Recruiting Update: Alabama Staff Hits the Road

This is a busy week for Alabama recruiting. It is exam week for students which means no bowl practice until at least the weekend.

Classes for the spring semester begin on January 12, leaving plenty of time for football only activities. In between watching game film of Cincinnati, Alabama coaches - even Nick Saban - have fanned out all across the country having in-home and at-school visits with recruits.

The Crimson Tide currently have 21 commits. Two of them are questionable, but that is a story for another post. It is believed they could sign as many as 27 when all is said and done. Nothing is for sure but the general consensus among the “experts” is that the allotment per position could be doled out as follows:

WR-1
OL-1 (preferably an interior lineman)
DL-2
LB-1
DB-2

Of course everything is subject to change, like maybe adding a running back.

WIDE RECEIVERS (1)

THE FLIP

On Tuesday, Alabama picked up the pledge from high 4-star Isaiah Bond who decommitted from Florida. He is ranked the #86 overall player by 247sports composite rankings. Read more about him here.

OFFICIAL VISIT

After many scheduling conflicts, Shazz Preston will finally take his long-awaited Official Visit to Alabama this weekend starting December 10. The deep south Louisiana high 4-star (#58) has long appeared to be an LSU lean. Unfortunately for the Bayou Bengals, Alabama is deadly when they are the last to host a guy they really want. A big question remaining for the Tigers is how Preston feels about new head coach Brian Kelly taking over LSU in rebuild mode.

The same can be said about fellow boot-shaped stater Kendrick Law who is also under consideration. Nick Saban visited him in Shreveport this week. Law doesn’t do a lot of social media or interviews, so it’s hard to get a sense of where his thoughts are.

OFFENSIVE LINE (1)

BACK FOR MORE

Los Angeles-area interior lineman Ernest Greene is down to four schools and the newly-fronted Lincoln Riley Trojans aren’t one of them. In no particular order, the finalists are Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas. I’d say distance from home is not a factor.

His November trip to Tuscaloosa represented his last Official Visit to any campus. The high 4-star (#46 overall) had an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa last Thursday and then attended the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. He did not take a side trip to Athens which is a mere hour and 45 minute drive east from Atlanta. Due to his late interest, I was a bit skeptical. However, a guy traveling from L.A. to Tuscaloosa and then to Atlanta on his own dime speaks volumes of his seriousness toward signing with the Tide. That is more than most Alabama fans are willing to do!

He is listed at 6’4½” and weighs 330. Holmon Wiggins is leading up this charge.

[Totally random trivia: the real name of the musician goes by the name “Washed” Out is also named Ernest Greene and he is a skinny white guy from middle Georgia. You may be familiar with his song “Feel It All Around” used as the theme song for the TV show Portlandia.]

NOT FEELING IT

Bama has been working 5-star UK Commit Kiyaunta Goodwin. However, it appears he wants to stay close to his southern Indiana home.

OTHERS

5-star OT Devon Campbell is from Arlington, TX. It just so happens Alabama will be playing in the College Football Playoff in his back yard on December 31. It is unknown if he plans to commit or sign during the Early Signing Period. That said, there is not a lot of talk connecting him to the Capstone as of now.

If for some reason, Alabama strikes out on the Early Signing Period, there will be plenty of time for them to look elsewhere for a signing in February.

DEFENSIVE LINE (2)

It’s only a matter of time until high 4-star Khurtiss Perry commits to Bama.

NOT FEELING IT

Some days Anthony Lucas feels like a Texas A&M lean. Other days, it’s Alabama. One thing the Tide has going for them is that the Arizona 4-star lineman took two unofficial visit to T-town in November. Although, the second one was more of a spur-of-the-moment tag-along with a family friend who has a daughter at Alabama. It’s enough to give Tide fans hope. Nick Saban and Drew Svoboda paid him a visit on Tuesday. Lucas plans to enroll early.

Not a lot of buzz around Christen Miller who Bama only offered in early November but who knows?

LINEBACKER (1)

The crootin experts seem to think Alabama is in on a few guys, but my Spidey-sense isn’t tingling.

NOT FEELING IT

It’s just my gut feeling but it seems as if Shemar James does not want to join the Tide - an odd thing for a Mobile, Alabama native. Even still, both Pete Golding and Nick Saban visited him on different days this week.

Marvin Jones Jr. would be a nice pick up but it just feels like he is going to follow his daddy to FSU. Saban is expected to visit him this week.

I don’t know why Enai White’s name keeps coming up.

OFFICIAL VISIT

Edge-rusher commit Jeremiah Alexander will be on Official Visit. His Thompson High School team won the third straight state title thanks in large part to his menacing play. Beast!

DEFENSIVE BACKS (2)

Getting all three of Bama’s top targets would be nice but two is more likely.

CALIFORNIA KID

5-star cornerback Domani Jackson is down to Alabama and Southern Cal. It might be decided on in-home visits of Nick Saban versus Lincoln Riley. His parents are on board if he wants to come to Alabama. Thus, this decision will ultimately come down to him. Jay Valai is at the wheel on this one.

OTHERS

Denver Harris has stayed real quiet about his recruitment. Jimbo and local Texans might be bending his ear a bit. Bama is in the running but the vibes I’m getting are not great.

Earl Little looks like a lock.

OFFICIAL VISIT

4-star CB commit Tre’Quon Fegans will make a quick journey over from Alabaster, AL.

NOT FEELING IT

Any buzz around Notre Dame decommit DB Devin Moore has faded.

RUNNING BACK (?)

Originally, it looked like Alabama would take two running backs. However in light of the casualty ward full of running backs on campus, the Tide staff may be considering adding a third (or more).

TRANSFER

Georgia Tech’s Jahmyr Gibbs is still in play, but it’s likely we won’t hear anything on transfers until after the Early Signing Period.

OFFICIAL VISIT

5-star Emmanuel Henderson has been to Tuscaloosa for unofficial visits on many occasions since committing back in March. He finally gets his Official Visit this weekend. That said, there has been some chatter that he may not want to play running back at Alabama. He has also played receiver, quarterback, and outside linebacker in high school.

NOT OFFICIAL VISIT

Alabama was supposed to host TCU commit 3-star running back Anthony “Ajay” Allen this weekend, but those plans have changed for some reason. He does not have an offer from the Tide.

#RollTide #NSD22