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National Signing Day Report From the Presumptive Heir
The Best of the Best:
Well, Tide Fans, National Signing Day has come and gone. The ink has dried, the ridiculous “hat games” have been played, and the fax machine has been turned off. Once again, Coach Saban and Co. have brought a Top 5 class to Tuscaloosa, one that fills some positions of need and provides tremendous depth at others. There were some surprises, both good and bad, but what isn’t surprising is that aspiring stars want to play for the best coaching staff in the country.
I’ve broken down the Class of 2011, committing a bit more space to the highest-rated prospects, and those that I think will see the field sooner rather than later. I’ve provided the star-ratings and rankings from both Scout and Rivals, and have noted if the player made the ESPN 150. But I’ve also created a few of my own rankings that I hope will provide some special insight for the loyal readers of the Commissioner’s Report.
Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix, Safety (Dr Phillips HS – Orlando, FL)
Scout: 5 Star, #1 Safety, #7 Overall
Rivals: 5 Star, #1 Safety, #7 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #2 Safety, #19 Overall
Clinton-Dix is, perhaps, the defensive jewel of the Class of ’11. This tall, long-limbed player is the prototypical elite safety, but he has the ball and cover skills to perhaps play corner at the SEC level. He is a big hitter who thrives on contact. Both Scout and Rival say that his 6’2” frame could easily add another 15 to 20 pounds on top of his current 190. He will challenge Robbie Green and Robert Lester during camp, but is likely to be a special teams mainstay before cracking the starting lineup his sophomore year.
Demetrius “Dee” Hart, Running Back (Dr Phillips HS – Orlando, FL)
Scout: 4 Star, #8 RB, #63 Overall
Rivals: 5 Star, #1 RB, #19 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #8 RB, #79 Overall
Hart, Clinton-Dix’s high school teammate, shot up the Rivals rankings after winning the Most Valuable Player Award at the Army All-America game. Hart was the first player in the history of the game to rush for more than 100 yards. Hart was originally committed to Michigan prior to the ouster of Rich Rodriguez. He then opened his recruitment back up and committed to the Tide at the Army game. Hart is not the kind of running back we have grown accustomed to under Coach Saban. He is more of a shifty, speed back than a powerful bruiser, which should provide a great change of pace from Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. Explosive while in space, Hart is likely to make a big impact out of the backfield in the receiving game, and will push Marquis Maze for the punt return gig.
Trey DePriest, Linebacker (Springfield HS – Springfield, OH)
Scout: 5 Star, #1 MLB, #6 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #7 OLB, #97 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #2 OLB, #38 Overall
Early in his recruitment, DePriest looked like a lock for Ohio State. He shocked everyone when he chose to roll with the Tide. There is debate about whether he is best suited to play in the middle or on the edge, but I think it’s likely that he will play on the outside at Alabama. He times his rushes extremely well, and lays the wood when tackling. He needs to bulk up a little more to play the Jack in a 3-4, as he is currently 225 lbs. A little time with Coach Cochran will take care of that. While he won’t likely start on opening day, he will be a major contributor in the rotation during his freshman year.
Brent Calloway, Linebacker (Russellville HS – Russellville, AL)
Scout: 4 Star, #7 OLB, #125 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #5 OLB, #38 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #23 ATH, #140 Overall
Calloway played both tailback and linebacker in high school, hence the rating from ESPN. However, his future is on the defensive side of the ball, where he has the speed and coverage skills to play safety, but will most likely bulk up to play linebacker. Calloway could stand to play with more physicality, but his nose for the ball is something that can’t be taught. He’s likely to show up on special teams early in the season, but could crack the defensive rotation by the end of his freshman year.
Marvin Shinn, Wide Receiver (CF Vigor HS – Prichard, AL)
Scout: 4 Star, #17 WR, #130 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #10 WR, #78 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #14 WR, #75 Overall
If length of time is any indicator, Shinn is the most dedicated commitment in the Class of ’11; he verbally committed to the Tide in April of 2009. Shinn may well be the fastest member of this year’s class, and at 6’4” he is a major down-field threat. He’ll need to work on his route-running and on-field awareness. But with enough reps, Shinn could become the big, fast receiver that the team needs after losing Julio Jones.
Jesse Williams, Defensive Tackle (Arizona Western JC via Brisbane, Australia)
Scout: 4 Star
Rivals: 4 Star
ESPN, Scout, and Rivals do not rank JC players
For everyone who misses Terrance Cody: meet Jesse Williams, the Thunder from Down Under. At 6’5”, 340 lbs, Williams is going to be the anchor in the middle of the defensive line, and he’s going to do it immediately. The Tide defensive badly missed the massive presence of Cody, and Williams has the physical gifts to be that same dominant force. One would imagine that he will also appear in the offensive “Elephant” package as a lead blocker. Williams was a monster at the JUCO level. The Tide needs him to be a monster in the SEC.
Xzavier “X” Dickson, Defensive End (Griffin HS – Griffin, GA)
Scout: 4 star, #13 DE, #80 Overall
Rivals: 4 star, #4 DE, #48 Overall
ESPN: 4 star, #4 DE, #22 Overall
Dickson will be the answer to a question that will be frequently asked in the coming years: “Does the truck that just hit me have a name?” Dickson played both ways in high school, lining up at defensive end and tight end. His athleticism and quick acceleration help him excel at both. But his future on the college level is solely on defense. At 235 lbs, he’s undersized for a 3-4 defensive end, so he’s likely to play linebacker at Alabama.
Jeoffrey Pagan, Defensive End (Asheville HS – Asheville, NC)
Scout: 4 Star, #16 DE, #118 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #4 DE, #42 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star. #8 DE, #53 Overall
Unlike Dickson, Pagan brings the ideal size to play defensive end in a 3-4. He 6’4” and, at 272 lbs, has plenty of room to add bulk. Pagan thrives on contact, and prefers to bulrush his way through a blocker. He will need to learn proper technique and moves, but his brute strength alone will make him a force up front. I wouldn’t expect Pagan to play immediately as he continues to learn and bulk up, but he could easily be a starter during his sophomore season.
Aaron Douglas, Tackle (Arizona Western JC via Maryville, TN)
Scout: 3 Star
Rivals: 4 Star
ESPN, Scout, and Rivals do not rank JC players
If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Douglas used to play for the enemy. He earned Freshman All-America honors during his only season at Tennessee. Douglas had a falling out with Derek Dooley, and chose to leave for a year at Arizona Western, where he teamed with fellow commit Jesse Williams. Douglas plays with a mean streak, and has great footwork for a guy his size. He is already enrolled at the Capstone, and is the guy to beat for the starting left tackle position.
The Rest of the Best:
Ryan Kelly, Center (Lakota West HS – West Chester, OH)
Scout: 4 Star, #2 C, #183 Overall
Rivals: 3 Star, #6 C
ESPN: 3 Star
Danny Woodson Jr, Wide Receiver (Le Flore HS – Mobile, AL)
Scout: 4 Star, #28 WR, #179 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #25 WR, #228 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #22 WR, #137 Overall
Yes, he is the son of the former Tide QB.
Bradley Sylve, Wide Receiver (South Plaquemines HS – Port Sulphur, LA)
Scout: 4 Star, #36 WR, #236 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #14 WR, #122 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #5 WR, #41 Overall
Malcolm Faciane, Tight End (Picayune Memorial HS – Picayune, MS)
Scout: 3 Star, #22 TE
Rivals: 4 Star, #16 TE
ESPN: 4 Star, #4 TE, #82 Overall
LaMichael Fanning, Defensive End (Harris County HS – Hamilton, GA)
Scout: 4 Star, #25 DE, #212 Overall
Rivals: 4 Star, #25 DE
ESPN: 4 Star, #14 DE
Christion “Chris” Jones, Cornerback (Minor HS – Adamsville, AL)
Scout: 3 Star, #29 CB
Rivals: 4 Star, #18 CB
ESPN: 4 Star, #10 CB
DJ Pettway, Defensive End (Catholic HS – Pensacola, FL)
Scout: 3 Star, #23 DT
Rivals: 4 Star, #13 DE, #145 Overall
ESPN: 4 Star, #21 DE
Jabriel Washington, Cornerback (Trinity Christian Academy – Jackson, TN)
Scout: 4 Star, #19 CB, #196 Overall
Rivals: 3 Star, #20 ATH
ESPN: 4 Star, #29 ATH
Vinnie Sunseri, Linebacker (Northridge HS – Tuscaloosa, AL)
Scout: 3 Star, #28 MLB
Rivals: 3 Star
ESPN: 4 Star, #18 OLB
Son of Bama LB Coach, Sal Sunseri. Vinnie’s brother is the current starting QB at Pittsburgh.
Isaac Luatua, Center/Guard (La Mirada HS – La Mirada, CA)
Scout: 3 Star, #18 G
Rivals: 3 Star, #10 C
ESPN: 3 Star, #18 G
Luatua is the first player of Samoan heritage to sign with the Crimson Tide.
Quinton Dial, Defensive End (East Mississippi CC via Scooba, MS)
Scout: 4 Star
Rivals: 4 Star
ESPN, Scout, and Rivals do not rank JC players
Phillip Ely, Quarterback (Plant Senior HS – Tampa, FL)
Scout: 3 Star, #41 QB
Rivals: 3 Star, #20 QB
ESPN: 3 Star, #40 QB
Wilson Love, DT, and Ronald Carswell, WR, greyshirted in 2010 and have been given scholarships for the 2011 season. Love is the younger brother of current Tide offensive lineman Tyler Love.
As of this posting, Alabama is still in the running for DE Jadeveon Clowney and OT Cyrus Kouandjio. More on that in a second.
Now for some of my own rankings:
Top 3 Names That Make You Wish Kenny Stabler Was Still in the Booth:
3. Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix
2. Isaac Luatua
1. Cyrus Kouandjio
Top 3 Weird Recruiting Outcomes:
3. Jeoffrey Pagan – Pagan was a lock to go to Georgia. Just about every Bulldog fan had him penciled in as part of Mark Richt’s self-proclaimed “Dream Team”. And then, early on NSD, he committed to Alabama
2. Brent Calloway – Calloway had been verbally committed to Alabama for almost a year. Hours before the Army All-America game in January, Calloway suddenly decommitted, and committed to Auburn during the live telecast. His reasoning was that he wanted to play running back, and Bama only wanted him at linebacker. Without ever decommitting from the Barn, Calloway signed and faxed his letter of intent to Alabama.
1. Cyrus Kouandjio – Cyrus’s strange recruiting journey has still not reached its conclusion. Because he is the younger brother of Tide OL Arie Kouandjio, it was long assumed that Cyrus would be headed to Bama. To the obvious shock of everyone in the room, Cyrus put on an Auburn ball cap on live TV. He stammered out half-hearted responses to questions about why he chose Auburn, as if he didn’t really know. And then he never signed his LOI. Cyrus-watch has now been going for more than 48 hours. There is some strange stuff regarding his visit to the Barn, and the behavior of his high school coach, but I will go into more detail on that when Cyrus finally signs his LOI, no matter where he faxes it.
In case you missed the story, an unnamed SEC coach called the league office to complain about Bama’s NSD webcam stream. Specifically, the coach was unhappy with the young student worker who put the recruits’ names on the board as their faxes came in. She is a member of the Crimson Cabaret dance team that entertains at basketball games. Mike Slive called Mal Moore to express his disapproval.
Top 3 Responses Mal Moore Should Have Given Mike Slive:
3. “You’re telling me that a coach at another school spent National Signing Day watching the Alabama Fax Cam? And people wonder why we think we’re the center of the football universe.”
2. “So, a father shops his son to SEC schools like the kid’s a fake Rolex in Times Square, and it takes you 10 months to decide to do absolutely nothing. A young lady appears on a webcam wearing her SEC and NCAA approved dance team outfit, and it takes you less than 24 hours to express your righteous indignation. Why is this conference paying you?”
1. “Was Cam Newton aware of the Bama Fax Cam? If not: we’re good.”
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