📝 Recruiting News: The Alabama class of 2017

[JoshB]

Man, Tua starting a bible study during The Openjng. Amazing character already, and I can't wait to see him on campus.

Oh God... the Hawaiin Tebow :bandhead::rolf:

 

[TUSKtimes]

Man, Tua starting a bible study during The Openjng. Amazing character already, and I can't wait to see him on campus.

This class keeps showing an amazing degree of unity. I hope it's good chemistry and natural leaders. They're saying and doing all the right things for sure.

 

[planomateo]

 

[TUSKtimes]

I'm pulling hard for Solomon, Ray, Gibbs, and Ruggs. And we keep everyone now verbally committed.

 

[UAgrad93]

I'm pulling hard for Solomon, Ray, Gibbs, and Ruggs. And we keep everyone now verbally committed.

Well, we are going to have an academic casualty or two from the hints I have read out there. The Byers kid is supposedly one and there may be 1-2 more. Also, the number 27 is still what we are looking at signing, no more. Dean, the DB, is sounding more and more like he won't be in this class. 25 is our number right now. Take away these 2 bumps us back to 23 and leaves the number left to get at 4 should all others make the grade AND stay committed. Ray, Ruggs are 2 definites, with Parks and Smith considered STRONG leans. It still leaves Solomon, Kinlaw, Conliffe, Mathis, and a few more wanting to be a part of this class. #BamaProblems

 

[TUSKtimes]

Well, we are going to have an academic casualty or two from the hints I have read out there. The Byers kid is supposedly one and there may be 1-2 more. Also, the number 27 is still what we are looking at signing, no more. Dean, the DB, is sounding more and more like he won't be in this class. 25 is our number right now. Take away these 2 bumps us back to 23 and leaves the number left to get at 4 should all others make the grade AND stay committed. Ray, Ruggs are 2 definites, with Parks and Smith considered STRONG leans. It still leaves Solomon, Kinlaw, Conliffe, Mathis, and a few more wanting to be a part of this class. #BamaProblems

One of our recruits is willing to take a gray shirt the way I understand it, which would almost seem like a guarantee right now. Looks like we are going to have to stunt some serious Georgia momentum to get the other two guys out of the state. If Kirby is half the coach he is recruiter, he's got it made in the east.

 

[rolltide66]

Gray shirt candidate the 3 star OL from Cullman sez he will take EE or Summer or GS. He is just proud to be offered and accepted

 

[EasyTider]

Hunter Brannon, three-star offensive guard from Cullman High School in Alabama, has been informed of a possible blueshirt if needed. Brannon does not seem to have an issue with the likely scenario.

WTF a blueshirt? Is this a civil war reference?

 

[rolltide66]

Alabama commit Hunter Brannon ready for enrollment 'whenever they call me'

Alabama commit Hunter Brannon ready for enrollment 'whenever they call me'
December 05, 2016 at 3:38 PM, updated December 05, 2016 at 3:41 PM

Hunter Brannon spent his senior season at Cullman getting a head start on his Alabama career. Brannon committed to Alabama this summer after a dominant camp performance.
Usually, the best and most agile lineman will play tackle. That's what Brannon did for his first two years of high school, but he switched to center as a senior. That's where he will play at Alabama.
Justin Britt, my uncle (a former Alabama offensive lineman), helped me out a lot with it." "It was easy," Brannon said Monday at check-in for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game in Montgomery. "I just had to get down the snapping, but everything else came with ease. Brannon is close with the other four offensive line commits and he's in a group chat with them an interior offensive line coach Brent Key. He also said he talks to assistants Mario Cristobal and Lane Kiffin regularly.There may be no need for an official visit, he said. Brannon spent nearly every weekend this fall in Tuscaloosa.

What does Hunter Brannon's commitment to Alabama mean? He could enroll at any time. "I'm able to enroll in January," Brannon said. "Whenever they call me - it's going to be January or June. Whenever they call my name, I'm going to be ready."
A grayshirt - delayed enrollment until January 2018 - is a possibility, but it still appears Brannon will enroll on time or even early. "It really doesn't matter to me," Brannon said. "Whenever they call my name, I'm just going to go up there. I'd probably talk to my parents about it (if a grayshirt opportunity was presented), but yeah, probably (still go to Alabama)." Brannon is now 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds. He says it's a good weight for him as he prepares for Alabama. "I still run my 40 (yard dash), at 5.2, 5.3 (seconds)," Brannon said. "I can move around a good bit. Speed and agility is big in my book. I do that two or three times a week and still feel good about it." Brannon is a three-star recruit in the 247Sports composite.

 

[EasyTider]

I watched Brannon in MS/AL all star game and he will need some work before he sees the field.

 

[TerryP]

Hunter Brannon, three-star offensive guard from Cullman High School in Alabama, has been informed of a possible blueshirt if needed. Brannon does not seem to have an issue with the likely scenario.

WTF a blueshirt? Is this a civil war reference?

Athletes who were "not recruited" to arrive on campus as walk-ons, accept scholarships at the beginning of preseason practice and be counted against the next recruiting class instead of the incoming one.

 

[Tidestalker]

Athletes who were "not recruited" to arrive on campus as walk-ons, accept scholarships at the beginning of preseason practice and be counted against the next recruiting class instead of the incoming one.

Isn't that the same thing as a grey shirt? Otherwise why would the staff ask someone to delay their enrollment.

And I'm not trying to be a d*ck I'm genuinelly confused by the whole thing. I assumed that maybe that was the definition of a kid who comes in at semester... Although most of our "grey shirts" have done that too.

 

[planomateo]

Isn't that the same thing as a grey shirt? Otherwise why would the staff ask someone to delay their enrollment.

And I'm not trying to be a d*ck I'm genuinelly confused by the whole thing. I assumed that maybe that was the definition of a kid who comes in at semester... Although most of our "grey shirts" have done that too.

Not the same. Blue shirt enrolls in college and can participate in team activities as a walk-on, grey/gray delays enrollment.

 

[Tidestalker]

To add to our other recruits:

-OT Kendall Randolph - What a good looking OL prospect. With that 6'5 frame he carries his weight really well... Meaning it looks like he could easily add 15-20 lbs and still be a good athlete (listed around 290 lbs). Love how quickly he moves as a run blocker, really gets up field and blocks with power. Looks less confident as a pass blocker but probably the case with most young OT's. Once he adds a few lbs and gets coached up his ceiling is super high. In my super honest amateur opinion I don't think he's that far behind Leatherwood except AL's sheer size is special... Randolph will add some at UA though, while they'll probably taper Leatherwood down. Randolph is a terrific prospect.

-OT/OG Jerdrick Wills - Really powerful lineman, looks like he has super strong hands and finishes his blocks. Not sure he has the "length" that our staff usually plays at OT, so maybe he moves inside to OG (I apologize for not knowing more about how we recruited these guys.. again, super amateur sh*t). He's gets off the ball reall quick and plays/moves quick for a 320 lb dude. His defensive highlights are actually more impressive than his OL clips... Hard to imagine Pruitt isn't scheming on how to steal him. Hard to tell exactly how special he is vs Kentucky HS competition, but either way guys that big, quick, strong don't grow on trees. Will be fun to see where he ends up at, and how quickly he can compete.

-QB Mac Jones - Very, very impressive. His accuracy is about as good as I've seen. He's pretty darn athletic for a skinnier kid and has a nice understanding of how to move around under pressure. A site or two lists him at 6'3 but he doesn't look it. 6'2 may be a push, but he is still skinny and looks to have some growth left. I've been all over Tua for the past year and assumed Jones was just a throw in, but he is really good. I still think Tua's athleticism and character will set him apart, but Jones has every tool to compete for the job. As usual it will come down to mental & leadership capacity, but what a steal for a 2nd QB in the class. His arm strength is above average and with that accuracy he's going to compete with anyone. I was completely sold on the Hurts/Tua combo for the next 3 years, but adding Jones to that mix is just a cherry on top. Was reading about some early enrollment issues and how his school may not allow it, but hopefully it doesn't impact his commitment status. He's a really nice addition.

 

[Tidestalker]

Not the same. Blue shirt enrolls in college and can participate in team activities as a walk-on, grey/gray delays enrollment.

OK thanks for the clarification.

But that does beg the question - If a blue shirt is allowed to participate in team activities and still count towards the next class, why would anyone ever grey shirt?

 

[planomateo]

OK thanks for the clarification.

But that does beg the question - If a blue shirt is allowed to participate in team activities and still count towards the next class, why would anyone ever grey shirt?

See original post. No official visit to the school, no letter of intent, no in home visits, etc.

Athletes who were "not recruited" to arrive on campus as walk-ons, accept scholarships at the beginning of preseason practice and be counted against the next recruiting class instead of the incoming one.

 

[TheChief]

The NCAA is adding another "Shirt" classification this season, prompted by none other than the team we all love: Alabama. The new classification is called a "Crimson Shirt". The new moniker refers to a player arriving on campus and pretty much kicking ass immediately, a la Jalen Hurts and Jonah Williams.

 

[EasyTider]

I'm pretty sure you can't say that Brannon was recruited. Doesn't the offer of a scholarship, visits, etc constitute 'recruited'?

 

[rolltide66]

ET - I'm with you, I think?... He came to a camp and Saban offered him after he performed well. And they accepted his commitment; unless we really don't know what was said and done in "the Office". Bama sure seems to need some play in the numbers this class, but I will be 1st to say, I don't know how they are counting them and who in this class will be casualties of NQ or encouraged to flip. Trust in the Saban and "the Guy" who figgers out the numbers.
If we can get some comfort in who is in and who is out... next we have to worry about the EE's until winter classes start. "Najee" is he in or is he flipping to Steak and Milk?
But I digress, Hunter is he a Blue or Grey/Gray shirt

 

[UAgrad93]

I'm going to throw my 2 cents in on Brannon and the "blueshirt" idea. Brannon is a kid that more than likely grew up wanting to play for BAMA. A HS kid can go to a school unlimited amount of times on an "unofficial" visit. The kid provides his own transportation, place to stay if needed, food, etc. The school provides the location for the kids to meet at the football facility, tour, and they provide the game ticket. Unless things have changed, this was how I was more or less recruited to BAMA. I'm sure Brannon was already on their radar from camps and was more than aware of the "unofficial" visits that were available to him. These kids don't count as "recruited walk-ons" and then get their scholarship once they have arrived and participated in practice.