It looks like Alabama can only take 22 recruits this year. I guess that partially explains the lower numbers so far.
Here's an insane coaching rumor... (And no one knows where it came from which means it's VERY likely bunk) The name "Bud Foster" has been drifting about as possible DC for the new A&M staff. I can't imagine him leaving VT, but I'd sure pull out a chair for him if he's willing! 8)
Well at Fosters point in life he might be looking at his retirement fund and what he's making at VT. If A&M makes the right offer that might be what makes him move. Also his HC, Justin Fuente, is likely to be a candidate for other jobs every year so he could be looking at not knowing who he'll be working for in a couple of years anyway. How old is he? Was there any consideration to keeping Chavis?
Oddly there hasn't been ANYTHING about Chavis. We all assumed he'd get a shot at staying on but apparently not. He might be quietly trying to get back to Tennessee to finish up or he might just retire...
One of the interesting stories that played out in recruiting Alabama this year was that Alabama wanted the Gatorade State Player of the Year, Asa Martin, as a CB. Auburn wanted him as a RB, so he's going to Auburn. People in these parts still can't believe that Saban would make such an obvious miss on the kid's talent. (Martin will tote the rock for the Tigers next year as the freshman in a 3 man rotation assuming the other 2 RBs (Pettway, Johnson) return and don't go to the NFL. If they do, then the Tigers will look to have an all-Tennessee Valley backfield of Malik Miller and Asa Martin.. but I digress. As I've said to those doubters of Saban, I think it doesn't show that Saban made a mistake in judging talent. I think it shows the importance of the caliber of athlete that Saban wants at CB in his defense.
Corey, this gets down to my skepticism about the recruiting rankings. A 5 star recruit for a position that you don't need is not as important as a 3 or 4 star recruit for a position in need of a reload. 8)
Anyone who takes a recruiting "guru's" word on a kid over guys like Saban is an idiot anyway. Ranking kids with a number is moronic. I might buy into a star system for each position (this is is a 5 star OT vs a 3 star OT), but this crap about 300 best kids listed from 1-300 is idiotic. I guess there are too many fools willing to pay for the "ratings" info for it to ever change... :roll:
I agree Scott. Here's what I think will be interesting the next 3 years. Those that can't break the top 5 In Recruiting, can they develope better than the rest?
Well personally I would rather have top 300 4 and 5 star players. But no doubt teams like Wisconsin and TCU have built very good programs by developing 3 star players.
I've got a feeling that Saban and some others may have a different rating system. Apparently he thought this kid was a 5 Star DB, but not a 5 Star RB. Either that or Alabama has filled their RB needs for this recruiting class.
KP, I think it also gets down to the type of back you're looking for in your system. Martin certainly is that super fast HR type of back that we currently see in Kerryon Johnson (another Tennessee Valley kid) with Auburn's offense. He's not the bruiser that Pettway is. Still, in Auburn's offense, they seem to have recruited well for those 2 types of RB. Saban seems to like those big, physical runners with great ball possession skills. I see the other RB in that Austin offense is going to play at Coastal Carolina next year. They got a good one in him. I wish both kids well.
Well Saban clearly wanted a DB, he didn't get that person in Corey's boy Martin...but they flipped a highly rated DB from Ralph's Miami Hurricanes. Josh Jobe is the #117 rated prospect in the country on ESPN 300.
Yeah these things have a way of working out in the end. Any update on the Huntsville kid? Things have been real quiet since Bama got involved, which is normally bad news.
No word on Langham, I don't know if he's going to sign in the Dec period. With the Alabama DCoord now at Tenn I read that they are a player along with Alabama and ND. Irish have a new name in the OL dept, Frank Fillip an OL from the Houston area. I don't know anything about him. I was thinking that if he came and Luke Jones came that would be a good thing, but I read on Irish Ilustrated that if he flips to us that Luke Jones will stay at Arkansas. It will be interesting to see if we have all our current verbals sign our LOI's this Wed or not. Kelly said as far as he knows he expects good news on Wed. But we've been bitten at the last minute before.
Well Justin Fields confirmed he is Georgia bound, no going to UF to play for Mullins or FSU to play for Willie Taggert. Lot of teams still looking for that QB.
I'm not sure we're all hot to get in the QB market for 2018. We've got a top rated guy for 2019 already committed, and with all the lads we have on campus right now being freshmen... might make sense to get something else in that slot this year. Not saying A&M wouldn't take Fields if he wanted to come, just saying QB is OK for us this year...
It does seem like it's never a good thing to have a class without a QB in it. So many QB's transfer, more than a few don't live up to whatever they hype is and then there are injuries, etc. Jim Harbaugh has a ton of QB's at UM and still took Shea Patterson as a transfer.
That's always in the mix, and honestly I'll be surprised if one of our guys doesn't leave. Mond is not really prototype for what Jimbo runs... he MIGHT get there in the passing game if he works really hard, but he's behind Starkel for sure, and probably behind Blumrick as well in straight passing. So... if one goes I'd expect it might be Mond... guess we'll see.