While this year’s college football season reaches its climax with bowls, the future of college football is on display in practices leading up to the Army All-American Bowl. The gamefeatures some of the best high school recruits in the country. Rivals and Scout are both on the scene, and Rivals posted this video of Alabama [...]
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Recruiting: Reuben Randle talks Tide, LSU
Recruiting season is about to explode into focus as the bowl season nears its January conclusion. One name everyone is watching is Reuben Randle. Randle is rumored to favor LSU or Alabama. You can see Randle address those rumors and talk about playing with a receiver like Julio Jones in this Rival’s video embedded below. [...]
Recruiting: Atchison not meeting with Florida
Recent Alabama commitment Jonathan Atchison, 6’3″, 212 lbs., of Douglas, GA., reportedly won’t meet with Florida. The AJC reported Sunday evening a meeting between Florida’s Charlie Strong and Atchison was “doubtful.” On the topic of recruiting, I’ll get a rundown on recruiting soon now that the season has ended. Advertisement: Story continues below
Report: Tide will sign close to full amount
Rivals.com’s Alabama site reported that the Crimson Tide football team would likely follow its 32 player class last season by signing “close to the full amount again in 2009.” The report did not give a specific number Alabama is targeting, but does give a run down on the current commitments and the Tide’s needs by [...]
Monday news & notes (including recruiting)
By Michael Hicks Tide controls its BCS destiny The first BCS rankings came out Sunday and Alabama is sitting pretty at No.2. All the Crimson Tide must do is keep winning and the Tide will be playing in the BCS championship game January 8th. (You can read how the Tide ranks in the BCS here [...]
Bama lands top Georgia WR
Alabama landed a player the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “arguably the state’s top prospect at wide receiver,” when Michael Bowman committed Sunday evening. Bowman wanted to play for Georgia, but got tired of waiting on a scholarship offer. Bowman has not yet met academic qualifications, but expects that he will. Bowman said he is choosing Alabama [...]
Tide lands mega commitment
I’ve decided that I’m going to rewrite Cicero who famously said the sinews of war are limitless money—in the revised version, the sinews of a football team are five-star recruits. Going into war without the resources to win it would be folly. It is not a perfect rewrite, but you’ve got to have talent to [...]
ESPN deal good for recruiting
Sure the ESPN deal means big money for the SEC member schools; however, the really important news is the increased exposure for the schools. None other than the recruiting maestro Nick Saban said the reason the SEC has been successful is due to the tremendous exposure through its national television games on CBS and ESPN. [...]
Recruiting: Profile of Trent Richardson
The Pensacola News Journal has a long profile and some video of Escambia star recruit Trent Richardson. Richardson is a highly desired back with a verbal commitment to Alabama, but holds offers from just about every major program. Comparison to Emmitt Escambia High coach Jimmy Nichols has a unique perspective to evaluate Richardson’s abilities against [...]
Auburn fans exhale
The stiff breeze from the southeast isn’t that hurricane swirling in the Gulf of Mexico. No, that stiff breeze was the collective exhalation of the Auburn nation. They finally landed a recruit that Nick Saban offered a scholarship. I know. Hard to believe. Is it the start of a trend? Advertisement: Story continues below Probably [...]
Tide recruits soaring on Rivals
Alabama commitments Trent Richardson and AJ McCarron moved up on Rivals.com list of the Top 100 players. Richardson is now a five-star recruit and ranked #11 in the nation. Rivals explained the move: Richardson, who has committed to Alabama, was very light on his feet at “Friday Night Lights” in Gainesville, Fla. He had a [...]
Rivals: Tide lands lucky 13
Clarksdale, Mississippi offensive lineman Anthony Steen committed, according to Rival’s Bamaonline.com. Steen is a three-star lineman weighing 297 lbs., and coming in at 6’4″. He was being recruited by FSU, Miami, and Southern Miss. He was drawing heavy interest from the Hurricanes. Steen is a member of the ESPN 150 Watch List, Crimson Confidential reported. [...]
D-lineman Anthony Orr commits
Alabama landed another defensive line verbal Tuesday as Sparkman’s three-star Anthony Orr pledged to sign with the Tide, according to multiple media reports. Orr is reportedly 6’5″ 260-pounds, and picked the Tide over Auburn, Clemson, Miss State, South Carolina and Tennessee. He is listed as a three-star by Rivals and Scout. Alabama has also notched [...]
T’News: Alabama’s Most Wanted
Just how big is recruiting? You’ve got more and more websites and mainstream media outlets talking about it—year round. The Tuscaloosa News has provided some great video and print content. Here is some of the video on the state’s most wanted high school players. Breaking down the state’s best CECIL HURT: With recruiting, there’s no [...]
The Numbers Game
Rivals.com examines Ivan Matchett’s qualification for enrollment, and how it impacts the scholarship numbers for UA. Matchett brings the total Alabama players signed in the last class and enrolled in summer programs to 25. As you probably know that is the limit for new scholarship players. However, as we’ve warned for months, we expect one [...]
Tide hunting linebackers
Tide looking to recruiting for help at linebacker Alabama landed a good crop of players in the 2008 class, and is poised to haul in another impressive group in 2009. Of special concern will be linebacker, where the Tide needs help. Andrew Bone covers the top Alabama targets at that position. Nico Johnson, Scout.com five-star [...]
Richardson ‘strongly’ committed
Scuttlebutt last week had standout Trent Richardson’s commitment to Alabama being weak. But Richardson told Bama Online that he is strongly committed to the Tide despite the fact he will take visits to other schools. Advertisement: Story continues below Richardson pointed to his close relationship with Alabama commitment AJ McCarron, and Alabama players Julio Jones [...]
Recruiting items to start the week
Rivals.com reports A.J. McCarron impressed in Las Vegas Elite 11. “He is a national player, and Alabama definitely did get itself a good quarterback,†Jeremy Crabtree said on Rivals video. You can watch some highlights of McCarron making throws. McCarron is ranked a four star by Rivals, and the sixth best quarterback in the class. [...]
Hypocrite: Luginbill
Paul Finebaum’s Saturday column provided details about Tom Luginbill’s recruiting analysis, and why the ESPN analyst ranked the Tide’s class #3 when everyone else placed the Tide at the top. “I don’t want to get into an ‘I told you so’ type of situation,” Luginbill said. “In our opinion, what you do in February with [...]
Scholarship numbers still changing
As Nick Saban has said, and we’ve repeated, scholarship numbers work themselves out. Here’s the latest. Cornerback Lionel Mitchell was placed on medical scholarship due to a back injury, according to media reports. Ian Rapoport helpfully updates the on scholarship count—it is now 64. Advertisement: Story continues below Saban’s meeting with the local press today [...]
Saban will win Mobile
No matter how many recruits Auburn signs in Mobile, Alabama will win the Mobile area. Saban has so totally dominated in-state recruiting, that he is now able to take only the cream of the crop, while Auburn must find quantity instead of quality. From today’s Mobile Press-Register Mike Herndon column: “Nick was new and everybody [...]
ESPN: Richardson good RB and humble
ESPN’s recruiting experts have a profile up of Alabama’s recent RB commitment Trent Richardson (Escambia High School of Pensacola, FL). Richardson talks about football and his family. “We as a family never had much growing up,” Richardson said. “My mom [Katrina] always told me when you get an opportunity in life to take it and [...]
23 signees enrolled at UA
23 signees enrolled for summer Twenty-three of Alabama’s #1 signing class are already enrolled at UA. These 23 are set for summer term classes. But there remains a tight squeeze with the numbers. Additional players could enroll next term, Saban told the Montgomery Advertiser. So far, six players from the signing class will delay enrollment [...]
Recruiting wisdom
‘Proof of Trotsky’s far-sightedness is that none of his predictions have come true yet.’ Phillip Marshall must have flunked logic in school. Honestly, could his arguments be any worse? Take this commentary on recruiting: Some are rated highly by recruiting services and some aren’t, but all were high on Auburn’s list. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have [...]
Trent Richardson commits
Trent Richardson committed to Alabama Monday. And he’s thinking like any Alabama fan. “I think with the (recruiting) class Alabama just had, we can go ahead and win a national championship by my freshman year,” Richarsdon told the Pensacola News Journal. Advertisement: Story continues below How good is Richardson? He’s a four star recruit in [...]
More criticism of ‘Saban Rule’
Another coach has joined the growing chorus of complaints about the ‘Saban Rule’. WVU coach Bill Stewart thinks the new rule stinks, according to WVGazette.com. The purpose of the rule was to punish hard-working, well-known coaches like Nick Saban or Pete Carroll. The result was to hurt lower profile coaches too. It’s one thing if [...]
Report: Alonzo Lawrence cleared
Bamaonline.com reported Alonzo Lawrence has been cleared academically. Lawrence plans to enroll as early as June for the summer term pending approval of the NCAA clearinghouse. Lawrence, a four-star cornerback prospect, had his ACT score flagged and had been awaiting verification. In fact, Jones had been told Lawrence’s earliest possible enrollment at UA would be [...]
Report:SEC coaches FAVOR early signing
UPDATE: MAJORITY NOW FAVORS EARLY SIGNING PERIOD UPDATE:Read an entire story on the early signing period at end of this article. SEC coaches are split on an early signing period. Phil Fulmer and Nick Saban favor the mid-December signing period. Saban advocates the position because it means less time worrying over players who already have [...]
Report: Lewis to Hargrave
Bamaonline.com reported Alabama signee Brandon Lewis is headed to Hargrave. “I missed my ACT score by one point so I will be going to Hargrave this fall,” said Pleasant Grove defensive lineman Brandon Lewis. “The problem was that my ACT score jumped up too much between the first time and second time I took it [...]
Gas prices could limit recruiting travel
Analyst Tom Lemming has predicted high gas prices could deter prospects from taking visits. Lemming was quoted by WholeHogSports.com talking about the impact gas prices. CBS College Sports national football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming believes the high cost of fuel will limit the amount of travel for kids “because a lot of these players come [...]
What will Paul Finebaum’s move mean to Alabama, Auburn?
One has to wonder what the Alabama – Auburn rivalry would have been over the last 30 years without Paul [...]