📝 Adonis Thomas Commits!

[bama alum]

HUGE P/U!!!

 

[BamaFan334]

That a boy! Excellent decision. Us Georgia boys do well in Tuscaloosa.

 

[Bamabww]

Everything is first class'

Andrew Bone
TideSports.com Senior Recruiting Analyst

Adonis Thomas, four-star linebacker from Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., announced his commitment on Monday evening. The announcement caught many off-guard including his high school coach. Thomas received a visit on Monday from Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. He received his mom's blessing and decided to go ahead with his commitment.

"I am happy for him," said Central Gwinnett Head Coach Todd Wofford. "It's a situation I know he has been stressed about with all the schools coming in on him. He had an in-home visit with Coach Saban tonight. He decided to go ahead and commit. He didn't even give me a heads up."

"Alabama is getting a great kid on-and-off the field. Every thing he has said about Alabama has always been a little bit more than the others schools. His interaction with the coaches, players, how the games have been, just everything. You could kind of tell after he made the first trip back over there that they were back in front.

The Alabama coaching staff led by the recruiting efforts of Coach Smart played a major role in reeling in the four-star recruit.

"The recruiting effort by Alabama has been phenomenal," his coach said. "Something he told me when he committed to Florida was that Coach Smart told him that he wasn't going to stop recruiting him until the end. It really paid off. I've had a lot of guys through the years go to difference places. I can tell you that Alabama recruits very well. I can see why the get the players they do. Everything is first class.

"When he visited for the Mississippi State game they made him feel like a top priority kid. They are fighting for a playoff spot, an SEC Championship and they made him feel like he was just as important. That stood out a lot. They were interacting with him as much as anything else.

Coach Smart and Coach Saban are pretty impressive. I've had other big time kids who have gone to to big games and the coaches don't really do that. They just send you up to your seats. Coach Saban and Coach Smart spent a lot of time with him. They didn't have to do that."

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims was coached by Wofford at Gainesville High School in Ga. The Tide's senior quarterback also spent time speaking with Thomas and answering any questions.

"It didn't hurt having a lot of insight from Blake (Sims)," Coach Wofford said. "He had a guy that I coached who is there. He asked him straight up how he liked it and what he thought about Alabama. If anyone in the world could have anything negative to say it was Blake. He has sat on the bench for four years.

"Blake couldn't say anything wrong about the coaching staff, players, lifting weights, going to class or anything. That went a long way with Adonis. That's a good example of a kid who is being taken care of at a school even when he isn't playing. I've had kids who have gone to different places who complain about this or that when they don't play. He could have said anything, but everything Blake told him about Alabama was positive."

Thomas is an excellent player and brings a lot of athleticism to the Tide's defense. Coach Wofford is impressed with Thomas on-and-off the field.

"From just listening to Coach Saban and Coach Smart he brings an element they want and need," he said. "He is athletic and fast enough to cover running backs and tight ends. He can get to the quarterback. He has size and speed. He has a lot of things they are looking for. He is a dynamic kid who can do a lot of different things."

"He's a kid that's very focused on academics. He takes care of that. He has a 3.4 GPA. He never lets anything go to his head. He is not an ego guy or me guy. He made his teammates feel like they were a part of this whole process. He never really talked about recruiting or the rankings. It's unique these days. He is low-key about that. He is a humble kid. One of the most coachable kids I've ever coached."- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1713438#sthash.AaUfDRH4.dpuf

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

It was only a matter of time, Central Gwinnett (Ga.) head coach Todd Wofford felt, that his star linebacker Adonis Thomas would commit to Alabama.

Continue reading...

 

[PhillyGirl]

Pumped about this one!

 

[TerryP]

AJC's Michael Carvell:

UGA got off to a slow start with Thomas because the Bulldogs waited much longer to offer than his other favorites. UGA also stopped recruiting Thomas after he committed to Florida.

What are UGA’s chances now? “It’s hard to say,” Wofford said. “They’ve got ground to make it up, I guess you could say, because Alabama never stopped recruiting him after he committed to Florida. But they (UGA) do have an advantage in that he has been there a few times. So it’s not like they are starting from scratch completely.”​

Versus the actions of Kirby and Lance:

The Alabama coaching staff led by the recruiting efforts of Coach Smart played a major role in reeling in the four-star recruit.

"The recruiting effort by Alabama has been phenomenal," his coach said. "Something he told me when he committed to Florida was that Coach Smart told him that he wasn't going to stop recruiting him until the end. It really paid off. I've had a lot of guys through the years go to difference places. I can tell you that Alabama recruits very well. I can see why the get the players they do. Everything is first class.

"When he visited for the Mississippi State game they made him feel like a top priority kid. They are fighting for a playoff spot, an SEC Championship and they made him feel like he was just as important. That stood out a lot. They were interacting with him as much as anything else.

Coach Smart and Coach Saban are pretty impressive. I've had other big time kids who have gone to to big games and the coaches don't really do that. They just send you up to your seats. Coach Saban and Coach Smart spent a lot of time with him. They didn't have to do that."
​

—————

Is it any wonder why UGA continues to miss out on their in-state prospects?

Just as a side note/observation of the comments listed under the article. This is a tough problem to have if you're UA.

"The thing that fans and the coaches need to get across to players in this state is that if you win a NC at UGA you will be a legend. At Bama, your just another part of a long tradition and your supposed to win, so you are forgettable. The thirst is so much greater in this state to get UGA to that level. If you make it happen here, you will be a star wherever you go in this state for the rest of your life. That needs to be the message."

 

[BamaFan334]

I would combat that with, yeah, you would be a legend, but look how they don't develop their players and look at how many "legends" they have. Some great players at Georgia, no doubt, but at the rate they win Championships a "legend" is born only every 40 years or so, and counting. Alabama doesn't forget their players, and that's why we are always consistently in the Top 1-2 fanbases in the country. Anyone will tell you that we're a step over the line when it comes to how much we love and support our team. Older players are always coming back to Alabama rather it be Gameday, A-Day, Fan Day, charity events, or just to come back where they grew up. Older players are always speaking at booster clubs around the country comprised of Alabama fans, so I think it's comical to say we forget our guys. We're not delusional about what we cheer for, because our boys achieve it on the field and are always supported to the fullest of our ability. Print that!

 

[planomateo]

But Richt is such a great guy...