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January 15 marks the end of a recruiting dead period that prevents coaches from contacting recruits. From then until National Signing Day on February 5, coaches will be scrambling to round out their 2014 classes.
Nick Saban and staff are putting the finishing touches on what looks to again be the nation's #1 class.
The Crimson Tide has 24 commitments with D.J. Pettway not counting towards this class. Therefore, two scholarships remain for two lucky young men. Additionally, there are possibilities of flipping and academic casualties. Until the first Wednesday in February rolls around, verbal commitments are just that: verbal and non-binding.
Here for your reading pleasure is a rundown of the early enrollees. Since they are on campus and taking classes, they are basically locked in to Alabama recruiting class of 2014. Set your eyes for GUMP FACTOR 10.
Chilling in the dorm
— Cameron Sims (@CS1_ERA) January 8, 2014
Already love my roommates! @_sdh7 @JustDoIt_TB
— DC (@DavidCornwell5) January 8, 2014
Tha class I'm right now has about 380 people in it 😳
— Cameron D. Robinson (@crobinson_68) January 9, 2014
Something never change. Amiright?
ENROLLED:
Cameron Robinson OT (6-6/320) West Monroe, LA - CamRob is the cream of this crop. He is a consensus 5-star and generally regarded as the top offensive linemen in the country. He has a very good shot at being a starter in 2014 - even if that means displacing a returning starter.
Tony Brown CB (6-0/182) Beaumont, TX (Ozen) - Brown is a fantastic athlete who excels at both man and zone coverage. He should see early playing time. This 5-star is ranked as the #1 player in the Lone Star state (Troll Tide!). BTW, when there were reports that Saban was in Texas in December, this is why.
David Cornwell QB (6-5/235) Norman, OK - Could this be the quarterback of the future? There hasn't been this much excitement around an incoming QB since... well, AJ McCarron. He moves very well for a player of his size and shows good feet in the pocket. He has a very strong arm and already has shown leadership skills in his recruiting of others.
Laurence Jones S (6-2/210) Monroe, LA (Neville) - Committed and then de-committed, Jones is back on board with the Tide. He is a physical safety who hits like a linebacker. He has good instincts and great ball skills. Look for him to excel in blitzing, something that seemed lacking in 2013.
Cameron Sims WR (6-4/208) Monroe, LA (Ouachita Parish) - Yes, you read that right. Sims is a 6-4 receiver and runs like a deer. His long frame allows him to stretch the field and catch the ball in traffic. He had 3 catches in the Under Armour All-America Game for 49 yards.
Shaun Dion Hamilton LB (6-0/241) Montgomery, AL (Carver) - Hamilton has great cover skills for a young man of his size. He is smart in the classroom (3.65 GPA) and it translates to the football field.
D.J. Pettway DE (6-3/255) East Mississippi C.C. (Signed LOI) - Whatever side of the fence you are on with Pettway returning to the team, know that he will be a big help to the defensive line rotation. He led EMCC to the Junior College national championship with 47 total tackles, 11 1/2 sacks, seven tackles for loss and a forced fumble this fall.
Jarran Reed DT (6-4/305) East Mississippi C.C. (Signed LOI) - Pettway's partner on the EMCC defensive line had 66 tackles (41 solo, 25 assists) and 3.5 sacks in the championship campaign.
You have likely already seen this video but here again is Reed (#90) and Pettway (#88) in the semifinals:
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RECRUITING NEWS:
The strange journey of Jalen Tabor has taken another twist as he flipped from Arizona to Florida on Thursday. Originally a hometown Maryland lean, Alabama quickly became a strong contender for his signature. Then he surprised everyone at the Under Armour Game by verbally committing to Arizona where his HS teammate and BFF had committed. Now, he is headed to Gainesville. I suspect that the announcements by Gators cornerbacks Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson that they were leaving early for the NFL Draft had something to do with it. This may not be over...
Update on Marlon Humphrey:
Hoover CB Marlon Humphrey cancels trip, set to visit Florida State | AL.com
Humphrey's father, former Alabama great Bobby Humphrey, told the site that his son will no longer be traveling to Iceland for the track event and will instead visit Florida State on the weekend of January 17. Humphrey will take his official visit to Alabama, his other finalist, on the weekend of January 24. Humphrey also plans to visit Mississippi State on January 26 and UCLA on January 31, but has stated publicly that Alabama and Florida State are his two co-leaders.