2012 Crown Jewel Countdown - Part II - 22-19

LCN

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Sep 29, 2005
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3 (22) NT - Darren Lake - 6-2 315
Sumter Co. HS - York , AL
ASWA 4A All-State selection .

Overview: Being a Sumter graduate , Mack is particularly happy for Darren and his choice of college . He's another versatile big guy with some athleticism who has experience on both sides of the ball . Lake chose to sign with Alabama over Tennessee .

What he brings: Potential . Lake has a good combination of strength and quickness off of the ball . Having the benefit of spending a great deal of time on the offensive line , he's well prepared for the nuances and tendencies in store once he settles in at nose tackle .

2012 Outlook: Darren is not expected to see any action this season . At his size he still has the frame to add plenty of mass and should look like a different player after a year of training .

Once he comes up to size , former Tide defensive tackle Eric Kerley would seem to make for an appropriate comparison .



3 (21) DE – Dalvin Tomlinson - 6-2 260
Henry Co. HS - McDonough , GA
GSWA 3A All-State selection .

Overview: An all around athlete , a great student and hard worker are traits which best describe Tomlinson . He could be considered as somewhat of a renaissance man having excelled in both soccer and wrestling instead of more typical "second" sports such as basketball , baseball or track and field . Dalvin picked Alabama over Georgia Tech on national signing day .

What he brings: Tomlinson is a smart player with adequate quickness and enough lateral mobility to cover a fair amount space against the run , but will need to get stronger and play with more purpose before becoming a factor at the next level . His soccer background is a plus when it comes to conditioning and footwork , while wrestling has enhanced his balance and hand to hand strength in order to play off his opponent .

2012 Outlook: Tomlinson recently suffered an undisclosed knee injury which has been labeled as being "significant" and will all but ensure a redshirt season . Once he’s back up to speed , he should be in line to earn a shot at cracking rotation in 2013 at left end . .

At times , Tomlinson could draw comparison to the earliest days of Dominic Lee .



3.5 (20) QB - Alec Morris - 6-4 230
Allen HS - Allen , TX
Morris rolled up 35 scores via the pass along with 9 touchdowns rushing last season while tossing only 6 interceptions .

Overview: From all accounts Morris seems to be a good kid from a good home . He had initially committed to Wake Forest before earning an offer from Alabama after having impressed Tide coaches during his time at camp . Once an offer was extended Morris quickly accepted and severed all ties with Wake Forest as well as Michigan State and Virginia .

What he brings: He’s a hard worker who sets a good example for those around him . Morris played against top flight competition in the state of Texas , but did so almost exclusively out the gun in a spread based offense . As has been the case for current Tider Phillip Sims , there will be an adjustment period for him when it comes to moving under center . Alec has prototypical size and good arm strength , but there are mechanical issues which must be sorted out in order for him to become an SEC-ready quarterback . While he is able to get the ball off quickly , observers were hopeful his throwing motion would continue to improve as a high school senior , but this was not to be . If anything , it would be fair to say his mechanics regressed over the course of last season .

2012 Outlook: Not to put a jinx on anything , but it would take several disasters in order for Alec to see any action this season . This will allow him to concentrate on his mechanics while learning the pro styled Alabama offense . Morris is more likely to battle for playing time later rather than sooner . Meaning 2014 and beyond .

Alec won't remind fans of any former Alabama quarterbacks , at least none who have played , but does somewhat resemble 2007 Tide signee and fellow Texan Nick Fanuzzi .



3.5 (19) DL – Korren Kirven - 6-4 280
Brookville HS - Lynchburg , VA
Under Armour All-America participant .
2011 2A All-State performer .

Overview: Kirven was a much needed national signing day pick up for Alabama . His size and raw athleticism were enough to dominate in high school at a level rarely displayed from the defensive tackle position . Korren signed with Alabama over offers from Virginia Tech , Tennessee and countless others .

What he brings: He is definitely athletic as well as aggressive . Kirven was able to find is way into the backfield a lot in high school . Primarily from shooting gaps and using swim moves against inferior linemen . That said , there are some issues to sort out . Kirven plays too tall at times and will have to become more disciplined in college . It would be nice to see more energy down in and down out than has been displayed to this point . This is often apparent when playing from the backside in pursuit . Hopefully Chance Warmack or Barrett Jones will make a fast learner of him in short order because there is little question in regards to his level of talent and potential . However , his technique will need some serious polishing as well as a need to learn to play with consistent effort until the whistle blows .

2012 Outlook: As stated above it's hard to question his talent , but a period of adjustment is expected which will more than likely prevent Kirven from seeing the field this season . How much playing time he sees in the future is pretty much up to him and the level in which he applies himself to what will be demanded of him from Coach Rumph .

Kirven most resembles recently departed defensive end Brandon Deaderick in many ways and will more than likely wind up playing the same position .
 
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bodiddle

All-SEC
May 14, 2006
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In the past, it has been stated that the Bama staff said that Alec Morris's mechanics were nearly flawless. I guess they were incorrect, huh?
 

BAMAfan777

1st Team
Jun 25, 2010
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I agree. Alec Morris' mechanics look almost flawless in the videos I have seen.

His footwork, throwing mechanics, and arm strength already look better than some starting college quarterbacks.
 

brutetough

1st Team
Dec 11, 2010
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didn't quite expect our two NSD big commitments would show up already. This is just shows how deep this class is. just WOW.
 

LCN

FB | REC Moderator
Sep 29, 2005
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He drops down to 3-quarters a lot and the lack of a consistent delivery leads to inaccuracy . This will matter much more in college where the windows are substantially tighter . Bernie Kosar had similar issues .
 

BJ4TIDE

All-SEC
Aug 11, 2007
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Maybe there is hope for the staff to work the issues out with his mechanics. Kosar turned out OK.
 

Bamaglory

1st Team
Dec 8, 2005
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He drops down to 3-quarters a lot and the lack of a consistent delivery leads to inaccuracy . This will matter much more in college where the windows are substantially tighter . Bernie Kosar had similar issues .
Yes and Bernie K was a terrible QB, not. No offense, but I will take our coaches assessment over yours. If there are issues, Nuss will straighten them out.
 

LCN

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Sep 29, 2005
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Yes and Bernie K was a terrible QB, not. No offense, but I will take our coaches assessment over yours. If there are issues, Nuss will straighten them out.
Actually , you aren't . You're buying into what a departed coach told a kid he was in the process of offering . I would be curious to know what you thought of Nick Fanuzzi when he was signed ? I made it clear that I felt he would never see the field while in Tuscaloosa . He didn't . Fanuzzi did play during parts of 3 season for Rice , but it was mainly due to an injured starter and the lack of viable options . This is not what I'm saying about Morris , but there are definate similarities . Time will tell :)


EDIT: For the record , I have Alec rated higher than any of our other staffers .
 
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edwd58

All-American
Aug 2, 2006
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Lance, some of this discussion re Morris doesn't add up for me. It's been posted here that Coach doesn't let a qb commit without seeing him throw. If the kid's mechanics are that bad, why would he offer or let him commit? There were other qb's on the board at the time, some of them were, at least initially, rated higher. Perhaps not intentially, but you make the kid sound like a project, likely a long term one at that. I'm not saying you're wrong, I've no idea either way, but it does surprise me if this is the case, especially since we only took 1 qb. Further, if this is the case, it makes the recruiting of a top flight qb for this upcoming class all the more essential. Interesting scenario, and, as you say, time will tell.
 

LCN

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Sep 29, 2005
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Lance, some of this discussion re Morris doesn't add up for me. It's been posted here that Coach doesn't let a qb commit without seeing him throw. If the kid's mechanics are that bad, why would he offer or let him commit? There were other qb's on the board at the time, some of them were, at least initially, rated higher. Perhaps not intentially, but you make the kid sound like a project, likely a long term one at that. I'm not saying you're wrong, I've no idea either way, but it does surprise me if this is the case, especially since we only took 1 qb. Further, if this is the case, it makes the recruiting of a top flight qb for this upcoming class all the more essential. Interesting scenario, and, as you say, time will tell.
What we post is a consensus , not my opinion . As posted above , I have Alec rated higher than any other TideFans staffer . I'll add that what ends up on the board , based on what I receive , is always presented in as kind a fashion as possible .
 

jps1983

Hall of Fame
Aug 30, 2006
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Lance, some of this discussion re Morris doesn't add up for me. It's been posted here that Coach doesn't let a qb commit without seeing him throw. If the kid's mechanics are that bad, why would he offer or let him commit? There were other qb's on the board at the time, some of them were, at least initially, rated higher. Perhaps not intentially, but you make the kid sound like a project, likely a long term one at that. I'm not saying you're wrong, I've no idea either way, but it does surprise me if this is the case, especially since we only took 1 qb. Further, if this is the case, it makes the recruiting of a top flight qb for this upcoming class all the more essential. Interesting scenario, and, as you say, time will tell.
QB and OL (specifically OT) are our big concerns this year in recruiting I think. I wouldn't be surprised if we took 2 QBs if we thought AJ might go pro early.
 

runtheoption22

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Nov 10, 2003
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Cleveland
Ranking aside, I have high expectations for Morris and I don't think his mechanics will be an issue long. That said, we are after 2013 QBs who are better at this point in their careers.
 

BigEasyTider

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Nov 27, 2007
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Morris is the ultimate high-split evaluation in this class. I've talked to countless people and I've gotten a spray chart of responses. There is just no consensus whatsoever on the kid. The middling offer list still concerns me.

To me, the physical tools speak for themselves. He's a big kid with a pretty strong arm who is decently mobile; can't ask for much more than that. The mechanics are a work in progress, though, and transitioning from a passer-friendly spread where he's working out of the gun to a pro-style attack with him under center won't be easy. He's got to get the ball out quicker, get more compact in his footwork, and figure out the timing, movement, and balance that are part and parcel of a drop-back passer in a pro-style scheme.

I've thought long and hard about it, but I just can't really convince myself of any particular outcome as the likely one. For the most part, though, I think Lance has it about right. The physical tools themselves would demand a higher ranking, but he's going to take a few years to get to where we need him, and with the strength of the other players in this class, I just can't justify ranking him too much higher.
 

LCN

FB | REC Moderator
Sep 29, 2005
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Hey, guys, do you have a particular date that you are shooting for to release the CJC Part III? Keep up the good work.
Yesterday :)

Working on it right now . I have an Alzheimer's patient I care for which means while it should be posted in about 30 minutes , it could take as long as 3 hours . Fingers crossed .
 

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