have an extensive history of recruiting California) was viewed as having a big lead for his commitment prior to this announcement.
I admittedly don't know much about this guy, but his measurables (6'2", 299) are comparable to current Bama center William Vlachos. And I also really like offensive lineman who have experience on the defensive side of the ball. You can count on those guys being very athletic for their size, and they usually come with a meanstreak. Which is a pretty crucial trait for executing Bama's now trademark "Make their asses quit!" style of offensive line play.
Obviously, there's still a long time till February, and I don't expect Tennessee to slink away. His commitment to a place like Bama will also have programs out West taking a harder look at him. But if he holds true to his commitment, I think he'll be a good fit for the Alabama system. He'll definitely be the first Alabama player of Polynesian descent in a long time.
Monday, June 7, 2010
A Brief Note on the Subjectivity of Recruiting Rankings
Last Tuesday, I took a look at the current Alabama commitments in the Rivals 100 rankings.
The following day, Rivals followed up by releasing the their next 150 ranked prospects to complete the Rivals 250. Among them were an additional 5 verbal commitments to the Crimson Tide: DT LaMichael Fanning (#113), WR Marvin Shinn (#119), WR Bradley Sylve (#177), DE D.J. Pettway (#221), and LB Shannon Brown (#228).
Of Alabama's 11 current committed high school prospects, 8 are now counted in the top 250 players in the country according to Rivals. So the post-national championship recruiting bump seems to be showing up on schedule. On the third day of Rivals' star rating deluge, they released what basically amounted to an "honorable mention" group of the remaining Four Star prospects. None of Alabama's 3 unranked commitments were given an initial 4* grade by Rivals.
One of those players was a TE from Mississippi by the name of Malcom Faciane.
I mention Faciane because he's a classic example of how wildly divergent these recruiting rankings can be. I mean, we're all smart people here, so there's no need to rehash how these evaluations are inherently subjective and how difficult it is to project success from one level to another, especially in these early rankings where so much is determined by if a kid camped at the right place at the right time to get noticed. However, there's generally some degree of consensus regarding who's on the national radar and who isn't. But every now and then you come across a real head-scratcher like Faciane. Rivals apparently didn't think he was among the best 300 or so players in the country, but a quick check of the ESPN 150 rankings will show Faciane clocking in at #76 overall. That's a 200+ spot swing, at least. So who screwed up?
I went to Scout.com to mediate the situation, but couldn't find Faciane anywhere in their top 300 prospects. So Rivals and Scout seem to be in agreement that Faciane is, at best, a solid but unspectacular prospect. Maybe Faciane's coach is buddies with Tom Luginbill. But wait. Maybe Rivals and Scout just have their heads up their rear-ends and are, in fact, missing out on a can't-miss prospect. Only time will tell, I guess.
But you gotta admit that's weird.
The following day, Rivals followed up by releasing the their next 150 ranked prospects to complete the Rivals 250. Among them were an additional 5 verbal commitments to the Crimson Tide: DT LaMichael Fanning (#113), WR Marvin Shinn (#119), WR Bradley Sylve (#177), DE D.J. Pettway (#221), and LB Shannon Brown (#228).
Of Alabama's 11 current committed high school prospects, 8 are now counted in the top 250 players in the country according to Rivals. So the post-national championship recruiting bump seems to be showing up on schedule. On the third day of Rivals' star rating deluge, they released what basically amounted to an "honorable mention" group of the remaining Four Star prospects. None of Alabama's 3 unranked commitments were given an initial 4* grade by Rivals.
One of those players was a TE from Mississippi by the name of Malcom Faciane.
I mention Faciane because he's a classic example of how wildly divergent these recruiting rankings can be. I mean, we're all smart people here, so there's no need to rehash how these evaluations are inherently subjective and how difficult it is to project success from one level to another, especially in these early rankings where so much is determined by if a kid camped at the right place at the right time to get noticed. However, there's generally some degree of consensus regarding who's on the national radar and who isn't. But every now and then you come across a real head-scratcher like Faciane. Rivals apparently didn't think he was among the best 300 or so players in the country, but a quick check of the ESPN 150 rankings will show Faciane clocking in at #76 overall. That's a 200+ spot swing, at least. So who screwed up?
I went to Scout.com to mediate the situation, but couldn't find Faciane anywhere in their top 300 prospects. So Rivals and Scout seem to be in agreement that Faciane is, at best, a solid but unspectacular prospect. Maybe Faciane's coach is buddies with Tom Luginbill. But wait. Maybe Rivals and Scout just have their heads up their rear-ends and are, in fact, missing out on a can't-miss prospect. Only time will tell, I guess.
But you gotta admit that's weird.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
UGA picks up a verbal from WR Zach Witchett
Georgia picked up 2 verbals last week from DE/OLB Sterling Bailey (#87 on Rivals, #124 on ESPNU 150) and WR/DB Justin Scott-Wesley (#98 on ESPNU 150). This week it was WR/DB Zach Witchett of Washington High School that verbally committed to the Dawgs. Witchett is listed as the #98 ranked player on the ESPNU 150 and Scout.com has him rated as a 3-Star prospect. Witchett is the 3rd WR the Dawgs have received commitments from so far (Georgia is not expected to sign more than 4 or 5 during this recruiting year). Witchett runs a 4.3 40. Witchett also had offers from West Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Minnesota. Maybe the Dawgs should get a few more this year so that Derek Dooley guy doesn't slip in and offer somebody's best buddy a scholarship so that he can steal one of our Wide Receivers.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Alabama Verbal Commitments in the Rivals 100
Rivals.com released their initial Rivals 100 rankings for the 2011 Class today, and three players who have given verbal commitments to Alabama were ranked.
Linebacker Brent Calloway (AL) was the highest rated, clocking in at #9 overall as a 5* prospect. Next up was safety HaSean Clinton-Dix (FL) who came in at #28 overall. And finally, wide receiver Danny Woodson (AL) snuck in at #96.
Conspicuous by his absence was wide receiver Marvin Shinn (AL). While Danny Woodson is a great prospect in his own right, he plays in the same metropolitan area as Shinn, and I've yet to hear anyone who has watched them both closely so much as suggest Woodson was better than Shinn. So I'm somewhat curious as to how these national recruiting guys came to favor Woodson so much.
Alabama is also considered a strong contender or outright leader for several other Rivals 100 prospects, including: OT Cyrus Kouandjio (#9), RB Isaiah Crowell (#17), RB Demetrius Hart (#34), and DT Gabriel Wright (#92), among others.
Kouandjio is currently playing the field, but his brother, Arie, signed with Alabama this past February, which would seem to give Alabama an edge. Likewise, Gabe Wright is enjoying the recruiting process, but sources have indicated that he'll go where Crowell goes, and Crowell is considered a heavy Bama lean by those in the know. It has also been widely reported that Demetrius Hart would like to play college ball with high school teammate Clinton-Dix.
Rivals.com will release their next 150 ranked prospects to complete the Rivals 250 tomorow.
Linebacker Brent Calloway (AL) was the highest rated, clocking in at #9 overall as a 5* prospect. Next up was safety HaSean Clinton-Dix (FL) who came in at #28 overall. And finally, wide receiver Danny Woodson (AL) snuck in at #96.
Conspicuous by his absence was wide receiver Marvin Shinn (AL). While Danny Woodson is a great prospect in his own right, he plays in the same metropolitan area as Shinn, and I've yet to hear anyone who has watched them both closely so much as suggest Woodson was better than Shinn. So I'm somewhat curious as to how these national recruiting guys came to favor Woodson so much.
Alabama is also considered a strong contender or outright leader for several other Rivals 100 prospects, including: OT Cyrus Kouandjio (#9), RB Isaiah Crowell (#17), RB Demetrius Hart (#34), and DT Gabriel Wright (#92), among others.
Kouandjio is currently playing the field, but his brother, Arie, signed with Alabama this past February, which would seem to give Alabama an edge. Likewise, Gabe Wright is enjoying the recruiting process, but sources have indicated that he'll go where Crowell goes, and Crowell is considered a heavy Bama lean by those in the know. It has also been widely reported that Demetrius Hart would like to play college ball with high school teammate Clinton-Dix.
Rivals.com will release their next 150 ranked prospects to complete the Rivals 250 tomorow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
