📝 National Signing Day - Wednesday, the 6th. (How does Alabama finish out its 2019 class?)

[94 Grad]

@94 Grad mentions the number of players Rivals has rated as a 6 when comparing the two classes--UGA with six, Bama with three. Just looking at those nine players and how they are ranked (bonused) you can see UGA with a huge lead for the 6.0 guys.

UGA / national rank	Points	Bama / national rank	Points
Dominick Blaylock - #55	43	Shane Lee - #50	45
Travon Walker - # 34	55	Marcus Banks - #53	43
Jermaine Johnson - #2	83	Jordan Banks - #37	49
Lewis Cine - #54	43
Nakobe Dean - #31	55
Tyrique Stevenson - #35	55
	334		137

There's a 16 point differential in the total number of points: UGA with 3063 and Bama with 3047.

Bama leads in player rankings, UGA leads in bonus points and the total overall. There's a 46 point swing in player rankings and the final team rankings (which include their bonus points.)

Yup... and ranking system rarely are able to take into consideration how well you fill your needs. I think ESPN used to try and rank with that as a factor, but not sure if they ever got that implemented in a fashion that made sense.

It's fun to look at, but really rankings are pointless. What I try to look at is did we get who we went after.... if you can say yes, you have a good class. That's what really matters the most.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

At least 15% of your calls will never play a meaningful down. If they're not making strides in some games by the end of 2 years then you may have missed the boat on your evaluations OR they have some sure enough studs ahead of them.

 

[TerryP]

@TerryP Now that signing day is over, do you have any interesting stories that developed during the recruiting season?

I don't to the degree we have seen the last two years with a few players.

I've found the 'political' side of Sopsher to be another Louisiana thing. It's old news, but I'm still amazed at how they apply pressure on kids and their families to stay in state and then turn on them like a pack of rabid wolves if they leave.

To'oto'o calling the Bama coaches after he announced and finally signing with Tennessee is intriguing. You recall how Tua's decision was covered by the media, right? In the end, it was his fathers decision on where he attended college...same scenario with To'oto'o. His father made the call. However, there was A LOT of questions about it being the right choice for HT.

How times have changed...

Did you know that Christian Williams was the second highest player ranked in Miami's class? And, he was basically passed on/recruited past by the staff after he didn't sign on the first signing day.

I find it interesting that we're seeing a lot of LSU fans claim they've only lost one player to Bama this class. Yet, no one seems to want to acknowledge Christian Harris who literally went to high school on the LSU campus. But no, he's not a kid they wanted.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[TUSKtimes]

I find it interesting that we're seeing a lot of LSU fans claim they've only lost one player to Bama this class. Yet, no one seems to want to acknowledge Christian Harris who literally went to high school on the LSU campus. But no, he's not a kid they wanted.

I agree, not much excitement for Harris. But he never seemed interested in LSU regardless of Bama or not. We flipped him from Texas A&M and I never saw where LSU ever made his top 5. There has to be a great backstory to that floating around cyberspace somewhere. I just haven't heard it yet.

 

[colbyjacks]

To'oto'o calling the Bama coaches after he announced and finally signing with Tennessee is intriguing. You recall how Tua's decision was covered by the media, right? In the end, it was his fathers decision on where he attended college...same scenario with To'oto'o. His father made the call. However, there was A LOT of questions about it being the right choice for HT.

Yeah that HT situation could have turned out crazy. I mean, could you imagine the outrage at Bama all across the nation if he flipped after “signing” with Tennessee.

 

[TerryP]

. But he never seemed interested in LSU regardless of Bama or not.

I don't see how one can come to that conclusion considering he took A LOT of unofficial visits to LSU over the last two years...and he's been invited, (and attended) to their camps for the last two years as well.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I don't see how one can come to that conclusion considering he took A LOT of unofficial visits to LSU over the last two years...and he's been invited, (and attended) to their camps for the last two years as well.

I'm sure from our perspective, a loss is a loss and we get bragging rights regardless, that's the way it works. LSU pretty much disavowed any interest in Eddie Lacy, due to academics. But that didn't stop us from putting him in the Louisianna pipeline and garnering bragging rights. Harris's recruitment just didn't end with a dramatic, life-altering thump that a Collins, Surtain and now the Ishman has conjured up.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Purdue....Jeff Brohm will make a $45,000 bonus for securing ESPN and 247’s 25th-ranked recruiting class, according to Steve Berkowitz of USA Today.

not bad for Jeff

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Everyone talking about getting a player or losing a player...
Reminds what Gene Stallings once said... "cant lose something you never had"
....that kinda sums up recruiting...to me anyway

 

[TerryP]

LSU pretty much disavowed any interest in Eddie Lacy, due to academics.

In hindsight, it's being played out that way according to how some fans tell the story. And, it's true. There were doubts about his academic status when he was going into this senior year.

What's not being said is LSU was slow playing Eddie all along. As signing day drew nearer the LSU staff tried their best to get back in the race for his signature--too little, too late.

I've seen comments about how LSU fans from the state of Louisiana feel every kid that grows up in LA should want to stay at home and play for their home state school. I've seen comments these last few days suggesting players that grew up in Alabama would play harder for the Tide simply due to the childhood "allegiances." We've also seen those talk about how Kirby would do with so much talent within the state of Georgia.

How many of the top 20-25 kids did Kirby sign from Georgia this year? Not a lot as he went to other states to recruit kids. I'm left with the feeling that "in-state" kids versus "out of state kids" is severely overblown today. As the game has changed so has the idea of "recruiting territories." State lines literally don't exist anymore when it comes to where a kid will attend school.

 

[planomateo]

I've seen comments about how LSU fans from the state of Louisiana feel every kid that grows up in LA should want to stay at home and play for their home state school.

My kids have grown up in Texas, they don't pull for Texas schools.

Selecting the team you're going to commit to has become more complicated these days. Business vs passion, sometimes the two align. It's probably better when they do align.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I've seen comments about how LSU fans from the state of Louisiana feel every kid that grows up in LA should want to stay at home and play for their home state school. I've seen comments these last few days suggesting players that grew up in Alabama would play harder for the Tide simply due to the childhood "allegiances." We've also seen those talk about how Kirby would do with so much talent within the state of Georgia.

I think the biggest diff between LA and GA is the culture of both states. GA feels more transient. Their history has always been to shop around for the best deal. LA is like a cult. The Jim Jones of college football. I mean recently the governor has been screaming conspiracy rumors about their football team and emotional wrecks like James Carville defy a category to put him in. Nobody does college football stupid better than a Cajun.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

What is refreshing is seeing the love and commitment from those that have played...to spend their time and come back to Bama for events, games, signing periods....etc...
I dont know that a lot had the love before coming to Bama that they received while at Bama... and not just Bama I know... ( fans worship love....or a coaches/ professors guidance love..or teammate togetherness....could be many things)...

 

[50+yeartidefan]

@TUSKtimes ..... "nobody does college football stupid better than a cajun"
Awesome!
And....LSU has the state to them selves...like UGA ( i dont count GaTech),..
Alabama ..a much lower populated state...but shares with AU...
But i think the rivalry of AU and Bama keeps the fire burning year round...in LA the CF fire burns hot before and during season...and kinda subsides after... kinda same inGA..but it seems in Alabama the fire never goes out ( ( for fans)....

 

[TerryP]

Their history has always been to shop around for the best deal

Transient doesn't reflect in their signings with UGA (which was the point.) They're moving to a more nationwide approach. Eight of their 24 signed in state with the Bulldogs this year. That's a 1/3rd compared to their previous classes being 50% to 75% of their earlier classes coming from the state.

It's my opinion it's foolish for fans of any school to expect those in state to remain in state just because they are from said state. It's not just happening in Georgia. USC only signed three from the state of California. FSU signed four out of the top 25 in Florida along with Florida having four and Miami with two. There's less than 50% of the talent in that state remaining in state (and split between three different schools.)

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Kirby is going into the grad transfer deal in a big way. He has taken the TE from 10RC (strange) and on Friday a big WR from Miami has selected UGA for his last year.

Bulldogs land Miami transfer Lawrence Cager

www.ajc.com

Who is Lawrence Cager? He’s a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder who was Miami’s second-leading receiver this past season, while also catching a team-high six touchdown passes. He made 18 career starts for the Hurricanes, and he’ll be eligible to play immediately at Georgia

This is the second commitment from a graduate transfer in as many days for UGA. On Thursday, Tennessee tight end Eli Wolf announced he was headed to the Bulldogs.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Transient doesn't reflect in their signings with UGA (which was the point.) They're moving to a more nationwide approach. Eight of their 24 signed in state with the Bulldogs this year. That's a 1/3rd compared to their previous classes being 50% to 75% of their earlier classes coming from the state.

It's my opinion it's foolish for fans of any school to expect those in state to remain in state just because they are from said state. It's not just happening in Georgia. USC only signed three from the state of California. FSU signed four out of the top 25 in Florida along with Florida having four and Miami with two. There's less than 50% of the talent in that state remaining in state (and split between three different schools.)

Time will tell how loyal state kids are to their home school. When you look at the top 20 players in Georgia, they went everywhere. The Dawgs certainly didn't clean up instate.

But Georgia has always been this way as long as I can remember. It's states like Alabama where it gets a lot more difficult. There was a nice article on Al.com today about Bama commit Jackson Bratton entitled: " I love Bama and I always have." I don't want our football program to miss these guys. I think there are still plenty of excellent in-state players we need to give priority to and I'm not convinced in this national appeal we have these days that we always do that.

 

[TerryP]

•Disappointments: For me, Fuller. And, only because he's been somewhat of a character. I suspect he'll be entertaining to watch.

A few of this guys tweets I found pretty amusing. This one rules the roost.