| FTBL Where are they now 2005 and 2006...

[Guest]

Part two of my review of past recruiting classes. Given the relative strength of our incoming class and the discussion about contribution / attrition, I thought it would be a good idea to review our signing classes since 2004 (currently redshirt seniors). The 2005 class represents current seniors and redshirt juniors.

The 2005 recruiting class was made up of 33 commits (the same as 2008) and ranked 16th in the nation according to scout. The base-line average star rating was 2.86

This class was extremely important due to probation and attrition. IT was a MUST that we got 25 players qualified and on campus.

As before, players no longer on the team are indicated in red. The term "non-factor" is basically saying that they would not likely start over a high quality D1AA player, or that there are better/comparable players at LaMo. They have either not played at all, or played below what should be considered adequate for a top SEC team.

Starters are highlighted in blue.


**** Chris Keys - Never contributed, in trouble day 1. Dismissed from team.
****Mike Ford - Never made it to Ttown. Prep school and ended up at USF as a partial.
**** Brandon Deaderick - Contributor. Started 8 games in 07 and made 22 tackles.
**** Brandon Fanney - re-sign from 04. non-factor in 07. 7 total tackles, no starts.
*** Charles Hoke - hard to say if he is underachieving or not being utilized. He has played a lot as a blocking TE, but has not caught a pass - despite being recruited as a receiving TE.
*** Jimmy Barnes - Well documented. Left the team in a bad mood.
*** Roy Upchurch - Has had injury problems. Minor contributor 2007, 50 carries for 237 yards & 1 TD
*** Jimmy Johns - The man with no home. He is a phenomenal athlete whose best contributions have been on special teams.
*** Antonio Forbes - Did not qualify. Went JUCO and now at UAB.
*** Lionel Mitchell - Signee out of Hargrove. Contributor - started 7 games, 33 tackles, 1 int.
*** Lorenzo Washington - 2004 re-sign.
*** Desmond Jennings - never made it on campus due to pro baseball.
*** Nick Kyles - did not qualify at Alabama, went to Mississippi State. He did not make it there.
*** Bobby Greenwood - Contributor, 5 game starter in 2007, 20 tackles.
*** Chris Rogers - 10 tackles in 2007. Non-factor.
*** Prince Hall - Freshman all-sec in 2006. Contributor in 07, 5 game starter. Very talented, but one biscuit shy of being a defensive tackle, his work ethic did not win him any favors with Saban.
*** Glen Coffee - Contributor, 3 game starter with 561 yards rushing on the season. Has had injuries and was a member of the texbook 5. Solid, but not spectacular RB.
*** Byron Walton - Gave up football due to chronic injury.
*** Zach Schreiber - Left the team reportedly because he wanted to go to school closer to home, but ended up transferring to La. Tech.
*** Marlon Davis - Starting RG.
*** Ali Sharrief - Has had injuries. Has not contributed (special teams?)
** Sam Burnthall - Has not contributed (special teams?)
** Baron Huber - recruited as a DT, now at FB. Non-factor.
** Cory Reamer - 2 tackles in 2007. non factor
** Michael Ricks - Did not make it on campus due to academics.
** Rodney Brisbon - Went JUCO, ended up at Baylor.
** Evan Cardwell - Part-time contributor. Started at Center when Caldwell was out. Our effectiveness at gaining 1 yard up the middle against Louisiana Monroe should tell you all you need to know. I am going to say non-factor.
** Scott Deaton - non-factor
** Cole Harvey - Don't know what happened to him...no longer on team.
** Travis Sikes - Moved to safety. non-factor
** Mike Johnson - Starting RT
* Patrick Hanrahan - Non-factor
* Eryk Anders - non-factor


As you can see, out of 30 signees - 11 either did not qualify or left the team. Combined with the 2004 class, that totals 20 players who left or did not qualify. Of the 33 signees, 22 are still on campus.

Adjusted for attrition, the 2005 class average star rating was 2.59. The class rating by star numbers would have placed us 27th. Adjust points rating would have placed us in the 30-40 range.

Comparison 2005 to 2008

Stars.....2005...2008
5..........0.........3
4..........2........17
3.........11........10
2..........7.........2
1..........2.........0


Given the low level of impact that this class has had, the quality is questionable. I am no expert, but a re-evaluation would not bode well for the ratings. The development of this class is somewhat disappointing. Significantly disappointing might be a better way to describe this classes' development. Neither of the four star prospects who remain from this class has lived up to the rating - four stars should represent 3 or 4 year impact players, and five star players should be able to contribute significantly on day one.

 

[Guest]

Here is a repost of 2004 so it will be in the same thread.

Looking back, 2004 (if my memory serves correctly) was the first year we could sign 25 (24 made it on campus), and it was a top 20 class. With the discussion about today's class coming in, I thought it would be interesting to re-evaluate the 2004 class.

I have highlighted the players who are no longer on the team in red.

The 28 players of the 2004 class:

* Jeffery Dukes - Juco signee, 2 and done
** Jake Wingo - off team, medical scholarship
**** Lorenzo Washington - went prep and is now contributing, 12 starts in 07
** DJ Hall - record setter
*** Kieth Brown - Up and down career
** Marcel Stamps - moved around a lot, non-factor in 07
** Brandon Fanney - went prep, 2 tackles, 5 assists in 07
*** Marcus Carter - 13 starts, 49 total tackles
** Antione Caldwell - all SEC ability, but One of the textbook 5 in 2007
*** Travis McCall - started 8 games, 45 yards receiving, no TD's. Non-factor in 07
** Drew Davis- may have seen time when the texbook five were suspended - non factor
*** Simeon Castille - Great in the slot, but trouble covering faster receivers. Major contributor though.
*** Kevin Hamilton - Went Juco, never it on campus.
*** John Parker Wilson - much maligned crimson warrior.
*** Jeramie Holifield - Went Juco, never made it on campus.
*** Chris Turner - quit the team following 2004 season.
*** Curtis Dawson - thrown off the team in the summer of 2005 for repeated violations.
** Cody Davis - injury plagued career. non factor
**** BJ Stabler - started 8 games in 2006, saw some action when the textbook five were out in 2008, but not a factor.
** Travis Robinson - quit the team
*** Justin Britt - 4 star DL that ended up as OL Starter.
*** Zeke Knight - flopped as a receiver, Finally found a home at Linebacker and made an impact in 2007. Should be a force in 2008.
** Will Oakley - 16 recepts for 16 yards. Non-factor
*** Trent Davidson - injured and left team
** Nick Walker - 13 game starter at TE. 5th on team in receptions. - Contributor
** Aaron McDaniel - non contributor - Injuries ended career.
**** Nikita Stover - started 3 games and caught a couple of clutch TD's, but not consistent.
** Aaron Johns - thrown off team.

Out of 28 players, 9 did not contribute at all, and one was a Juco 2 and done. Folks, that left us with 18 players from the 2004 class - the most important class since it was needed to recover from sanctions.

Now dig a little deeper and look at the star ratings of the players who made it to 2007...

Four Star - 3
Three Star - 7
Two Star - 8
One Star - 1

The average rating of the 2004 class as it existed in 2007 was 2.63, which would have put us 26th if sorted by ratings, however there was no depth. By points, we would have been in the mid to low 30's in the recruiting ranking.

Factor in that several of those players have not lived up to their potential, and you begin to see where our 2007 senior / RS Junior class went wrong.

When you compare the 2008 class to the 2004 class, you really see the discrepancy.

.........2004.........2008
5 Sar.....0............3
4 Star....3...........17
3 Star....7...........10
2 Star....8............3 (kicker)
1 Star....1............0

2008 average currently stands at 3.61, with incredible depth...the points comparison is staggering - 4963 to 1451.

 

[bear facts]

Big_Fan, you must already have your sermons written for the next month of Sundays.

That's a lot of material amassed there.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Guest]

Nice post

 

[Guest]

Where are they now 2006...

The 2006 class was not as large or strong on paper as the 2005 class - surprising given our needs and the season we had in 2005.

The class was made up of 23 players and had a baseline average star rating of 3.30. It was headlined by Andre Smith - the only five star player to sign with Bama from Derrick Pope under Franchione until this year's class. By comparison, the top team in the SEC last year - LSU, signed 15 over the same period (2002-2007).

A reminder, the non-factor comment means that their position/performance could have been fulfilled by a quality D1AA player. It does not necessarily mean that they are not better than D1AA, only that their performance was not remarkable.


***** Andre Smith - First team All American to be and starter from day one.
**** Preston Dial - Started 1 game in 2007. Caught one pass for 21 yards. non-factor.
**** Mike Ford - Great RB, for USF.
**** Earl Alexander - we are still waiting to see in a game what we have heard about in practices. 0 starts, 4 catches, 40 yards. Non-factor.
**** Tremayne Coger - did not record any stats in 2007. non-factor
**** Alex Stadler - part of the all-world OL recruiting class of 2006 that has yet to show up. Redshirted in 2006, did not play at all in 2007...not what a 4 star player is supposed to do. Left the team prior to the 2007 season.
**** David Ross - Another of the 2006 pancake posse recruits. He did get on the field some in 2007.
*** Javier Arenas - steal of the class.
*** Justin Woodall - non-factor, no stats in 2007
*** Greg McElroy - has yet to play any meaningful snaps. Given Saban's history of swapping QB's if one is struggling, I don't have a lot of confidence in his ability at this point.
*** Andy Davis - Left team
*** Marcus Udell - Playing at UMass
*** Milton Talbert - 1 tackle in 2007, non factor
*** Marquis Johnson - minor contributor, 4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery
*** Terry Grant - contributor, very good but hampered by injury in 07.
*** Jake Jones - Left team due to injuries.
*** Charlie Kirschman - Injured. non-factor some think that he signed to try and lure Tebow from Nease.
*** Taylor Phar - another OL that only saw VERY limited action in 2007.
*** Mike McCoy - started to come into his own last season. 3rd on the team in receptions in 2007.
*** Charlie Higgenbotham - Saw limited action but played well on special teams
*** Brian Motley - Contributor, started one game and logged 11 tackles on the season.
*** Nikita Stover - caught a couple of TD passes, but had an unspectacular season.
** Lebronski Hutchins - Don't know what happened to him. No longer on team.

There were 5 players out of 23 who left the team or did not make it on campus. The adjusted star rating of this class is increased due to the loss of the only 2 star to 3.35.

Total number of starters out of this class is interesting given our depth issues coming out of probation...only 3 full time starters and only one of them was an offensive lineman, even though some people said that was the best OL class in the nation.

Star comparison

Stars.......2006......2008
5............1.........3
4............4........17
3...........12........10
2............0.........3
1............0.........0

 

[reger60]

I realize that there are many factors that play into a player making it in 1-AA but I'm always interested in seeing how surprisingly low the success rate is of so-called four and five-star players.

Having said that, I do firmly believe that this recruiting class has as much potential as any we've seen in the last decade at Bama.

I guess it's safe to say that recruiting doesn't appear to be Mike Shula's area of expertise.

Lots of good info. Good post.

 

[TerryP]

I don't want to get into a debate with you here. You are right as far as some things, but the way you are describing some of the reasons players aren't contributing isn't.

 

[imported_porkchop]

I beleive Hutchins' issues involved grades didn't they? I don't recall him ever making it to campus because I thought he was attending prep school first. Have not seen hide nor hair of him since.

 

[Guest]

YOu didn't mention it above, but Alex Stadler left the team.

 

[Guest]

YOu didn't mention it above, but Alex Stadler left the team.

He was still listed on the preseason 2007 roster. I have made the adjustments, thanks.

 

[Guest]

I don't want to get into a debate with you here. You are right as far as some things, but the way you are describing some of the reasons players aren't contributing isn't.

I am not sure I follow what you mean by "reasons." If a player on the DL played in 10 games but logged only 5 or 6 tackles on the season, he is a non-factor. Most quality DL from 1AA programs could perform equally as well. The same would go for a four star receiver who has been in the program for multiple years yet caught 3 passes on the season for 20 yards - even with better receivers ahead of him he should log more recepts/yards than that.

If a player signed in 2005 but has only played in a few games, he is a non-factor. As I stated, that is not an indictment of his ability so much as it is a statement of his impact on the outcome of games. Playing one ineffective series to give a starter a rest is not having an impact. A tackling dummy could do that.

When a four star OL signed in 2006, redshirted that fall, and did not play any meaningful snaps the next season, he is not performing to his recruiting rating. Four star athletes should be capable of playing meaningful snaps as sophomores.

If there is a specific issue - ie injury or such, please feel free to point it out. Nothing is intentionally incorrect...like the fact that I missed Stadler leaving the team.

I realize that our OL has been an issue and that affects every facet of our offense, but it does relate directly back to recruiting. Comparing the performance of the 2006 OL recruits to that of the 2001 Frosh linemen is one way to look at it. Smiley and Wesley Britt were starters at the same point in their career as Pharr and Ross, and they were performing better than most of our OL from this past season. The 2001 starting OL included Britt, Smiley, Mathis, and Martz all starting at some point - as Freshmen. While the coaching our OL received from captain bucket-step did not help, it does not explain away the fact that they did not contribute any meaningful snaps. The fact that a 2 star OL was starting over them speaks to their raw ability since he received the same coaching they did. I think in this instance, the two star evaluation for Davis was probably the more accurate evaluation. Even with mediocre coaching, a four star frosh OL should not be beaten out by an upper-class RT who would give up 9 sacks in one half...and that happened in the fall of 2006. Pharr was stronger as a Frosh than any lineman on the team, yet his ability was not up to getting him on the field...remember back to Bart Raulston - he was a monster on paper, but a paper tiger on the field.

I tried to be as accurate as possible with injuries when they contributed to performance. Grant is one example...he should have been riding the pine for most of the second half of the season this year, but there was nobody else to hand the ball to. He played at 60% or so.

If you have any comments about why you feel that someone did not play or did not perform, by all means, feel free to add it. In my opinion...as mediocre as these classes were on paper, they were worse. The evidence can be seen by how many of them are able to make it in the league.

 

[Guest]

I beleive Hutchins' issues involved grades didn't they? I don't recall him ever making it to campus because I thought he was attending prep school first. Have not seen hide nor hair of him since.

You are correct. I finally found a reference to him being ineligible. His GPA was ok, but he was not able to get a high enough ACT score.

 

[pimpsahoy]

*** Zach Schreiber - Left the team reportedly because he wanted to go to school closer to home, but ended up playing baseball for the Atlanta Braves.

You've confused two different Zach Schrieber's. The former Bama LB transfered to La Tech. You'll remember the story in the paper about how he and Jacob Hester are good friends and Hester was kidding him about still having his playbook.

The Braves pitcher played 4 years at Duke and was drafted in 2004 by the Braves.

LB from Shreveport, LA
Pitcher from Cedar Rapids, IA

 

[Guest]

*** Zach Schreiber - Left the team reportedly because he wanted to go to school closer to home, but ended up playing baseball for the Atlanta Braves.

You've confused two different Zach Schrieber's. The former Bama LB transfered to La Tech. You'll remember the story in the paper about how he and Jacob Hester are good friends and Hester was kidding him about still having his playbook.

The Braves pitcher played 4 years at Duke and was drafted in 2004 by the Braves.

LB from Shreveport, LA
Pitcher from Cedar Rapids, IA

Thanks. I didn't confuse them (I honestly don't know), but the link on Scout did! I will make the correction. Thanks!