🏈 Odds and Ends From the MS vs AL All-Star Classic.

[CRIMSONTUSKS.COM BLOG]

Odds and Ends From the MS vs AL All-Star Classic.
December 14, 2008

By Terry Pellman (TerryP)

While it isn’t a be all-end all when it comes to being able to understand how college recruits will do when they start their collegiate careers, talent evaluators flock to All-Star games like the one played Saturday to get a better look at the prospects each year.

This weekend wasn’t any different when the All-Star game featuring the top rated players in the state of Mississippi faced off against the same from the state of Alabama.

Here’s a few notes I thought I’d pass along dealing with some of the players Alabama already has verbal committments from and a few who we expect to suit up for the Crimson Tide in the future.

Read the rest of the review in the featured section of our blog

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

Good stuff Terry. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

 

[Guest]

Nice Article.

 

[Crimson Hawk]

I absolutely LOVE this from Dre regarding his interception on the first play from scrimmage by the Mississippi team:

“I knew they were coming with it,” said Kirkpatrick, who has yet to set his five school official visits. “I saw it when he signaled their quarterback on the pre-snap. If he wanted a message, I sent one back his way. It was, ‘Don’t come over here no more. Don’t try me or you will pay.’”

 

[TerryP]

There are normally a couple of players with each class I could probably call "my favorites." It's not that I like them more than others in the class, although that is true in a few instances. But, it is more along the lines of when I see one of them I'm just blown away by what they bring to the table and what they'll end up doing if they progress like I think they will.

Last season, two guys fell into that category. It was all about the Mark's; Ingram and Barron. You saw a bit this year on what Ingram will accomplish in his time at Alabama. Barron, not as much as Ingram, but I'm sure some of you had visions of what he'll be like in a year or two.

All that said, this year, one of "my guys" is DJ. I'm absolutely floored by what I see out of Fluker now...and really wonder what he would be like if he had played OT all through his high school career instead of just this past season.

Anyway...came across this artcle today is another guys "notebook" on the All-Star game. Specifically, I wanted you guys to see what was said about Fluker.

Mountain Brook football coach Chris Yeager knows offensive line play the way Bill Gates knows gigabits.

Yeager is in town this week coaching the line for the 22nd annual Alabama-Mississippi Classic All-Star football game today at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

He can spin stories about Alabama All-American Andre Smith. He had Smith in his line camps for several years. He's a big fan.

But Smith is now the second best high school offensive lineman he's seen. That's because of D.J. Fluker. The 6-foot-7, 355-pound left tackle is now the best Yeager has ever seen. It's not even that close.

Fluker - an Alabama commitment - has impressed him that much. Tuscaloosa Central coach Melvin Pete said Fluker moves like a 6-foot-3 tight end.

"When God put D.J. on this earth he put him here to play offensive tackle," Yeager said. "No flaws. Great kid. Adaptable. Coachable. He picks up everything. And when God put Fluker on this earth to be an offensive lineman, he passed judgment on a lot of poor defensive lineman. Because D.J. is going to torment a lot of defensive linemen over his career."

Fluker wears a size 22 shoe. He can eat a man-sized hamburger and make it look like a Krystal.

There was also the matter of trying to find Fluker a coat for the Alabama-Mississippi banquet on Thursday night. Jackets and ties were mandatory. A size 60-long jacket was found in Louisiana for Fluker.

"That doesn't even swallow him up," said Alabama all-stars coach John Grass of Oxford. "It just fits. It's been fun for the guys to just watch him eat this week."

The Alabama coaches are impressed with several players. Comparing one to another is like comparing European sports cars.

But a few have stood out among Alabama's best. Fluker was on everyone's mind. So was Austin's Deterrian "D.T." Shackelford. Shackelford is committed to Tennessee.

"Fluker versus Shackelford has been a `Wow' watching them go at it," Grass said. "We've had to dial those guys down a little bit."

Gadsden City cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was the other. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is regarded by the recruiting services as the state's top prospect and one of the nation's elite cornerbacks.

"Those are the guys you look at and see more than a chance to play on Sundays," Grass said. "You see feel they have a good shot at Sunday the way they're heading."

Grass said Florence running back Shawn Southward has stood out.

"We all call him Southward," St. Paul's quarterback A.J. McCarron said. "You watch him in practice and wonder why he doesn't have a lot more college offers."

According to Rivals.com, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Southward has offers from Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, South Alabama and Troy.

Read more on other players like Tim Simon here

 

[Outlaw]

Ditto the the Southward comments. The kid is freaking amazing.

 

[Guest]

Great Post!

 

[Outlaw]

If anyone is still unsure about Dre, consider this.

He started a "Roll Tide" chant on the sidelines.

 

[Guest]

There are normally a couple of players with each class I could probably call "my favorites." It's not that I like them more than others in the class, although that is true in a few instances. But, it is more along the lines of when I see one of them I'm just blown away by what they bring to the table and what they'll end up doing if they progress like I think they will.

Last season, two guys fell into that category. It was all about the Mark's; Ingram and Barron. You saw a bit this year on what Ingram will accomplish in his time at Alabama. Barron, not as much as Ingram, but I'm sure some of you had visions of what he'll be like in a year or two.

All that said, this year, one of "my guys" is DJ. I'm absolutely floored by what I see out of Fluker now...and really wonder what he would be like if he had played OT all through his high school career instead of just this past season.

Anyway...came across this artcle today is another guys "notebook" on the All-Star game. Specifically, I wanted you guys to see what was said about Fluker.

I am with you on Fluker. I think he is as big of a difference maker on the OL as Andre, with an unbelievable upside. He is a the kind of player who could start at LT as a frosh. I cannot wait to see him playing. With Carpenter coming in, our OL should be comparable to this season...maybe not quite the same level, but comparable.

With the receivers we have coming in, and as good of a ball as McElroy throws, I think we could actually see improvement on offense in Coach Mac's second season.