📝 Will Saban & Co. pull a 'Bobby Bowden'??

[bradenob]

Currently Alabama has four, and ONLY four, commits in the 247sports top 100 (I like it best in ranking recruits, for whatever the ranks are worth!) Jonah Williams (17), BJ Emmons (35), Raekwon Davis (83) (I guess!??) and Kendall Jones (93). But there are a BUNCH who are giving us a long look. Remember when Bobby Bowden would swoop in at the last minute, surprise people, and end up with one of the top 3 classes, out of nowhere? Is that us this year? MayBE!!

I'll list anyone we have a reasonable shot with:

#1 Rashan Gary (only if he decides to visit is there any shot)

#9 Derrick Brown, DT GA (Maybe Pruitt can help here?)

#10 Ben Davis LB, AL (surely!!!)

#11 Mique Jaurez, LB, CA (Ole Miss prolly has the money to get this one, lol)

#13 Mecole Hardman ATH, GA (said we were on top)

#14 Demetrius Robertson, ATH, GA (likes Stanford and GA, used to be committed to us - can he get in the other schools, does he come back to us? or go to Kirby?)

#15 Lyndell Wilson LB, AL (does he REALLY go to UF? or stay home? or follow Kirby?)

#19 Jeffrey Simmons, DE, MS (we've been all over the kid, but do any ever leave MS???)

#38 AJ Brown, WR, MS (same as above, but has been more positive about us)

#58 Nigel Warrior, S, GA (hard to get from Kirby, according to Mama)

#62 Nigel Knott, CB, MS (maybe our best chance to actually get a MS player to come?)

#64 Terrell Hall, DE, Wash DC (used to be OSU, now maybe us?)

#71 Shyheim Carter, DB, LA (old commit - do we have a chance still?)

#75 Devin Asiasi, TE, CA (we have two committed, and CA IS a long way away)

Now, IF you pay any attention to 'Crystal Ball' predictions, we lead strongly (greater than 50%) for Ben Davis, Lyndell Wilson, Nigel Knott, Terrell Hall, and Shyheim Carter.

We have maybe 7-8 spots left. The above guys would take 5. If we get ONE of the guys currently on the above list that is NOT predicted by the CBs to commit to us, then we go from FOUR in the top 100, to TEN in the top 100, and I like that a LOT better. I'll take Mecole Hardman, and then let the other chips fall where they may! That would add #s 10, 13, 15, 62, 64, and 71 to the class.

Roll Tide, and hope for the best!!! In Saban we trust!

 

[TerryP]

Now, IF you pay any attention to 'Crystal Ball' predictions,

If there's been a year not to, it's this year. It's going to be a fun signing day ...

Something I found interesting about Rivals, 247, and one of the Ole Miss sites ...

OM's saying they are confident they are getting Simmons.

Rivals/TideSports/Bone is confident on Simmons, but really doubting AJ Brown. On the other hand, BOL/247 has the opposite take on those two.

Mississippi is going to be fun to watch next Wednesday. If we look at Simmons, Davis, Brown, and Knott you're looking at four of the top ten (depending on where you look) of the top players in MS. Some put them as four of the top six.

How many does the Bama staff pull?

 

[BamaFan334]

Give me Hardman over Robertson, but will gladly take both. Robertson will be like Terry Godwin, so I'd love to snag him, but we are getting Diggs that could make up for him.

 

[psychojoe]

Back 15 years or so, there was a saying among those who followed recruiting, 'The big dog walks late'. Bowden was the one who inspired that saying.

 

[bradenob]

If there's been a year not to, it's this year. It's going to be a fun signing day ...

Something I found interesting about Rivals, 247, and one of the Ole Miss sites ...

OM's saying they are confident they are getting Simmons.

Rivals/TideSports/Bone is confident on Simmons, but really doubting AJ Brown. On the other hand, BOL/247 has the opposite take on those two.

Mississippi is going to be fun to watch next Wednesday. If we look at Simmons, Davis, Brown, and Knott you're looking at four of the top ten (depending on where you look) of the top players in MS. Some put them as four of the top six.


How many does the Bama staff pull?

Call me the pessimist..... I say we get Knott and Davis, and that's it, IF we get them. I don't know how much cash changes hands between boosters and recruits..... why would you keep trying to make MSU and Ole Piss better and just go with a winner like 'Bama, especially when we're that close to them!

 

[psychojoe]

On TI TV tonight Gary and Rodney said they expected 8-10 more commits.

Rodney has a pretty good track record and he said we are te favorites to get Davis and Wilson.

 

[UAgrad93]

My wishlist! Rodney said last night that we close with 8-10 more.
Ben Davis BAMA legacy enjoying the process
Mack Wilson wants to be on a winner and loves the attention
Mique Juarez West Coast kid that Tosh has worked really hard on. Getting that official was HUGE!!
Hardman or Robertson I think we truly get one of these guys. Don't think we pull both.
Simmons Would love to see him in Crimson but imagine he stays at home
Brown Julio type build and physicality. Another one going to be tough to yank out of MS.
Knott I actually think this kid will be the easiest to pry away from the MS schools. He seemed ready to bolt to the West Coast.
Hall not a bad fall back plan if you can't get Simmons. This kid is a monster!!
Asiasi another West Coast kid that Tosh has worked on and has really gotten his attention. Without the official seems a stretch though.
Gavin big physical WR that is on par with Brown. Hate to say he is a fall back when he is just as good.
M. Carter big DT that seems like a UGA lock but, may waiver with Bo Davis and Pruitt working on him.
Mayden another DB that Saban and Co. love. Napier and Pruitt putting the press on him and he loved his official.

I put the guys in bold that I think we land to finish off the class. There may be a couple of surprises!!

 

[colbyjacks]

Terry, who do you think we close with?

 

[kbama15]

What about that JUCO kid Jamar King?

 

[psychojoe]

Tough to get Simmons or Brown out of the state, but it is not as if we have never gotten top level recruits from Mississippi.

I think we get Brown, but not Simmons.

This time next week we will know. Looking forward to NSD being fun.

 

[Che Boludo]

Who's Will Saban?

 

[TerryP]

Terry, who do you think we close with?

I really haven't spent any time looking at how I think the class might fill out. I've been too busy being amused at seeing so many of the guys that cover recruiting getting trolled by recruits.

Back in the summer I mentioned the feeling this was going to be the strangest year we've seen in the last decade with recruiting. There's a lot of kids out there playing their decisions very close to the vest. I like it. Hell, this makes next Wednesday the first I've looked forward to since ... I'm thinking 2008. I'm tempted not to even look at, ask about, or research who might be a part of this class in order for Wednesday to be as "surprise filled" as possible.

@uagrad93 has his wish list ... all of those guys are people I've followed. I'd add one to that list, Joshua Jacobs. I think his visit this weekend (as in where) may tell us a lot. He's a late bloomer; Burns has visited and liked what he saw in person and on film. He's "committed" to visit Mizzou this weekend ... let's see if the staff can "flip" his visit.

I'm becoming less and less of a fan of the word "fluid," but it fits this recruiting cycle. Needs/wants have changed. Part of that is due to kids deciding to return which in turn leads to different needs. Khongbo is a great example. He's certainly a pass rush specialist but he does need work on run defense. It appears the staff is looking for more of an every down player to fill that spot a lot speculated was his for the taking.

 

[TerryP]

Robertson

That's beginning to look like a post-signing day announcement.

It appears a few defensive linemen have canceled their visits this weekend. Take from that what you may.