🏈 So long Ricky Town...we barely knew ya!

[bamafan4ever]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Today I have de-committed from Alabama. It was an honor to get to know Coach Saban and the Alabama fans. Thank you!</p>&mdash; Ricky Town (@RickyTownQB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RickyTownQB/statuses/427151605251596289">January 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[bamafan4ever]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/alabama_loses_commitment_from_2.html

 

[TerryP]

[MENTION=17619]bamaraider[/MENTION] See why I asked if you forgot the sarcasm emoticon in the Coker thread?

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This has been rumored for weeks, hell months. I'm not in the least bit surprised.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Sucks .. I was really looking forward to see this kid in action .. So many de-commits and transfers since November.

 

[TerryP]

[MENTION=18080]PhillyGirl[/MENTION] Don't forget he wasn't supposed to be here for another year.

The writing was on the wall with RT...in bold considering Saban was evaluating Rosen when he was in Cali a few days ago.

 

[alabama mike]

[MENTION=18080]PhillyGirl[/MENTION], we have a log jam at QB now and if Coker comes to T'town that throws another person in the race. It would have been nice to see what he could have done.

 

[TheChief]

I didn't want to say it, but I thought the Town kid was a bit slow... and possibly lazy.

 

[PhillyGirl]

We were going to have a log jam either way, with Del Rio and Town and the others. Now both are gone, and Coker is in

I guess I was just feeling good about having a long term solution at QB.

 

[ElephantStomp]

You could see the writing on the wall. I don't think it hurts as bad as being let on by media and such.

 

[Splittine]

Sucks .. I was really looking forward to see this kid in action .. So many de-commits and transfers since November.

Basically like any any other year.

 

[Rolltide24]

Did Kiffin run him off in his first visit as a Bama coach? Maybe this kid will go to USC and be another Todd Marinovich...

 

[planomateo]

USC got a new coach.

 

[TerryP]

Here's a kid that wasn't going to see the field in, at the least, three years. I'm lost on how some fans are looking at this the way they are.

Is it because he's carrying a 5* ranking right now? Cornwell was as well and if I recall correctly he was downgraded to a 4* following his injury.

Setting all that aside for just a second. There are two things I look at and in my opinion carry a lot of weight.

I've serious doubts on Nuss's ability to evaluate quarterbacks. That's more my opinion than anything but I do believe there's sufficient reason to doubt.

Secondly, going back to Town's rankings. I was going to take the time and look back over rankings for QB's (pro-style) but noticed someone had done the count already. If we look at the years 2002-2009 (stopping there because your 2010 guys still have a chance to prove themselves) how many of those 5* kids actually lived up to their billing?

There were 13, 5* ranked, pro-style QB's over that period. How many of these guys lived up to their billing?

2002 Ben Olson
2003 Kyle Wright
2004 Rhett Bomar
2004 Anthony Morelli
2004 Chad Henne
2005 Mark Sanchez
2006 Matthew Stafford
2006 Mitch Mustain
2007 Jimmy Clausen
2007 Ryan Mallett
2008 Blaine Gabbert
2009 Matt Barkley
2009 Garrett Gilbert

I'm not taking anything away from the talent Town can bring to the field. I'm cautioning, please, don't get so caught up in what is said about potential. QB, as proven with that list, is probably the least accurate rankings there are in collegiate football.

 

[BamaFan334]

Here's a kid that wasn't going to see the field in, at the least, three years. I'm lost on how some fans are looking at this the way they are.

Is it because he's carrying a 5* ranking right now? Cornwell was as well and if I recall correctly he was downgraded to a 4* following his injury.

Setting all that aside for just a second. There are two things I look at and in my opinion carry a lot of weight.

I've serious doubts on Nuss's ability to evaluate quarterbacks. That's more my opinion than anything but I do believe there's sufficient reason to doubt.

Secondly, going back to Town's rankings. I was going to take the time and look back over rankings for QB's (pro-style) but noticed someone had done the count already. If we look at the years 2002-2009 (stopping there because your 2010 guys still have a chance to prove themselves) how many of those 5* kids actually lived up to their billing?

There were 13, 5* ranked, pro-style QB's over that period. How many of these guys lived up to their billing?

2002 Ben Olson
2003 Kyle Wright
2004 Rhett Bomar
2004 Anthony Morelli
2004 Chad Henne
2005 Mark Sanchez
2006 Matthew Stafford
2006 Mitch Mustain
2007 Jimmy Clausen
2007 Ryan Mallett
2008 Blaine Gabbert
2009 Matt Barkley
2009 Garrett Gilbert

I'm not taking anything away from the talent Town can bring to the field. I'm cautioning, please, don't get so caught up in what is said about potential. QB, as proven with that list, is probably the least accurate rankings there are in collegiate football.

You make a very good point with the names above. Safe to say Stafford and Barkley are the only two that truly could look back and see they showed greatness, even though neither truly accomplished anything like a Heisman or a National Championship. I always thought Sanchez was a fluke, as well as Henne.

This news surprises me some, but when you break it down it's a kid we lost for next year. If he would have been slated to come in this year, I think that would be more telling than a kid committing that early and actually sticking to it. AJ Green is one of the very few players I have ever seen commit that early and actually stick to it. The whole "it was an honor to get to know..." is pretty much saying there's no way I'm coming back, but I still think it will sit on his mind if we have a good season this Fall. Once again, there are plenty other fish in the sea, and if one on our roster can produce, we'll never even notice him not being on the sideline. I can't wait to see if Cooper Bateman can do anything.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Very good points. It's kind of nice to have a surplus of talent at QB over the next few years.

 

[JoshB]

I was impressed at the little I've seen of Town but I've been more impressed with Cornwell, but if we're going to just chock this up to Nuss couldnt evaluate QBs very well we have to put Cornwell in that same boat then. So should be concerned with him?

I know one thing, the kid is MASSIVE, probably the biggest QB we've ever had. JeMarcus Russell level measurables (before he got to the NFL and stopped caring).

 

[TerryP]

I was impressed at the little I've seen of Town but I've been more impressed with Cornwell, but if we're going to just chock this up to Nuss couldnt evaluate QBs very well we have to put Cornwell in that same boat then. So should be concerned with him?

I know one thing, the kid is MASSIVE, probably the biggest QB we've ever had. JeMarcus Russell level measurables (before he got to the NFL and stopped caring).

Cornwell: Who brought him to the proverbial table? Billy Napier. It wasn't Nuss. (And just to be clear, I'm the one having doubts about Nuss's ability to evaluate QB's. My opinion.) Bottom line: Saban signed off on him in the end as well so blame can't be all placed at the feet of Nussmeier.

"...the kid is MASSIVE..." Who? Town? Surely you're talking about Cornwell here. Town is about AJ's height and would need a solid year in the S&C program to put on @ 20lbs to catch him in weight. (IF the official roster is correct, which I doubt, he'd need to put on 25lbs.)

(Just as a side note: DC, at 6'5", 235lbs is the same size and build at Jacob Coker.)

DC and JC would need to add about the same amount of weight as Town (compared to AJ) to catch up with where Russell played. Russell's playing weight at LSU was every bit of 255-260lbs on a 6'6" frame.

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* I'm not knocking down Town's potential or ability. Just to be clear, if I haven't already, when it comes to how kids are rated/ranked at the QB position I doubt you'll find anyone who has as pessimistic view as I do.

You may wonder, "how is this different than Coker?" JC has been on a college campus, competing, for two years now. The evaluations we're getting on him aren't from recruiting sites. They're coming from college coaches who've been working with him. Two different ball parks.

I will add this: Herbie said, after watching him throughout this season, "he's the real deal." Personally, that's an opinion I trust over a lot of others.

 

[JoshB]

Cornwell: Who brought him to the proverbial table? Billy Napier. It wasn't Nuss. (And just to be clear, I'm the one having doubts about Nuss's ability to evaluate QB's. My opinion.) Bottom line: Saban signed off on him in the end as well so blame can't be all placed at the feet of Nussmeier.

"...the kid is MASSIVE..." Who? Town? Surely you're talking about Cornwell here. Town is about AJ's height and would need a solid year in the S&C program to put on @ 20lbs to catch him in weight. (IF the official roster is correct, which I doubt, he'd need to put on 25lbs.)

(Just as a side note: DC, at 6'5", 235lbs is the same size and build at Jacob Coker.)

DC and JC would need to add about the same amount of weight as Town (compared to AJ) to catch up with where Russell played. Russell's playing weight at LSU was every bit of 255-260lbs on a 6'6" frame.

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* I'm not knocking down Town's potential or ability. Just to be clear, if I haven't already, when it comes to how kids are rated/ranked at the QB position I doubt you'll find anyone who has as pessimistic view as I do.

You may wonder, "how is this different than Coker?" JC has been on a college campus, competing, for two years now. The evaluations we're getting on him aren't from recruiting sites. They're coming from college coaches who've been working with him. Two different ball parks.

I will add this: Herbie said, after watching him throughout this season, "he's the real deal." Personally, that's an opinion I trust over a lot of others.

I was talking about Cornwell with the size, 6'5" 240+.

Napier was his primary recruiter but at the same time you would expect the QB coach to help evaluate all QBs right? I get what you're saying tho. Time will tell with all the QBs Nuss has brought in/evaluated I guess.

 

[TerryP]

I was talking about Cornwell with the size, 6'5" 240+.

Napier was his primary recruiter but at the same time you would expect the QB coach to help evaluate all QBs right? I get what you're saying tho. Time will tell with all the QBs Nuss has brought in/evaluated I guess.

No doubt. And, like I said, Saban signed off on him as well.

I realize I'm repeating myself but I feel the need to stress this point: It's just my opinion.

When it comes to evaluating how a kid is going to do at this level the QB position is likely the hardest to evaluate followed closely by offensive lineman and kickers.

I do believe there's ample reason to argue Nuss isn't the best at developing QB's.

It's important to note what we wanted out of a QB is changing.

 

[bamaraider]

<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention -->@bamaraider<!-- END TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention --> See why I asked if you forgot the sarcasm emoticon in the Coker thread?

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This has been rumored for weeks, hell months. I'm not in the least bit surprised.

:sealed_1blue: