"2009 Crown Jewel Countdown" (mod individual lists added)

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Our TideFans "2009 Crown Jewel Countdown" includes the following ....

1 - Our ratings system and examples .
2 - Our results listed from 1-29 with links to individual evaluation threads which are open for discussion .
3 - Consensus evalutions and notations for each 2009 signee .
4 - When our countdown is completed , in this thread , we will also list our individual staffer ratings from 1-29 .


*Some players have been viewed in person but , the majority of our finished product was arrived at by watching every available piece of film on the web . Admittedly this is not the preferred route but , just to let you in on a little secret of the player ratings game , this is the same way the vast majority of prospects are rated by "pro" or pay services . We should know since one of our staffers is a former "pro" evaluator . So , take it for what it's worth from your own perspective . As a staff , we feel confident our ratings will pan out as well if not better than any others over the next 3 to 5 years



The System .... (including current or past players cited as examples)

Our system is designed to be fair with the intent of accurately forecasting the career path for each individual signee . Accuracy is our goal but , we strive to forecast the future for each signee while steering clear of unrealistic or ridiculous expectations and remaining free of unnecessary criticism whenever it is avoidable . As an example , some people may say - "That guy will never see the field unless it's at the end of a blowout ." . Not us as we will take the high road and attempt to express only the positive or "high side" possiblities for prospects .

The first 2 groups are the players who should eventually form the core of the roster over the next 3-5 years . The 3rd grouping is for contributors and the final two groupings speak for themselves .

5 - Star player with All-SEC/AA potential - Smith , Caldwell .
4.5 - High quality multi year starter - Mike Johnson .

4 - Multi year starter - Drew Davis .
3.5 - Rotation regular and eventual starter - Lorenzo Washington .
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3 - Will earn rotation at their position - Luther Davis .
2.5 - Special Teams contributor with spot rotation - Tyrone King .
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2 - Special Teams signees - K's , P's , return specialists and God forbid a freakin' snapper . Corey Smith , Brandon Brooks .
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1 - Sleepers - It's really not intended in any way as an insult . While it can be for players who you feel sucks (Nick Fanuzzi) or is thought to be nothing more than a hopeful project (Bart Raulston) , it's mainly for players whose potential is undetermined because of questions such as playing offense or defense (Travis McCall) , position (Brad Smelley) , size (Paul Hogan , Ralph Staten) or recovering from a serious injury (Earnest Nance) etc. . Maybe even just an average player who you believe will get a chance to contribute because they're a relative of a former player , coach , administrator , etc. .



29 - 1 rated OT Darius McKeller - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #29 - OT Darius McKeller .
28 - 2.5 rated FB/LB Mike Marrow - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #28 - FB/LB Mike Marrow .
27 - 2.5 rated RB/FB Jermaine Preyear - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #27 - RB/FB Jermaine Preyear .
26 - 2.5 rated DE Anthony Orr - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #26 - DE Anthony Orr .
25 - 3 rated OL Kellen Williams - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #25 - OL Kellen Williams .
24 - 3 rated MLB Petey Smith - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #24 - MLB Petey Smith .
23 - 3 rated OG/DT Anthony Steen - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #23 - OG/DT Anthony Steen .
22 - 3.5 rated DE/TE William Ming - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #22 - DE/TE William Ming .
21 - 3.5 rated DL Chris Bonds - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #21 - DL Chris Bonds .
20 - 3.5 rated WR Kendall Kelly - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #20 - WR Kendall Kelly .
19 - 3.5 rated OLB Jonathan Atchison - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #19 - OLB Jonathan Atchison .
18 - 3.5 rated DL/OL Brandon Moore - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #18 - DL/OL Brandon Moore .
17 - 3.5 rated WR Kenny Bell - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #17 - WR Kenny Bell .
16 - 3.5 rated OL Chance Warmack - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #16 - OL Chance Warmack .
15 - 3.5 rated JLB Ed Stinson - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #15 - JLB Ed Stinson .
14 - 4 rated DT Quinton Dial - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #14 - DT Quinton Dial .
13 - 4 rated WR Michael Bowman - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #13 - WR Michael Bowman .
12 - 4 rated WR Kevin Norwood - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #12 - WR Kevin Norwood .
11 - 4 rated DL Darrington Sentimore - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #11 - DL Darrington Sentimore .
10 - 4 rated SS Rod Woodson - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #10 - SS Rod Woodson .
9 - 4 rated QB A.J. McCarron - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #9 - QB A.J. McCarron .
8 - 4 rated NT Kerry Murphy - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #8 - NT Kerry Murphy .
7 - 4.5 rated LB Tana Patrick - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #7 - LB Tana Patrick .
6 - 4.5 rated OL James Carpenter - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #6 - OL James Carpenter .
5 - 4.5 rated RB Eddie Lacy - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #5 - RB Eddie Lacy .
4 - 5 rated RB Trent Richardson - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #4 - RB Trent Richardson .
3 - 5 rated OT D.J. Fluker - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #3 - OT D.J. Fluker .
2 - 5 rated LB Nico Johnson - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #2 - LB Nico Johnson .
TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel - 5 rated DB* Dre Kirkpatrick - TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel - DB* Dre Kirkpatrick .

[Crimson Surfer]

My Tide Fans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown.

5 - Star players with All-SEC or All American potential (4)
1. Dre Kirkpatrick (CB)
2. D. J. Fluker (LT)
3, Trent Richardson (RB)
4. Nico Johnson (MLB)

4.5 - High quality early contributors and multi year starters (4)
5. James Carpenter (OT)
6. Eddie Lacy (RB).
7. Tana Patrick (SLB)
8. Kerry Murphy (DT)

4 - Multi year starters (7)
9. A.J. McCarron (QB)
10. Quinton Dial (DT)
11. Brandon Moore (DT)
12. Darrington Sentimore (DT)
13. Rod Woodson (SS)
14. Ed Stinson (Jack LB)
15. Kevin Norwood (WR)

3.5 - Rotation regulars and eventual starters (9)
16. Michael Bowman (WR)
17. Kendall Kelly (WR)
18. Kenny Bell (Slot WR)
19. Jonathan Atchison (WLB)
20. Chance Warmack (RG)
21. Kellen Williams (LG)
22. Chris Bonds (DE)
23. Petey Smith (MLB)
24. Anthony Steen (OG/C)

3 - Will earn rotation at their positions (4)
25. William Ming (DE/TE)
26. Anthony Orr (DE/DT)
27. Jermaine Preyear (RB)
28. Mike Marrow (LB/FB)

2.5 - Special Team players
None

2 - Special Teams signees
None

1 - Sleeper (1)
29. Darius McKeller (OG)

= 29 total signees

[LCN]

OOPS !!!!

I forgot that I had never posted a class summary so we'll make it short and sweet

FS was left as the only glaring hole in the "09 signing class when Darren Myles flip-flopped his way into Knoxville . Alabama would've loved to have landed prep school OT Bobby Massie . At one point Massie had given a private pledge to the Bama staff yet signed with Ole Miss after delaying his NSD presser for about an hour . CB Greg Reid was also a last minute flip-flopper . Reid signed with FSU after informing Tide coaches he would be wearing Crimson . Reid could've been a big help @ CB and as a return specialists . Those three 3 whiffs aside , Coach Saban landed virtually every other prospect he targeted . Some could choose to make mention of LSU signee WR Rueben Randle but there was never much of realistic chance at landing him .



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5's - Star players with All-SEC/AA potential . (3)

1 - LB - Nico Johnson - The signee with the least question marks - none .
2 - RB - Eddie Lacy - IMO , Eddie was the top HS RB prospect in the country for '09 .
3 - DB - Dre Kirkpatrick - I believe Dre will become an All-American free safety . I can't really see the same @ CB .


4.5's - High quality multi year starters . (3)

4 - OT - D. J. Fluker - He's incredibly talented but I think it will take a little while for the light to come on . I do not see him taking over @ LT early if at all this Fall .
5 - OL - James Carpenter - I expect him to open the season as the starter at LT and hold the position . With the departure of Drew Davis and Mike Johnson after the '09 season , he could end up at RT or OG as a senior .
6 - RB - Trent Richardson - I think Trent handles every aspect of his position at a very high level yet I do not view him as being quite as exceptional as most others do .
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Each signee from these two groupings would be headliners for most schools .

4's - Solid multi year starters . (6)

7 - QB - A. J. McCarron - I'm not expecting anything much for couple of years but , then I expect a lot once he's matured physically and the game slows down for him .
8 - SS - Rod Woodson - He has excellent instincts and is better in coverage than given credit for .
9 - DE - Darrington Sentimore - Versatile enough to see some time over the center in obvious passing situations . Could contribute as a freshman in a manner similar to the way M.Dareus developed last season .
10 - JLB - Tana Patrick - Fast and hard hitting LB who can really bring it off the corner .
11 - WR - Kevin Norwood - Offense , defense or maybe even special teams , he'll have an impact somewhere .
12 - NT - Kerry Murphy - I hope he'll maintain his focus and I'm feeling a lot more positive about his future than I once did .


3.5's - Rotation regulars and eventual starters . (9)

13 - JLB - Ed Stinson - Still new to the game and learning but has a ton of raw ability .
14 - DL - Chris Bonds - A monster with a lot of potential when he's healthy .
15 - OLB - Jonathan Atchison - Well rounded and could become one of the bigger surprises from this class .
16 - OG - Chance Warmack - Strong drive blocker who can maintain a lock on defenders .
17 - WR - Kenny Bell - Similar to '07 signee D.Hanks but more dangerous in open field .
18 - MLB - Petey Smith - Pure old school run stuffer who will have some difficulties in space .
19 - DE/TE William Ming - I would like to think William could become another Jarret Johnson .
20 - DT - Quinton Dial - Consistency is an issue and there's a lot of talent in front of him .
21 - WR - Michael Bowman - I'm not as high on Bowman as most and it has a lot to do with his size . He could potentially grow his way into a move to TE .
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3's - Players who will earn some rotation at their position . (3)
If he's able to focus on one position early enough , Brandon Moore may have enough talent to break away from this grouping .

22 - OG/DL - Anthony Steen - His development may take a while as he will be making a huge jump in terms of the talent and competition he'll be facing once he hits campus .
23 - DL/OL - Brandon Moore - Brandon may bounce around a bit before finding a permanent position .
24 - WR - Kendall Kelly - With the injuries he's had to play through , there are just too many questions left unanswered .


2.5's - Primarily special teams contributors with eventual spot rotation . (3)
If I were to choosing a player from this group to step up and make a mark , it would be McKeller .

25 - OT - Darius McKeller - His best football could be ahead of him as he's continuing to mature physically . I'm just not too sure as to how high his ceiling is .
26 - DE - Anthony Orr - Orr will have to step up his dedication to the game before making any move up the depth chart .
27 - HB - Jermaine Preyear - He'll have to earn any reps he receives as most of the other backs have a clear edge on him when it comes to talent .
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2's - No K's , P's or return specialists were targeted . (0)

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1's - Sleepers with undetermined potential . (2)
Both of these guys would have likely rated out as high as 4's if we were still back in the Stallings era . It's much harder now for fullbacks and lineman who are primarily run blockers to make their mark these days .

28 - H-Back - Mike Marrow - Could see time on both sides of the ball during his career - similar to Trevis Smith .
29 - OG/C - Kellen Williams - I would not be surprised if Kellen eventually found his home at center .

[BigEasyTider]

Here goes my full 1-29...

5.0 (Five players)

Dre Kirkpatrick
Nico Johnson
D.J. Fluker
Trent Richardson
Darrington Sentimore

4.5 (Six players)

Michael Bowman
A.J. McCarron
Tana Patrick
James Carpenter
Eddie Lacy
Kerry Murphy

4.0 (Nine players)

Ed Stinson
Rod Woodson
Kevin Norwood
Brandon Moore
William Ming
Chance Warmack
Kenny Bell
Kendall Kelly
Quinton Dial

3.5 (Three players)

Anthony Steen
Kellen Williams
Chris Bonds

3.0 (Four players)

Petey Smith
Jermaine Preyear
Anthony Orr
Mike Marrow

1.0 (Sleeper... One player)

Darius McKellar

[runtheoption22]

Sorry it took me so long to reply....it's been a busy week.

5s (4)
1. Fluker- if there is anyone that can make us forget Andre SMith, it's Fluker. Wingspan, size, strength, agility....Fluker is a once in ten year type prospect. He's only played OL one year....and that's the only knock on this kid. 6;7" 350, and looks lean. If he gets any type of learning/tweaking on technique and learns the plays, I don't think we can keep him off the field. The definition of JUMBO ATHLETE.
2.. Trent Richardson- arguably the best back in the country because he can do it all. He can pound it between the tackles, but has the speed to break it outside. Not quite as agile as Lacy, but makes up for it with a good head on his shoulders. Doesn't try to do too much, a trait he learned from past injuries and an average at best OL. Displayed pass blocking skills in the pass happy Under Armour game. Instantly the second best back on campus behind Ingram.
3. Nico Johnson- if there has been a LB that could make as quick of a contribution as McClain did, it's Nico. I don't think anyone really realized how good he was until the Army game when he roamed from sideline to sideline and tackled everything.

4. Dre Kirkpatrick- there were no better DB prospects this year....in the nation. He has great size and hips that go on someone much shorter. This will make him a potentially outstanding CB, however, he could be a truly elite FS with his ball skills.

4.5s (4)
5. James Carpenter- instant help on the O-line. Will likely see work this spring at LT and could start there, depending on the development of Fluker this fall. However, Carpenter could easily slide into a job at RG or RT as well. Passes the eyeball test in spring practice thus far.
6. Eddie Lacy= if not for grade concerns, Lacy is likely a top 3 back in the mix with Brown and Richardson. Displays all the necessary skills in highlight vids. Played with a good team in HS that blocked well for him. Ability to make people miss moreso than Richardson, but not quite as powerful. If he's eligible and can pass block, he could earn some carries. Catches the ball well.
7. Rod Woodson can play now, if he gets eligible. Will be one of the hardest hitters the minute he steps on campus. He will be a great SS in Saban's defense, and will be free to wreak some havoc on run downs. He will need a little work on pass coverages, but ST at least this year.
8. Tana Patrick- Gets overlooked in the early contributor column by a lot of people, but with his great size and speed already, he could see some early PT at least on special teams. His rotation time will depend on the development and shuffling of guys already on the team this spring and fall. Could shuffle around the LB corps as well, and likely will until we get the right combination. Type of player every team in the country wants.

4s (6)
9. Quinton Dial I am very high on Dial. The only real knock on Dial is that he didn't go all out on every down. He made great strides in that this year, and I can't think of a better defensive staff to bring out the motor in him. He could find a home at SDE or NG. With his frame and athleticism, the sky is the limit.
10. Kevin Norwood Great instincts and can really go get the ball when it is in the air. This is one of the reasons some think he is a better safety prospect, but he was at or near the top of our WR board. Very smooth. Definitely has the potential to come in and earn PT this year. Could go slot or opposite Julio.
11. Michael Bowman Bowman- I don't buy the possible TE move, yet. Physically, he is the closest thing to Julio we'll have on campus. He doesn't have the straight line speed of Julio, but has the ability to get open. High hopes for Bowman if he qualifies. Could play this year.
12. Chance Warmack underrated, IMO. A camp standout, Warmack was easily the best Olineman to come through Tuscaloosa this past summer. Warmack has the advantage of going through spring early, and that could put him solidly in the running sooner, rather than later. A perfect fit for RG, IMO.
13. AJ McCarron his prescence will be the most effective asset to the team this year. Another highly touted QB will be there to push GMac and Star. AJ should be able to get a lot of reps, and possibly even lead the scout team this year. Weight is his biggest area of improvement, as he is able to make most of the throws right now.
14. Kerry Murphy I'm a bit more bearish on Murphy because I'm not sure what shape he is in. If he can use this spring to shake off the rust, our interior DL will be nasty. Murphy likely won't redshirt because you don't know how long he'll be on campus (grades) so I expect him to play, if he is healthy/in-shape and can learn everything.

3.5s (8)
15. Kenny Bell Bell- a true slot speedster....we finally got one. A huge NSD surprise for the Tide. Will have to have some bulk to take hits from SEC defenses, but has the potential to create a lot of mismatches with his shiftiness and speed. Could crack the rotation as early as this year if no one else steps up. The safe bet is on a RS and year to develop, though, and rotation for two years before taking over as our true 3rd starter at WR.
16. Darrington Sentimore Put on a show when the lights were brightest, and almost single handedly won the state title game by his prescence in the backfield. If he's eligible, he could play early, but we have a lot of bodies at the SDE and NG positions. I'm not sure where he ends up, and that is the reason I think he'll take a little while to settle at a spot.
17. Johnathan Atchison - Brings something to the LB corps that we really needed: speed. Could easily tack on another 10-15lbs and not really lose any speed, too. Possibility to surprise a few and earn early PT if his weight room numbers prove to be true.
18. Ed Stinson the perfect Jack candidate for Bama. Will bring some much needed speed to the position. Will have to learn the position, thus possibly leading to a RS. If Upshaw was not in front of him, I think he could put his hand down some this year.
19. Brandon Moore Moore- OL or DL? that is the question. Moore will have competition at any of three spots, OT, SDE, or NG. His recruitment had many people puzzled to the validity of his offer to Bama, and in the end, it turned out he had a firm offer all along....but, that did hurt his stock a bit amongst Bama circles. But, he is a big athletic body, that should contirbute solidly for at least his last two seasons.
20. Kendall Kelly - I think the key word with Kelly is potential. I know that gets thrown around a lot with recruits, but he has great measurables and certain bit of untapped skill. If he isn't injured his senior year, he could have exploded as top 100 type of kid. However, he was and "what could be" is all we really know up until now..
21. Kellen Williams- Mike Johnson, part 2. Has played both guard and tackle, and was a decent tackle prospect, but looks like a natural guard. Could possibly play center, even. Knee surgery will prevent him from contributing at full speed this fall.
22. Chris Bonds- a ton of potential because of the blend of size and speed he showed prior to injuries. If he can heal up and perform up to that potential, we may look back at him as a top 10 kid from this class. Will likely take at least a year to regain pre-injury form. a kid we could look at in two to three years and think...wow, he was a steal out of SC! Once he recovers completely from knee injuries (if he ever does), he has an amazing display of size and speed.

3s (4)
23. Anthony Steen- I would have him rated higher if not for the lack of competition he played against in high school and his academic question marks. Nasty and mean. a kid that I could easily be higher on if not for grades and competition concerns. Reportedly was the meanest, nastiest lineman we had in camp, though. Tons of upside as a guard, maybe center- has been working on snapping
24. Mike Marrow- I really like this kid and he is coming in as a "big back" that could break the rotation in 3rd and shorts or goaline situations. Ultimately, I think fullback or H-back (Travis McCall) are in his future, if he stays on offense.
25. Petey Smith- one of the best MLBs this year in defending the run. He will struggle in space unless he picks up speed, but lack of height is not something he can overcome.
26. William Ming- solid kid that you want on your team for depth, character, and leadership. I could see a quicker route to playing time at TE rather than DE. another blue collar jumbo athlete in this class. A DE similar to Orr, but with a bit more upside because he could play either end or his fastest route could be as a TE.

2.5s (2)
27. Anthony Orr- Potential there to be a solid contributor, but will have to battle some other incoming freshmen who are much higher on most boards.
28. Jermaine Preyear- a very good athlete, but with the talent infusion at RB, he's going to have to make up a lot of ground to get considerable time there. Perhaps a move to FB.

1s (1)
29. Darius McKeller- at least a two year project, but has the frame that you want out of an OT. Battled injuries prior to senior season, but was much improved while healthy. Still needs to add weight.

[resmith]

Thanks to all of you for your comments and insights. Just finished reading every word-what a treat for the offseason!!!! Cannot wait for the season to get here.