ChemE
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Five for Thursday
May 10, 2018
A few quick hitters on recruiting and brief updates on Tua and the X-Man.Alfano seems to be a good fit
Antonio Alfano
Timing of commitments is hard to predict. But in the case of Colonia, NJ four-star (should be a five-star) defensive lineman Antonio Alfano, his announcement is set for May 18. He will choose between Alabama, Georgia and Penn State. As previously noted by TI and many others, Alabama is the heavy favorite. In fact, unless something changes, Alfano will pick Alabama.
The 6-4, 285-pound Alfano is a freak athlete. He runs a legit 4.8 and has a 37-inch vertical. He has a relentless motor and seems to be the kind of kid who has some appreciation for what it takes to play in a program like Alabama's, where there are no days off. He does not appear to be intimidated by the process. So Alfano seems like he'd be a good fit at Bama.
Why pass on a talented kicker?
Immediately following the A-Day success of freshman placekicker Joseph Bulovas, speculation ramped up that Alabama might "pass" on Hoover standout placekicker Will Reichard. Our response was that it made little sense to pass up a top-notch placekicker based on a few spring scrimmages. Yes, Bulovas seemed to make significant strides this spring. He had a great A-Day. But you never know how a young, inexperienced kicker might respond when the pressure is really on. Alabama's recent track record with placekickers suggests that taking Reichard is the wise move. He's a great prospect. He's an hour from campus. We expect him to pick Alabama.
Webb & Wright
Clay Webb
As TI has stated repeatedly, we feel very strongly that Oxford, AL five-star center/guard Clay Webb picks Alabama. We've also posted several times that we feel good about Bama's chances with Huntington, WV five-star OT Darnell Wright.
A source close to Wright's recruitment told TI yesterday that it looked like Alabama would be very tough to beat for the nation's top OT. Again, we stress that it is early. But it looks very good at this point.
Tua's progress
The biggest question of the off-season is Tua's left hand. After he suffered a second break late in spring, a source told TI that the most crucial period of the healing process would be the first three weeks. It's been almost a month now since the second injury. TI spoke to a source on Wednesday who said Tua's progress seemed to be right on point so far. The hope has been that Tua would start throwing some next month. If all goes as expected, he would gradually increase his throwing.
Keep an eye on the X-Man
Several young players had outstanding springs and seem ready to take the next step. TI listed seven of those players in a post on Wednesday. One who has drawn some rave reviews is safety Xavier McKinney. The sophomore has the range to cover ground and he's not afraid to lower the boom.as a tackler. One source says McKinney has a little Landon Collins in him.
Join TI here Tider Insider - Crimson Tide News
May 10, 2018
A few quick hitters on recruiting and brief updates on Tua and the X-Man.Alfano seems to be a good fit
Antonio Alfano
Timing of commitments is hard to predict. But in the case of Colonia, NJ four-star (should be a five-star) defensive lineman Antonio Alfano, his announcement is set for May 18. He will choose between Alabama, Georgia and Penn State. As previously noted by TI and many others, Alabama is the heavy favorite. In fact, unless something changes, Alfano will pick Alabama.
The 6-4, 285-pound Alfano is a freak athlete. He runs a legit 4.8 and has a 37-inch vertical. He has a relentless motor and seems to be the kind of kid who has some appreciation for what it takes to play in a program like Alabama's, where there are no days off. He does not appear to be intimidated by the process. So Alfano seems like he'd be a good fit at Bama.
Why pass on a talented kicker?
Immediately following the A-Day success of freshman placekicker Joseph Bulovas, speculation ramped up that Alabama might "pass" on Hoover standout placekicker Will Reichard. Our response was that it made little sense to pass up a top-notch placekicker based on a few spring scrimmages. Yes, Bulovas seemed to make significant strides this spring. He had a great A-Day. But you never know how a young, inexperienced kicker might respond when the pressure is really on. Alabama's recent track record with placekickers suggests that taking Reichard is the wise move. He's a great prospect. He's an hour from campus. We expect him to pick Alabama.
Webb & Wright
Clay Webb
As TI has stated repeatedly, we feel very strongly that Oxford, AL five-star center/guard Clay Webb picks Alabama. We've also posted several times that we feel good about Bama's chances with Huntington, WV five-star OT Darnell Wright.
A source close to Wright's recruitment told TI yesterday that it looked like Alabama would be very tough to beat for the nation's top OT. Again, we stress that it is early. But it looks very good at this point.
Tua's progress
The biggest question of the off-season is Tua's left hand. After he suffered a second break late in spring, a source told TI that the most crucial period of the healing process would be the first three weeks. It's been almost a month now since the second injury. TI spoke to a source on Wednesday who said Tua's progress seemed to be right on point so far. The hope has been that Tua would start throwing some next month. If all goes as expected, he would gradually increase his throwing.
Keep an eye on the X-Man
Several young players had outstanding springs and seem ready to take the next step. TI listed seven of those players in a post on Wednesday. One who has drawn some rave reviews is safety Xavier McKinney. The sophomore has the range to cover ground and he's not afraid to lower the boom.as a tackler. One source says McKinney has a little Landon Collins in him.
Join TI here Tider Insider - Crimson Tide News
