I know kp would have never started this, he's not all that impressed with star rankings, just show him the performance on the field!! But looking at what Alabama has already on it's verbal list and who it's in the running for at the end it could be maybe the best class in the last 10 years. Better than anything Urban Meyer brought in at UF. The could end up with the # 1 player overall in the DE from South Carolina in Clowney, some say he's ready for the NFL right now. They could end up with a 5* RB who is #4 at his position and #23 Nationally, along with a OT named Kouandjio who is #1 at his position (5* of course) and #4 nationally. Unfricken believeable. Oh yeah they have the #1 ranked safety (5 Star of course) who is the #7 overall in Dix. Sick..
Oh yeah I forgot to add that they have 2 JUCO AA's who weigh 330lbs coming to compete at DT/NT and a big OT as well. Just an unbelieveable class.
I really like the fact that we are getting linemen on both sides. This gives us the ability to rotate a lot of players during games. I hope they have heart like Terrence Cody. And you're right Terry, I'm hoping the coaches have seen something in these guys besides what all the "experts" see and say. 8)
:idea: re: "ready for the NFL right now" We hear this every year. Football is not basketball or baseball. I played all three sports and I know that just having skills is not enough in football. Clowney is a good one, but let's give this kid a chance...
It would be great to get those guys, but I guess the big question is whether Clowney and Crowell will leave their home states (SC and GA). Kouandjio's brother is at Bama so hopefully he will want to play with him! Signing day coming up! RTR
Bryan, From everything I've heard Kouandjio is a beast and has the potential to be great. I hope signs too. We have 9 on campus in school already, which is a great start.
Gator fans have no idea how we are going to do this year. We do have 7 on campus as early entries including the most important recruit in the class, QB Jeff Driskel. Gator Bill
Perhaps the greatest feat will be to see how Nick is gonna have to be creative in managing his numbers.....not a whole lot of scholly room with a small senior class and only 12 total departures. With 23 incoming already not counting any more verbals.....it will be interesting to see what happens here....I am betting that he'll somehow magically approach 28 verbals before the end.....great class tho. :wink:
What number do you think he has in mind KP, if not 28? That is not a particularly large class for him is it? Two of his last three classes were larger than that were they not? KP, how popular is John Solomon down there today after yesterday's article in the Birmingham News? http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/01/solomon_oversigning_day_leads.html
BT. I'm not sure what number Saban has in mind. You've obviously followed this alot more closely than I have, what number do you think he has in mind? :?
So there are ten kids who either currently play for Bama or believe they have a bona fide scholarship in hand who will shortly find out otherwise. I don't care how you package it, that is horseshit. Hard to respect any school, anywhere, that allows that kind of chicanery to exist.
BT, while I agree with the general premise of not over signing players and then run people off, this article is like so many others that it doesn't tell the whole story. The other part of the story is borderline players who may or may not qualify. Some schools like Ohio State, Florida and others, I only used your and my teams as examples, can afford to only sign people who are obvious qualifiers while others are not so lucky and sign several in hopes a few qualify. I hardly think that Ole Miss, Miss State and Kentucky are powerhouses who are benefiting from over signing and all three of those appear on the list. I can't make quite the same case for Bama, Auburn and LSU though but think what I said is a factor for them also. Interesting that the Big 10 doesn't have anyone on the list, but then the Big Ten doesn't seem to have the same number of competitive teams for their championship year in and year out as does the SEC. Could one ask the question "Do the powers in the Big 10 stay that way by holding down the lessor schools by not allowing over signing for borderline players"? I am not saying this to start an argument with you, but I will say without hesitation that the article you posted is lacking some important facts by not discussing borderline qualifiers.
Bill, I appreciate your attempt to provide a more rounded picture, but it's ok, BT has already stated that nothing will change his mind so I won't bother him any more with another point of view.
Bill, I understand what the perception is, but I think the facts show a different story and are pretty straightforward....in the last decade or so, 8 of the 11 schools in the conference have had a piece of the conference title....only Minny, Purdue and Indiana (I could be wrong about Purdue, Stu help?) have not. Illinois, Penn State, Mich, Wisky, Sparty, yes - Northwestern (few borderline academics there) - Iowa and the Bucks have all been in the title mix. So if the "powers" - whoever they may be -are trying to keep them down, it doesn't appear to be working! KP, I truly do not have a clue....many coaches speak to a target number of recruits for the year. I just was curious to see if Saban had mentioned any target. I know Tressel has mentioned that he could take up to 23 or so and wondered if Saban had done anything simiilar...
While I stated early on that I was not particularly in favor of gross over signing, what Alabama does is not illegal. Nobody (as far as I know) alleges that it is. There are a lot of things going on out there that is illegal. I think I will reserve my vitriol for those things. Also, I haven't heard the flood of allegations from the athletes that they are being cheated or lied to. There are one or two guys that say they were forced out and Alabama responded as much as they can respond in view of privacy laws. I guess that's about it. 8)
BT, how many of those schools in the Big 10 other than Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State have had a legitimate shot at the BCS Championship? And are you sure about all of them having at least a share? I do remember Illinois going to the Rose Bowl game but wasn't it because Ohio State played for the BCS Championship? Or were they tied. But another point, very shortly the Big 10/12 won't be able to claim sharing the Conference title as they will actually have a playoff game to decide that. Since In the last decade in the SEC, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Georgia have all won the SEC Championship outright. In addition Tennessee, South Carolina and Arkansas have played for the Championship. In addition in the 90s's Miss State played for the championship once. If the Big 10 had a playoff game do you think it would be realistic that anyone other than Ohio State, Michigan and maybe Penn State would have won? Regardless like so many other things that we try to get sold these days there are facts that are left out of that article. Factor them in and you have a different picture. I am not defending dropping existing players on scholarship, but I am saying that there is a Rest of the Story which isn't being told.
I frankly don't remember that many coaches who state a number. Kp, how many underclassmen declared for the NFL draft? That makes a difference as to how many you can recruit. I know of at least two and there are probably more.
A couple of questions for George and BT. 12 departures are nice, are you sure of that and does it include players leaving early for the NFL. How big was the Alabama roster this year? That is also a factor in how many they can sign. If it was less than 85 then the number available changes. How many walk on's did Bama give a one year scholarship to because they had the room this year? Unless you know those things you do not know how many over signings there are so saying 10 players will lose their scholarship may or may not be true. Oh, add to that, how many Bama players will leave by their choice because they are not getting enough playing time.