Alabama recruiting predictions

Reading the tea leaves at this stage of the game is extraordinarily difficult. If the CIA can’t get readings right on weapons of mass destruction, how can we reliably predict where an 18-year-old will ink on signing day?

However, that won’t stop us from making predictions about a few of the top prospects. Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Rueben Randle
Rueben Randle is going to LSU. You can’t compete with an internship working in state government. When the power of the governor’s office is used in recruiting, Tuscaloosa just can’t compete. I guess the Tide could offer an internship at Bryce Hospital, but that just doesn’t seem like much fun. Louisiana politics on the other hand is all fun. Corruption. Alcohol. Corruption. Gumbo. Did I mention corruption? Randle lands in Baton Rouge for a host of reasons, but proximity is likely a determinative factor here. Plus, getting to play for the buffoon Les Miles. While a mental midget, Miles is a comedic giant who takes buffoonery to the highest level (see his handling of the QB situation in 2008.) But seriously, proximity is a good bet here.

Brandon Moore
Brandon Moore is keeping everyone guessing until National Signing Day. Alabama clearly needs help in the pass rush department and Moore just might be an answer in the 2009 recruiting class. There are two interesting battles between Nick Saban and Urban Meyer in this year’s recruiting war, Moore and Trent Richardson. Watching these two could tell us how future SEC Championship games unfold. In the case of Moore, it is a long way from Montgomery to Gainesville. When a race looks close, bet on proximity. It doesn’t always win, but it tends to be the best predictor.

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Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson has committed to Alabama. The chatter has been wild over the last few weeks, and it has fans concerned. Florida was going to overtake Alabama. LSU was going to overtake Alabama—I guess LSU ran out of internships in the state capitol because it looks to be a race between Alabama and Florida. A battle between Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. Meyer has invested considerable effort to land Richardson. You can call it Meyer’s post-Tebow survival plan. However, Richardson’s relationship with the Alabama program and players should prove enough to hold Richardson in the Alabama fold.

Tana Patrick
Lane Kiffin entered the SEC and immediately started talking about all the negative recruiting in the conference. He didn’t mention the new Volunteer staff was creating most of it. Fans concerned about negative recruiting from LSU and Florida instead should focus their anger on Knoxville. This recruiting season is shaping up to be one of the nastiest in recent memory. UT and its surrogates are pushing every rumor and innuendo in an attempt to lure players like Tana Patrick from Alabama. It likely won’t work this year on Patrick. He’s developed relationships with Tide players and looks headed for Tuscaloosa. Tip to Kiffin for next year: invent better smears if you want even a slim chance to beat Nick Saban, Mark Richt, Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier.