Phillip Ely wanted his announcement to be a “shocker.” He said, “It is more fun that way.” Ely’s announcement might have been the best dressed commitment since Trent Richardson and Andre Smith donned the houndstooth to declare he was headed to Alabama. Ely wearing a dark suit, made his commitment known by unbuttoning his jacket and revealing the Alabama script “A” on his tie. You can watch video of the announcement here.

According to ESPN, “Ely is no stranger to winning himself; he currently has a 19-0 record as a starter and two state championships. He threw for 1,833 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. Although he currently plays in a spread offense, Ely should have no problem switching to Alabama’s more traditional style of play.”

Why did Ely pick Alabama?

“Coach Saban is the best coach around and certainly a coach that expects a lot out of his players and that was one of the things I respected the most about him and why I loved Alabama so much. I had a lot of good options, but what the school offers as a complete package was the perfect fit for me,” Ely told Rivals.com.

Some highlights from Rivals:

37 thoughts on “Football recruiting: Ely picks Alabama”

  2. That is what ESPN said. Also what the QB recruit Sims ran last season I believe.

    Spread is an infection in high school football. You have to figure out how to look beyond the offense and see the abilities of the player. Kind of like the task of NFL scouts looking beyond the college spread.

  3. Oh, so a coach like Saban is the only one who can evaluate “spread” quarterbacks and “look beyond” the actual offense into the talents of the player ? Even though he sdoesnt run the spread ?

    I’m saying your full of dog crap on this one.

    I revert to Dan Mullin’s remark at media days about having more quarterbacks drafted in the first round than Saban.

    In fact, I would alomst bet that there have been at least as many “spread” quarterbacks drafted in the first round in the last 3 years than those that run a traditional pro-style offense.

    It’s sad the way you change everything to suit you cap. You are speaking out of your mouth and your anus at the same time.

  4. I’m just waiting for Saban to start a qb at Bama that he actually signed. Going into his 4th year at Bama, every qb that he’s started was signed by Shula.

  5. I’m not saying the guy is any good at all. I don’t know. The recruiting services believe he is.

    However, it is much more difficult to judge how a spread quarterback will do in a pro-style offense.

    And Mullen is full of it on his QB comments. Alex Smith has sucked and Tim Tebow isn’t going to be a starter in the NFL. Some great record he has going there.

  6. I know that you think Sims and Ely are the next best thing since Brody. Saban recruited them, so they have to be the best, right ?

    I am not saying they wont be good because I actually believe they ARE good. The high school spread offenses they played in do not hurt them. That is my point now, and has been my point for a couple of years now. A good quarterback is a good quarterback.

    The only reason I brought the NFL draft into was to respond to your second paragraph in post #2.

    The bottom line is that Both of those guys got drafted in the first round from recommendation of guess who ? Thats right, NFL scouts.

    Lots of pro set quarterbacks have sucked as well cap. But we are talking about potential NFL contracts of spread vs. pro set….There isnt a difference in the succes rate from an offhand look. Show me some stats to prove me wrong. Im not necessarily talking about succes n the NFL , but getting signed by recomendation of NFL scouts. There are plenty of first rounders in the past 3 -4 years from the spread.

    Its just funny the way you backpeddle when the alighty Saban does something that blows holes in all of your egos.

  7. I’m not backpeddling. I firmly believe spread offenses suck and harm the development of QBs. Period.

  8. So, your saying that Saban needs to rethink siging Sims and Ely because they are “compromised” ? Also get with the NFL scouts that are siging these spread kids.

  9. There’s plenty of pro style qb’s who have been total busts in the NFL. Anybody ever heard of Jamarcus Russell??

    BTW, who was it that signed him at LSU?

  10. Okay, work with me here:

    In college, you have time to redshirt and take snaps under center, turn your back on the defense, etc.

    The NFL is a horrible place to learn how to do that. You need to have all the tools in place to be successful in the pros.

  11. hate to agree with anything julio or bpi says but gotta go with em on this one. the only thing i dont agree with is dan mullens comment. those were urban meyers qbs not his lets see what he does as far as nfl draftees goes at mississippi state. if a high school qb runs the spread they are still learning and progressing as an overall player however it is possible that a qb that stays solely in a spread type offense from jv all the way through college he could have trouble grasping pro style sets in the nfl but ultimately if he is a talented qb he will overcome the nuances of being under center

  12. From what I remember Mullen didnt call them “his”. From what I remember it was more of a comment about him “coaching” more 1st round draft picks than Saban….And he has, Cap.

    For all we know the succuess that Alexx Smith had while running the spread was the only reason he was ever given a 1st round contract to start with. Since you consider him a bust, perhaps he really wasnt all that talented to start with, and the victories that the spread produced was directly responsible for popularity of his draft status.

    And the truth be known, him and his bank account probably dont gove a crap about the spread vs pro style arguement.

  13. I have to go with Julia and BP. I mean, look at how many NFL teams have adopted the spread offense as “their” offensive strategy and identity.

    Oh wait, that’d be none.

    The spread is a gimmick that schools less talented employ to try to create match-ups in space to give themselves a chance to win.

    When you can’t keep up and play big boy football, you have to find something that’ll get you by. Who can blame abarn?

  14. Julia and BPI: If Pat Dye was still at Auburn you wouldn’t be offended when somebody talks bad about the spread. The spread offense is not new, but right now it is a fad thing, mostly for desperate teams trying to catch up with the big dogs. The spread won’t be taking over the pro-style offense anytime soon. If you haven’t noticed, Saban is perfecting the defensive scheme to kill the spread.

  15. If Alex Smith is any kind of competitor, you can bet it eats him alive that he can’t play a pro-style offense, riches be damned.

    A big part of my enjoyment in watching UA take it all this year was the direct rebuke against all these spread-zombies who told me how Bama’s antiquated style of offense didn’t stand a chance. Heh.

  16. ITK…..Your taking what I said out of context to fit your arguement, as usual.

    I didnt say that the spread offense was better than the pro set. I personally like the power I, line em up and see if you can stop us mentality and then go play action pass. Previous posts back that up, although I am not 100% anti spread offense either.

    THe arguement I am making is what I am speaking with cap about. A high school quarterback is not damned to a division 2A college because he ran the spread offense in high school. The fact that your own coach has recruited spread option quarterbacks in back to back years supports my theory.Your either a talented quarterback, or your not. But, I guess you know more than Nick Saban, right ?

    Also, it doesnt damn a college quarterback from being picked early in the draft, as recent drafts show this fact as well. Tim Tebow, Alex Smith, Sam Bradford ( yes I know he was under center a lot), Pat White, etc. are all making a lot of money , and all came from spread offenses. Time will tell if Tebow will be succesful or not.

    As far as the spread in the pro’s go, you do see spread sets implemented more in the pro’s in the form of “wildcat” packages. No, its not going to sweep the NFL, but they will do anything to get an advantage.

    The arguement is not about the spread in the NFL, it is about the chances of spread quarterbacks making it to the next level. To argue the facts is typical from all of you, but really, is kind of ignorant.

  17. Fine. Show me a true spread QB who never took a snap from center in college, never turned his back on the defense, never ran a play-action… and SUCCEEDED in the NFL. Drew Brees did run spread plays at Purdue, but he still took snaps from center (necessity in the B10). I believe he was a 3rd rounder anyway, due to his height. Scouts have seen enough pro-style plays from Sam Bradford to know he can function that way. If he’d done nothing but stand in the shotgun, there is no way he’d have been the 1st pick.

    Tebow is a seat-stuffer. His throwing motion is horrible. His footwork is crap. His pick can be justified only in the sense that NFL teams occasionally make horrific mistakes. I sincerely hope I’m wrong because I respect the guy, but he hasn’t been developed for the NFL, not near.

  18. BP: I would take Bama’s committed QBs over Auburns anyday, and so would a majority of other schools right now, including Auburn.

  19. I get your point. All’s Im saying is the NFL scouts and Nick Saban see something that pro-set homer’s do not.

    And I think I will take there opinion over someone like ITK and Cap any day.

  20. And brandi. I could not care less what you would take.

    I wish you would take a hike. You shine worse than a 6 year old girl. ( I apologize to 6 year old girls everywhere)

  21. As I recall, cap referred to the spread as an “infection”, not an “incurable disease”. And nowhere did he say that Saban’s “the only one” who can remedy it. You’re throwing out some strawmen here.

  22. And BP, do you really really think that anyone here besides your bride julia gives a sh!t what you think? And whenever you want to man up and make me leave, you are welcome to try. It would be embarrassing for you to get your ass kicked by a six year old girl. But you are fun to pick on, and since you are here, you most certainly deserve it.

  25. Its about time you fixed that sandwich. And no, I aint skeered so quit acting like your all that. It only makes you look stupid(er).

  26. Come take a bite of it and see if you like it. It’s Tiger meat marinated in Aubie tears, just the way you like it.

  29. I hated to go there, but it was lobbed right over the plate. Just couldnt help myself.

    I swear when I get on this board, the testosterone gets going and I act like I’m ( that’s for you ITK) 19 again…

    In a sick kind of way, it makes you feel young again. Not that I’m ( that’s for you again ITK) that old.

  30. Saban makes his money by destroying hyped quarterbacks, not developing them. With that said, no one works in a vaccum. Belichick ran the Pats offense last season. Saban, like Belichick, could be a good offensive coordinator because he knows what works.

    Regardless, for ever QB that Coach Mullen, notice I spelled his name correctly and did not play with my balls while typing, has put in the first round; Saban embarrassed twice as many last season alone.

    Tebow, McCoy, Snead and Mallet were all hype machines. Saban and Bama shut them all down. Who cares that Mullen got Alex Smith drafted? The Yorks can’t run the 49ers without Bill Walsh or DeBartalo buying free agents. The 49ers have sucked and Smith is just one more reason why.

    So, you Barner Phucks need to find a new reason to dis Saban. You’re way off base in fact and reason and neither one of you make a point. As for your arguments, you’re both about as flacid as a row of old men watching Vanna White turn letters right before bedtime at the local nursing home.

    Phuck Auburn.

  31. The quarterbacks coming out of high school care. And, no one said they wouldnt choose Bama, I was making a point about the D.A. fans that are on the spread q.b.s cant succeed on the next level bandwagon. It really had nothing to do with Saban. I think he is a great coach.

  32. I don’t know what kind of weird sick sh!t you and Julia are into Ballplay, but leave me out of it. But like I thought, you wanted your sammich, but you are too scared to come get it. And then you show your true homosexual colors. I knew there was something strange about you, now we know. You need to keep your tendencies under control.

  33. Believe it son, I am not , nor will I ever be afraid of an internet messageboard poster. Your the one obseesed with “meat”…

  34. Hey you are the one who wants a sandwich. And you were the one who got mad when someone insulted your bride julia and was talking big and bad. But I aint your son. Right now I am yo daddy, boy.

  36. Brandi. You whine like a female. Let it go. It is not personal. You are truly begining to concern me with your behavior. It makes me think that I may really have to kick your ass on my front doorstep one day.

    Being the bigger man than you , I will no longer poke the stick at you. You are starting to creep me out.

  37. Dang BP, don’t be poking no stick at me. You are the weirdo, poking sticks and wanting sammiches. But I appreciate your concern, don’t worry, I could care less about where you live. You are not really as significant as you think. As an Auburn fan you should know that already.

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