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National Signing Day (NSD) arrives on Wednesday, February 3. Verbal commitments become official commitments when the Letter of Intent (LOI) is signed and faxed to the school of the player's choice. A recruit does not HAVE to sign on Wednesday but classes fill up and there are not many teams that want to hold a scholarship for a guy who may not join their team.
The way this recruiting season has gone so far, expect to see some wackiness ensue in the next several days.
BAMA NUMBER CRUNCH
The Crimson Tides has 18 committed including greyshirt Christian Bell. Thanks to Houston Nutt signing 37 players at Ole Miss in 2009, the SEC adopted a signing cap that limits teams to taking 25 football recruits per year. However, there is allowed some give in that number. Last year Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina all signed more than 25, topped out by the Gamecocks at 30. Tennessee signed 31 in 2014 and UGA took 33 in 2013.
What those loose rules are is a bit nebulous as student records are not made public. Thus, only a small handful of family members and administrators truly know who is on scholarship, leaving fans to speculate.
With close to 19 scholarship seniors leaving, along with the departures of juniors A'Shawn Robinson (NFL), Derrick Henry (NFL), Chris Black (transfer), and Alec Morris (transfer), it is unknown how many the Tide can sign this year. Last year, Bama lost signees Desherrius Flowers and Jonathan Taylor over the summer but they picked up Oregon State grad-transfer Richard Mullaney, juco Derrick Gore, and freshman Xavian Marks some time after. And then there is back-counting to muddle things further. What class Bo Scarbrough counted towards is still a mystery. He may have actually back-counted against himself, 2015 to 2014, leaving another opening to back-count to 2015. Confused?
[SIDE NOTE: Desherrius Flowers will not be eligible to transfer to an FBS school until the next cycle. He is currently at Jones JC in Mississippi.]
ENROLLED
Seven freshmen and a junior are already enrolled and can participate in spring practice:
Early Enrolled (8):
Charles Baldwin OL 5 stars - Juco with two years eligibility. Possible starter at RT. Originally from Connecticut.
Jonah Williams OL 5 stars - From Folsom, CA outside Sacramento but originally from the Atlanta area.
Jalen Hurts QB 4 stars - #1 QB in the state of Texas. Top 5 dual-threat in the nation.
Chris Owens OL 4 stars - 4th ranked offensive guard and the 25th ranked player from the state of Texas.
T.J. Simmons WR 3 stars - big (6'2"/192), physical receiver runs very good routes and has a knack for making the tough catch or big play when his team needs it the most. May remind some of Kevin Norwood.
Miller Forristall TE 3 stars - Good height at 6'6" but will need to put some meat on his 220 lbs bones. Possible H-back.
Shawn Jennings DB 3 stars - Did not play his senior season because of a September knee injury which required surgery. Brother of Bama LB Anfernee Jennings.
Christian Bell DE 3 stars - greyshirt LB from Hoover.
Bama fans will get their first glimpse of these players at the A-Day Spring Football Game held on Saturday, April 16 at 1pm CT.
COMMITTED
The following are verbally committed and expected to sign with the Crimson Tide:
Committed (10):
B.J. Emmons RB 4 stars - The #1 rated RB. Needs to retake the ACT to qualify. He will have some more chances to achieve the necessary score. Make yourself comfortable. This may take awhile. [I know what the reports are saying but I am holding out hope.]
NEW! Nigel Knott CB 4-stars - A speed demon and phenomenal athlete out of Mississippi committed on Monday.
Quinnen Williams DT 4 stars - Made a big impression at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game and practices. His brother Giovanni Williams may walk-on at Bama.
Trevon Diggs ATH 4 stars - Safety is his likely position. Brother of Vikings All-Rookie WR Stefon Diggs.
Raekwon Davis DT 4 stars - US Army All-American game participant. Has confirmed pledged to Alabama after a flirtation with Mississippi State. Will he stick with the Tide?
Kendell Jones DT 4 stars - Nicknamed "The Hulk", he is 6'5" 375 pounds with no belly!
Deonte Brown OL 3/4 stars - Under Armour All-America participant.
Tyler Simmons WR 3 stars - Maybe the biggest sleeper of this class. Visited Miami this past weekend and Bama coaches were none too pleased.
Brendan Scales TE 3 stars - From Missouri, committed during last year's A-Day.
Joshua Perry DB 3 stars - Louisiana safety can also play corner.
NEW GUY
Alabama received a video commitment from 4-star Nigel Knott on Monday. He produced a prerecorded two minute video of himself announcing for the Crimson Tide. You can see it here.
After tonight..finally I can sleep a lil longer, Walk a lil taller, and think more clearly. It's like I'm rolling with the tide . #UA20 ❤️
— Nigel Knott© (@nigelk09) February 2, 2016
WHO NEEDS WHO MORE?
3-star receiver Tyler Simmons committed to Alabama back on January 2 and took an OV to Tuscaloosa on Jan. 22. However, he has continued to listen to overtures from Georgia and took an OV to Miami this past weekend. AS mentioned, the Bama staff is not happy. Don't be surprised if he signs somewhere else and the Tide does not fight to keep him.
TARGETS:
ATHLETE
THE WAIT: Demetris Robertson (Savannah, GA) This 5-star will not sign on NSD. Who is willing to hold a scholly for him and risk not getting him? He is slated to visit Georgia this coming weekend, and there is talk of a possible trip to either Stanford or Alabama. A couple of things might be going on here: 1) He is genuinely torn; 2) He is trying to get a better SAT/ACT score; 3) He is looking for attention.
NOPE: Mecole Hardman (Elbert County) Speaking of looking for attention, this 5-star thinks he is being cute by naming Alabama the favorite a few weeks back when he knew he would sign with Georgia. I guess he wants to "shock the world" at his press conference.
SECONDARY
TRENDING: Shyheim Carter (Kentwood, LA) CB 6'0"/190, 4-star - Looking like Alabama
50-50: Jared Mayden (Sachse, Texas) CB 6'0"/199, 4 stars - Deciding between Alabama and Oklahoma.
NOT LIKELY: Nigel Warrior (Suwanee, GA) 4-star safety may be a Tennessee lean.
WIDE RECEIVER
NADA: Mykel Jones looked like a Bama lean for a long time but now Oklahoma is the more likely landing spot for him. Ahmmon Richards probably to Miami, A.J. Brown to Ole Miss or Miss State.
OFFENSIVE LINE
TRENDING: Scott Lashley (West Point, MS) OT 6-6/300, 4-star - Could the Tide be picking up some Mississippi momentum? Buzz around the interwebz is that Alabama has picked up steam with him over Miss State. He was scheduled to announce today but due to bad weather and school letting out early, he will release a video later today instead. UPDATE: He committed to the Tide.
TIGHT END: Irvin Smith (Brother Martin, New Orleans, LA) TE 6-4/230 3-star - decommited from Texas A&M in January. Looking at Bama & Texas.
NOPE: 4-star OT Landon Dickerson (Hudson, NC) likely signs with FSU.
DEFENSIVE LINE
85%: Terrell Hall (St. John's College HS, Washington, DC) WkDE 6-5 250, high 4-star - It's looking good for Bama but it's not over yet.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, HUH? Jamar King (Mendocino CC, Ukiah, CA) SDE 6-5 285, 3-star - It looked like this juco was heading to Northern Arizona before Bama plucked him out of obscurity.
HOMER: Jeffery Simmons (Noxubee County, Macon, MS) SDE 6-3.5 277, 4/5-star - He likely stays in state.
NOT: Michail Carter (UGA), Kobe Jones (Miss St).
LINEBACKER U.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Ben Davis (Gordo, AL) 6'4"/236, 5 stars - Gamechanger 1 and Lyndell Wilson (Carver, Montgomery, AL) 6'1"/235, 5 stars - Gamechanger 2.
LEFT COAST: Mique Juarez (North High School, Torrance, CA) OLB 6-1.5/231, 5-star - The Tide did a great job recruiting him but T-town might be too far.
BEING CLOSE TO MAMA MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING: Dontavious Jackson and Jeffrey McCulloch both from Houston will be Longhorns.
RUNNING BACK
TRENDING: Joshua Jacobs (McLain HS, Tulsa, Oklahoma) 5'10"/200, high 3 stars - The unconfirmed buzz going around is that Okie might be out and it's down to Bama or Mizzou. Read this article to learn more about Jacobs.
WAVERING? D'Vaughn Pennamon (Manvel, TX) APB 5-11 220, 3/4-star - Ole Miss commit was supposed to officially announce on Monday... and then Tuesday morning. Is something in the works?
WHAT HAPPENED HERE? Robert Washington (Mount Holly, NC) high 3 stars - appears to be trending towards... Charlotte?
WILDCARD? Alabama WILL find another running back. I'm just not sure who. Maybe Denzel Mitchell out of Hamilton, AL?
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK: 3-star Mitchell Wasson of Marietta, GA (Lassiter) has been offered preferred walk-on status. The placekicker was in Tuscaloosa this past weekend. He is also considering w/o offers from Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi State plus a full scholly offer from Army.
P: Bailey Raborn is one of the nation's top punters. He is from St. Thomas More School in Lafayette, LA and is brother of back-up Bama kicker Gunnar Raborn. He had a full offer from UCLA but decommitted in November. Northwestern State has also offered but he might be an LSU lean. He too has been offered a preferred walk-on by the Crimson Tide .
LS: Long snapper Scott Meyer has committed to walk-on at Alabama. He is a 6-1/210 lineman from Roswell, GA (Blessed Trinity Catholic). Bama's current long snapper Cole Mazza is a rising senior.
ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE
Below is a tentative list of uncommitted recruits who have Alabama as a finalist (all times CT). In Bold is the favorite:
7am, Nigel Warrior, 4-star SAF, Suwanee, Ga. (Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, LSU)
7:15am, Mecole Hardman, 5-star ATH, Elberton, Ga. (Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, others)
8am, Michail Carter, 4-star DL, Jackson, Ga. (Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech)
8am, Mykel Jones, 4-star WR, Patterson, La. (Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee)
8am, Shyheim Carter, 4-star DB, Kentwood, La. (Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami)
8am, Tyler Simmons, 3-star WR, Powder Springs, Ga. (Alabama, Georgia, Miami)
8am,- Joshua Jacobs, 3-star RB, Tulsa, Okla. (Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri)
8:15am, Jared Mayden, 4-star CB, Sachse, Texas (Alabama, Oklahoma)
8:45am, A.J Brown, 4-star WR, Starkville, Miss. (Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
8:45am, Kobe Jones, 4-star DL, Starkville, Miss. (Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State)
9am, Ben Davis, 5-star LB, Gordo (Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Notre Dame, Georgia) - ESPNU
9am, Dontavious Jackson, 4-star LB, Houston, Texas (Alabama, Texas, Florida State) - ESPNU
1pm, Lyndell 'Mack' Wilson, 5-star LB, Montgomery (Alabama, Georgia), ESPN2
1:15pm, Terrell Hall, 4-star DL, Washington, D.C. (Alabama, Florida State, Maryland, Ole Miss)
11am, Ahmmon Richards, 4-star WR, West Palm Beach, Fla. (Alabama, Auburn, Miami)
11am, Landon Dickerson, 4-star OL, Hudson, N.C. (Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee)
2pm, Derrick Brown, 5-star DL, Buford, Ga. (Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State), ESPN2
2pm, Devin Asiasi, 4-star TE, Concord, Calif. (Alabama, Michigan, So Cal, Washington), ESPN2
3:15pm, Irvin Smith, 3-star TE, New Orleans (Alabama, Texas, Memphis)
3:30pm, Jack Jones, 5-star DB, Long Beach, Calif. (Alabama, Texas A&M, So Cal)
4pm, Mique Juarez, 5-star LB, Torrance, Calif. (Alabama, UCLA, BYU, Ole Miss)
TBA - Jamar King, 3-star DL, Ukiah, Calif., Mendocino College (Alabama, Ohio State, UCF)
TBA - Jeffery Simmons, 4-star DL, Macon, Miss. (Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee)
ODDITY
One of the oddest commits goes to high 3-star ATH TaDarryl Marshall (Leeds, AL) promising to sign with Samford on Monday. Marshall had around 26 offers. Last April, he chose Tennessee over Auburn and Alabama but the Vols pulled the offer in early December for reasons unknown. Marshall made official visits to Illinois, Kentucky, and Arizona the last three weekends but decided to become a Birmingham Bulldog like his father was.
MYSTERY
Nobody seems to know where 5-star Derrick Brown is going to sign.
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Tomorrow is going to be a BIG day for the Crimson Tide. Don't expect to get anything done at work/school. Stay tuned for all your recruiting news from Roll Bama Roll. Always FREE!