24 hours have passed and it is back to work for Nick Saban. The Dead Period of recruiting ended Wednesday night at midnight and it is a full court press until National Signing Day (NSD) on February 3.
Part I: the Committed Update:
The following young men have enrolled at the Capstone:
- Charles Baldwin (ASA College, Brooklyn, NY [originally from Connecticut]) OT 6-5/315 - signed scholly papers.
- Jonah Williams (Folsom HS, CA) OT 6-5/296
- Chris Owens (Lamar HS, Arlington, TX) OG 6-2.5/312
- Jalen Hurts (Channelview HS, TX) DUAL QB 6-2/208
- Miller Forristall (Cartersville HS, GA) TE 6-5/220
- T.J. Simmons (Clay-Chalkville HS, Pinson, AL) WR 6-2/180
- Shawn Jennings (Dadeville HS, AL) ATH 6-2/218
Part II: In-State Prospects Top 5 update
- Ben Davis (Gordo HS, AL) ILB 6-3/240 - Official visit to Bama Jan. 29.
- Lyndell Wilson (Carver HS, Montgomery, AL) OLB 6-2/220 - Official visit to Bama Jan. 22.
- Marlon Davidson (Greenville HS, Montgomery, AL) SDE 6-4/260 - Early enrolled at Auburn.
- Deonte Brown (Austin HS, Decatur, AL) OG 6-3/350 - Solid Alabama commit.
- Quinnen Williams (Wenonah Sch, Birmingham, AL) DT 6-4/265 - Solid Alabama commit; Official visit to Bama Jan.15.
Part III: Official Visits
Friday, Jan 15 is the first of three huge weekends for hosting official visitors for recruitment. Below is the unofficial list of blue-chippers ascending on Tuscaloosa this weekend:
- Jack Jones (Long Beach Poly, CA) ATH 5-11/164, 4-star - Bama offered this cornerback/wide receiver/kick returner back in December but it may have been too late. He is an electric athlete who lit it up at the US Army All-American Game (8 tackles, INT). List: SoCal, UCLA, Bama, TAMU. Prediction: Southern Cal.
- A.J. Brown (Starkville, MS) 6-1/220, 4-star - Brown took two unofficial trips to T-town this fall, so there appears to be some interest. However, the visits were for games against Ole Miss and Miss St. List: MSU, OM, Bama, Cal. Prediction: Clanga-clang.
- Kendell Jones (Shoemaker HS, Killeen, TX) DT 6-5/375, 4-star - Solid commit to Alabama. Should see time as a freshman. Prediction: sticking with the Tide.
- Trevon Diggs (The Avalon School, Bethesda, MD) ATH 6-0/183, 4-star - Committed to Bama. 4.45 speed who can play WR or DB. Brother of former Maryland & current Vikings WR Stefon Diggs. May need to hit the books to qualify. Prediction: Bama, if he qualifies.
- Keith Gavin (Wakulla HS, Crawfordville, FL) WR 6-3/211, 4-star - FSU and Alabama look like they are neck and neck for Gavin. Prediction: Too close to tell.
- Jared Mayden (Sachse, TX) CB 6-1/190, 4-star - Runs a blistering 4.36 in the 40. Decommitted from Oregon last week after the Ducks' DC was demoted. Looking at Bama, LSU, maybe FSU & Okie. Prediction: Too soon to know.
- Mykel Jones (Patterson, LA) WR 6-0/180, 4-star - Same high school as Alabama freshman Daylon Charlot. List: Bama, OM, Tenn, LSU. Prediction: I'm kinda feel Crimson & White.
- Quinnen Williams (Wenonah Sch, Birmingham, AL) DT 6-4/265, 4-star - Solid commit to the Tide. Needs some improvement but an excellent prospect to mold into a star. Prediction: Bama
- Nick Eubanks (American Heritage, Fort Lauderdale, FL) TE 6-6/230, 3/4-star - Bama needs tight ends but already have two commited. List: Bama, Fla, So Cal with LSU, Ore. Prediction: Florida, unless the guy below decommits.
- Brendan Scales (Lafayette, Ballwin, MO) TE 6-4/230, 3-star - Committed to the Tide. Miller Forristall is already enrolled. Would Bama really take three tight ends??? See above. Prediction: ?
- Amir Rasul (Coral Gables Senior, Miami, FL) RB 5-10/200, 4-star - Committed to FSU, but may be a soft verbal. Or he is just sight-seeing? Visiting Bama, UNC, So Cal. Prediction: Nothing to see here. FSU.
- Vosean Joseph (Norland, Miami, FL) OLB 6-2/210, 3-star - Florida commit but looking around. I honestly hope he stick with the Gators, because I am not crazy about him. Prediction: Florida.
- Prediction: Georgia.
- Prediction: Florida State.
- Prediction: I don't know much about Sci, but I think he stinks with the Frogs.
- UPDATE: LSU commit Drake Davis is in Tuscaloosa for an OV. The 4-star wide receiver attended IMG
FactoryAcademy (Bradenton, FL) this past season, though he is from Baton Rouge. He made his verbal pledge at Under Armour Game two weeks ago. Prediction: LSU. - SUNDAY UPDATE: A few reports stating that Raekwon Davis has flipped to Mississippi State have blown up on MSU-related social media. Most of the reports seem to be based on Davis' retweets. However, other sources say he has not rescinded his pledge to Alabama as of yet. The 4-star DT is scheduled to visit Bama on Jan. 29. Stay tuned...
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SUNDAY UPDATE: This has been an odd recruiting season for the Tide. The National Champs did not get any new commitments over the weekend, which is a tiny bit surprising. I figured they might get at least one. Many of these prospects are taking three weekend visits to their final three and then they will decide. This is going to be one wild and crazy NSD.
Jan. 22:
Next weekend is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend with 5-stars Lyndell Wilson, Demetris Robertson, Mique Juarez, and Mecole Hardman all heading to Tuscaloosa. The Tide will also be hosting more than a dozen 4-star prospects.
Other News:
- Momentum for 5-star OLB Mique Juarez is picking up. The L.A.-area resident is looking at UCLA and visited Ole Miss in November with plans to visit Tuscaloosa on Jan. 22. Tosh Lupoi is lead recruiter.
- Give Lupoi credit for coaxing a visit out of Southern Cal commit Tyler Vaughns as well. The top rated receiver will visit next weekend.
- One of the top junior-college prospects, Jonathan Kongbo, decommitted from Tennessee last week though he is still considering the Vols. The 6-foot-5, 264-pound defensive end from Arizona Western College (same juco Jesse Williams went to) by way of Surrey, British Columbia, will visit Alabama during the weekend of Jan. 22 but don't get your hopes up.
- Elberton, GA native
Recruiting Schedule:
January 14: Contact Period
January 31: Quiet Period
February 1: Dead Period until NSD.
February 3: NSD!
For the full recruiting calendar and definitions of the individual periods, take a lookie here.