| RECRUIT Recruiting News: The Alabama class of 2017

Mac Jones - "issue is with his school. He has completed the necessary course requirements to enroll early. His school is just not allowing him to do so." Either there are "computer classes" that maybe a bit questionable or the School Admin Staff are not Bama fans. In this age where guidance counselors falsify grades and transcripts to get kids into school, this seems to reek of showing Mac that he should have selected another school. Wonder where the school staff went to school?
I call for an FBI, DEA, NCIS, CSI-Miami investigation, (wonder if Mac was heading to FSU or UF would there be any issues?)
This is blatant discrimination, anti-Bamaism, by Bamaphobes.

Heracio (sp?) Cain would have this sniffed out in 24 hours.
 
Buggs will have 2 to play 2
Elliot will have 3 to play 2

For whatever reason, I don't think Saban has ever red shirted a JUCO kid.

Dom Jackson would have been a great candidate. By the end of his senior year he seemed to finally get comfortable. A red shirt year would have been huge for him, but IIRC there were injury issues including the Grant Hill saga that forced a semi emergency at tackle position. Dom was beast of a run blocker but tough for him to pass block at OT. RS or moving to guard could have worked well.

Leon Brown was another guy that played but wasn't quite ready... Although I believe he had behavioral issues. A RS year may have done him good.

Ultimately I guess Saban probably figures if they're 3 years out of high school and can't compete, there's no reason to drag it out.
 
Took some time to check out some highlights of our incoming freshman. Love seeing the next wave! Here's some extremely amatuer feedback on some of the guys:

OT Leatherwood - Massive dude with great strength great hands. Not sure his feet/quickness will be ready to start from day 1 at tackle like Williams/Robinson/etc., but there's no doubt he's got a chance to be special eventually.

WR Jeudy - Blown away by how smooth/calm/natural he looks. Amari Cooper type of demeanor running routes and with the ball. Fast as heck with long strides... Great size. Can't see him not playing next year, he's really gifted.

LB Benton - Impressive all around talent! For a kid that plays mostly on the edge he can run like a deer. Assuming he would be a little undersized for JLB/SLB so he would play MLB for us, because he looks like a perfect fit. Great instincts and the speed/strength to bring some pain. Looks pretty natural in pass coverage too. Could be a long term answer at MLB with our current top 3 dudes finishing up soon.

OT Baker (juco) - Hard to see how his game will translate considering the JUCO coaches have him standing straight up on the snap. Clearly has impressive athleticism for a 300lb dude. Doesn't seem over powering though and may need to add a few lbs to run block the way we like em'. Makes sense for the staff to take a big time JUCO prospect with our depth at tackle, but I'd be surprised if he wins a job next season. Seems like all our JUCO OL's since Carpenter have been in that boat.

QB Tua - This is my guy! Just looks like a natural athlete. He's strong & explosive for a QB... Tremendous speed and looks great on the run. Does have a long "wind up" on the shorter throws which could be an issue if Sark decides to all the sideways plays, but his deep ball looks great. Love what Saban is doing at the QB.. Now has a virtual clone of Hurt's physical ability while both are really high character kids. The Dual threat is so valuable. Entering the golden era of Saban QB play?! Absolutely.

DT Byers - As previously mentioned, I love this kid. His game fits perfectly for as a 3-4 DE and/or 4-3 DT. If he picks things up quickly he would be hard to keep off the field. Big enough, fast enough, strong & explosive... Could be the whole package if he's got it mentally

DB Wright - This dude flies around! For a guy who's fairly skinny, he plays with aggression an pops people. Works well since he's so dang fast. Listed anywhere from 167-187 so probably in between. Could be a perfect fit at safety since we've been more focused on pass coverage... Fast enough to cover WR's and still make plays in the run game when necessary. Probably have to put on some weight before he plays but I'm pumped to see him play.

WR Shavers - Intiguing player because you don't see many 6'6 WR's. He's pretty smooth wants he gets going and looks pretty natural running routes for his size. The issue I've always considered with the tall & skinny WR's is getting punked at the LOS by the shoter/stronger DB's. We haven't seen the payoff yet of recruiting these types of bodies at WR between Falkins, Keif, and Sims (Sims may be close?). If a kid with this size and speed pans out he could be unstoppable, especially with the added potential of run blocking,but it seems like he will need some type to add strength.

OLB Allen - Have we seen a more physically ready OLB prospect?! Usually our studs come in more slight and fast, needing to add the weight before playing on run downs (Miller, Evans, Williams), but Allen looks like a grown ass man. And the fact he was playing MLB shows he's got instincts also! Same HS as Tim Williams, but he's probably 15-20 pounds heavier and stronger. Doesn't have that elite edge speed but is still plenty fast enough to chase down QB's. Coming in at a very deep position but I'm super intrigued on what he can do when a few move on. Could be one of those rare 3 down OLB's like Upshaw & Anderson!

Going to watch some more Tomorrow (or today). RTR
 
Took some time to check out some highlights of our incoming freshman. Love seeing the next wave! Here's some extremely amatuer feedback on some of the guys:

OT Leatherwood - Massive dude with great strength great hands. Not sure his feet/quickness will be ready to start from day 1 at tackle like Williams/Robinson/etc., but there's no doubt he's got a chance to be special eventually.

WR Jeudy - Blown away by how smooth/calm/natural he looks. Amari Cooper type of demeanor running routes and with the ball. Fast as heck with long strides... Great size. Can't see him not playing next year, he's really gifted.

LB Benton - Impressive all around talent! For a kid that plays mostly on the edge he can run like a deer. Assuming he would be a little undersized for JLB/SLB so he would play MLB for us, because he looks like a perfect fit. Great instincts and the speed/strength to bring some pain. Looks pretty natural in pass coverage too. Could be a long term answer at MLB with our current top 3 dudes finishing up soon.

OT Baker (juco) - Hard to see how his game will translate considering the JUCO coaches have him standing straight up on the snap. Clearly has impressive athleticism for a 300lb dude. Doesn't seem over powering though and may need to add a few lbs to run block the way we like em'. Makes sense for the staff to take a big time JUCO prospect with our depth at tackle, but I'd be surprised if he wins a job next season. Seems like all our JUCO OL's since Carpenter have been in that boat.

QB Tua - This is my guy! Just looks like a natural athlete. He's strong & explosive for a QB... Tremendous speed and looks great on the run. Does have a long "wind up" on the shorter throws which could be an issue if Sark decides to all the sideways plays, but his deep ball looks great. Love what Saban is doing at the QB.. Now has a virtual clone of Hurt's physical ability while both are really high character kids. The Dual threat is so valuable. Entering the golden era of Saban QB play?! Absolutely.

DT Byers - As previously mentioned, I love this kid. His game fits perfectly for as a 3-4 DE and/or 4-3 DT. If he picks things up quickly he would be hard to keep off the field. Big enough, fast enough, strong & explosive... Could be the whole package if he's got it mentally

DB Wright - This dude flies around! For a guy who's fairly skinny, he plays with aggression an pops people. Works well since he's so dang fast. Listed anywhere from 167-187 so probably in between. Could be a perfect fit at safety since we've been more focused on pass coverage... Fast enough to cover WR's and still make plays in the run game when necessary. Probably have to put on some weight before he plays but I'm pumped to see him play.

WR Shavers - Intiguing player because you don't see many 6'6 WR's. He's pretty smooth wants he gets going and looks pretty natural running routes for his size. The issue I've always considered with the tall & skinny WR's is getting punked at the LOS by the shoter/stronger DB's. We haven't seen the payoff yet of recruiting these types of bodies at WR between Falkins, Keif, and Sims (Sims may be close?). If a kid with this size and speed pans out he could be unstoppable, especially with the added potential of run blocking,but it seems like he will need some type to add strength.

OLB Allen - Have we seen a more physically ready OLB prospect?! Usually our studs come in more slight and fast, needing to add the weight before playing on run downs (Miller, Evans, Williams), but Allen looks like a grown ass man. And the fact he was playing MLB shows he's got instincts also! Same HS as Tim Williams, but he's probably 15-20 pounds heavier and stronger. Doesn't have that elite edge speed but is still plenty fast enough to chase down QB's. Coming in at a very deep position but I'm super intrigued on what he can do when a few move on. Could be one of those rare 3 down OLB's like Upshaw & Anderson!

Going to watch some more Tomorrow (or today). RTR

Thanks for the insights! I am just not dedicated enough to research, find, and watch game film.

Have you heard any rumblings about Byers perhaps not coming? There have been some snippets by riders that are looking over our entire class implying that perhaps he may not come for some reason or another?
 
Off the topic of 2017 recruiting...
Kendell "The Hulk" Jones from Shoemaker HS in Killen, Tx. Never did see where he went after not qualifying for SEC/Bama. Anyone know if he got into JC and if Bama is keeping in contact? I know that as a NQ student he will have to complete the AA requirements and graduate before enrolling in a 4yr school; however, have not seen any information on him.
Unless he redshirts (unlikely at a JC) he would have 3 to play 2 at the next level
 
Off the topic of 2017 recruiting...
Kendell "The Hulk" Jones from Shoemaker HS in Killen, Tx. Never did see where he went after not qualifying for SEC/Bama. Anyone know if he got into JC and if Bama is keeping in contact? I know that as a NQ student he will have to complete the AA requirements and graduate before enrolling in a 4yr school; however, have not seen any information on him.
Unless he redshirts (unlikely at a JC) he would have 3 to play 2 at the next level

Some info on 'Hulk' on Dunbar thread. As I understand, the cliff notes are he is in JC in TX; he won't be back on the market until 2017-2018 recruiting class and probably a LONG shot he'll ever Roll with the Tide.
 
Some info on 'Hulk' on Dunbar thread. As I understand, the cliff notes are he is in JC in TX; he won't be back on the market until 2017-2018 recruiting class and probably a LONG shot he'll ever Roll with the Tide.

Out of curiosity, why is it so hard to get initial commits that go JC to re-sign with us? I know it seems to happen all the time, but I have never understood why it's as hard to retain them.
 
Yeah Kendell Jones' dad said that he was going to go to a JUCO in Texas and then in two years transfer to a 4-year (Alabama and Texas A&M were the ones he was looking at after he graduates from JUCO)... BUUUUT one big problem here is that I have checked the rosters of every single JUCO in Texas... no Kendell Jones... so either he went elsewhere or something else happened.
 
RB Robinson - Big time RB prospect getting overlooked! He's a big dude and moves really well. Doesn't have the spin move or some of the flashy jukes Lacy had in HS but his size and power reminds me of him. He's the definition of a one cut and go running back... No nonsense! Certainly depends on how things shake out with injuries and transfers, but I could see Burns loving a kid that runs with discipline & physicality. He can simply get up field and run through tackles, but still has the speed to run away from the D. Impressive 2nd RB in this class!

CB McDonald - No sure if it was here or elsewhere, but the Arenas comparisons look pretty accurate! Strong and explosive for his size. It's a must for the smaller CB's to be physical but he plays with a real edge. Can't see much in terms of coverage on that clip but he has a nose for breaking on the ball with good hands. Potentially a big time return man also! Looks like the next in the mold of electric smaller DB's like Javy and Cyrus. Will be exciting to watch.

LB Cowan - Great athlete. Looks like he can play all over the field, even looking natural catching passes. He's pretty skinny for 6'4", would compare his body to a Christian Miller type but slightly heavier. So do they use his speed at MLB or put on lbs and grow into an OLB? Seems like these guys usually end up at OLB... However he can really run. With some openings at MLB maybe he's thrown in the mix as a RS freshman after adding 10 lbs. Could be an awesome third down LB that can spy the QB, play coverage, or rush the passer a la Rashaan Evans. Much taller and super intriguing.

TE James - This kid is huge. Listed now at 6'6 250 and possibly bigger. At first glance I thought he was the OT lol. He plays like a guy who's grown so much recently he's not aware of his much ass he could kick. He's not quick and takes a while to get moving, but when he gets some space he's got some impressive top end speed. We used Brandon Greene as the blocking TE for a few years and they could be thinking the same for James, except he makes some great catches and could rack up some YAC if used right. Basically a faster Michael Williams 2.0. This dude could end up over 275lbs and still be athletic. At the very least should be a great blocking TE, which at times we've missed.

TE Tennison - Interesting mix of size and speed on this kid. At 6'5" 245lbs he's tall, thick, and runs really well. Seems like a mix of our current white boy TE's Hentges and Foristall. He's not afraid to mix it up and gets a little chippy when blocking which is awesome. Feels like he would be more of a pass catching threat (especially with James in the class) but at his size he's got potential to do it all. Impressive athlete and depending on how the new OC wants to use his TE's, he could contribute in a lot of ways. Seems like the staff is high on Foristall as a pass catcher so he would have to beat him or Hentges out. Seems unlikely his first year but maybe down the road.
 
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