Question: Recruiting Concerns & Questions

Padreruf

Hall of Fame
Feb 12, 2001
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Charleston, South Carolina
If you look at the past two years UA has had a lot of coaching turnover, particularly month those who were really good recruiters. We have had unprecedented success -- topping out in this last year's class which is the strongest since people started tracking such.

However, now we are finding commitments coming in very slowly. Is this a trend or are we just taking our time and getting new coaches up to speed? I don't think we have to have the top rated class every year...but we do need to keep bringing in top rated players.

When Coach Bryant started downhill it was in recruiting -- other teams were using his age against him. I imagine that has already happened with CNS.

Without hitting the panic button, can anyone this side of Jam help us understand what is going on...are we losing recruits or are we just being patient? I know this streak will not last forever, but I was hoping for 4-5 more years.
 

CajunCrimson

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Mar 13, 2001
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How many spots do we have open next year?

I counted 19 with Ridley, Harrison, Bo, Payne and Minkah coming out early

We may be less aggressive with fewer spots.

I may be counting wrong.
 
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BAMAVILLE

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Jan 9, 2014
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I'm thinking we will be in the top 5 again this year, not sure if we will be #1 because of the scholly numbers but I'm believing that we will feel all of our needs.
 

BigGunn

1st Team
Dec 5, 2004
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Pace, Florida
If we hold onto Jarez Parks, and I really hope we do, he will count towards next year. So down to 18. He really wants to come to Bama, but Mia, FSU, and awburn are all pushing him hard.
 

Tideflyer

Hall of Fame
Dec 14, 2011
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If we hold onto Jarez Parks, and I really hope we do, he will count towards next year. So down to 18. He really wants to come to Bama, but Mia, FSU, and awburn are all pushing him hard.
I would be surprised if the coaches aren`t in very regular contact with Mr. Parks.
 

Tideflyer

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Dec 14, 2011
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IMO it`s going to be interesting to watch how the combo of a smaller number of available schollies and the early signing period impact this class.
 

CHATTBRIT

Hall of Fame
Dec 3, 2003
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Falling Water, TN
It doesn't really bother me that we have just 3 commits so far. I believe the ones that commit in their senior year are more likely to stick than those who commit earlier and are caught up by the recruitment itself without too much thought or parental input.
 

WMack4Bama

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Nov 7, 2008
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I got a breakdown of what the staff's plan is for this upcoming cycle. There will be heavy emphasis on the fronts on both sides. Looks like we're taking only 1 QB. More than anything, our evaluations have to be better. We have whiffed on JUCO offensive linemen about 4 times in the past 6 years (one we had no control over in the kid passing away, but while Jackson was solid in the run game, he was a liability in pass pro. Carpenter was the same way. Scared me half to death with the speed rush. And he's the only one that I would say we've hit on). It doesn't look like the JUCO OL that we just brought in will not be a major contributor this coming season. The one that came in last year didn't make it past spring. Time to just get guys out of high school & develop them.

Isaiah Buggs will help to mask a lot of misses and missteps we made with the last cycle. There are at least 3 top 100 guys at other schools who wanted to be here but wound up elsewhere because we made some mistakes in recruiting. Cannot/will not go into details. The talent is there on our DL right now. But the depth of say, a couple years ago, is not...not even close. We may have 4.5 guys who are ready. And that 0.5 is Buggs. Motor, effort, talent is there. Coaches are putting in OT with him to make sure the mental part is there. And I'm not saying he's not smart, but for example, if you watched the Film Room with Ryan Anderson breaking down the TAMU game, they showed a play where he & Jon Allen communicated with one another without saying a word and they knew exactly what the play was based on the tells that the OT gave them. Guys like Hand know that because he's been here for 4 years. Trying to get Buggs up to speed on that, because we will definitely need him.

And to the point of whether we are declining in recruiting, don't worry. It is common for us to have silent commits from top 100 players (we, in fact, got a silent commit this weekend at A-Day from a top 20 player), and the coaching staff asks them to hold off on it to announce at these events. It promotes the program, etc.

So no worries. You're right, it won't last forever. But as long as that short guy is over there and he's healthy, it's not slowing down any time soon.
 
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TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
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Inverness, AL
And to the point of whether we are declining in recruiting, don't worry. It is common for us to have silent commits from top 100 players (we, in fact, got a silent commit this weekend at A-Day from a top 20 player), and the coaching staff asks them to hold off on it to announce at these events. It promotes the program, etc.

So no worries. You're right, it won't last forever. But as long as that short guy is over there and he's healthy, it's not slowing down any time soon.
And to add, other SEC schools do not have many commits either. LSWho has 3, GA 3, Ark 4, Barn 6, FLA 6 so no need to panic and we will end up with a top 2-3 class. IIRC, the smallest signing class Coach Saban has had is 21 so I would expect at least this many in this class no matter what the math happens to be.
 

WMack4Bama

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Matt Muscova said LSU had 16 commits as of this morning.


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They got a nice haul this past weekend. Ed O is gonna buy good groceries for Aranda & Canada to cook with. I mean premiere groceries. But Les's grocery shopping wasn't so shabby either. It all comes down to them properly evaluating and developing a competent QB.
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
12,185
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Inverness, AL
They got a nice haul this past weekend. Ed O is gonna buy good groceries for Aranda & Canada to cook with. I mean premiere groceries. But Les's grocery shopping wasn't so shabby either. It all comes down to them properly evaluating and developing a competent QB.
I know it is somewhat early in the rankings and rankings will change but 8 of the 16 LSWho commits are 3* per 247.
 

bama61

1st Team
Aug 24, 2004
655
29
52
North Alabama
Ok, now you'all have gone and done it! I'm now officially going to worry about the 2018 recruiting class, and intend to start doing so on December 4, 2017. Perfect place to schedule it, right after the SEC Championship game and well before a bowl game/play-off game, and just about two months before national signing date. If I've got to worry, I'm gonna do so constructively, filling the dead period with something other than bowl games featuring .500 or less teams. In my spare time between now and then I'll be composing my postings questioning the AD, scheduling, coaches pay, recruiting tactics and procedures, and the head coach's possible addiction to oatmeal sweets and its implications, and should we be firing that overpaid sucker. You gotta be organized about these things....
 

TheRealPokeChop

Hall of Fame
Jul 7, 2010
5,956
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Hueytown, Al
two things.

I believe there may be some re-evaluation of what the staff are looking for at some positions with the turnover on the staff and that may be effecting the number of public verbals, not exactly the number of silent commits the staff knows of.

Its also possible, and this is a guess, that with the early signing period coming into effect, it might not be great to "guess", so to speak at taking some commitments from guys that might have not made it on the board in February anyway. Now that Spring ball is over, I expect the staff to be hitting the road and the camps this summer and to see more commits becoming public.

I have a hard time believing no recruits left that a day performance by those freshmen as silent commits. If we have 3 commits in October than its an issue, right now however, don't panic.
 

allybama2009

1st Team
Jan 1, 2009
660
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Conway, SC
I read yesterday where D Pierce now is second guessing his commitment to Bama. I believe georgia is in his ear. Im assuming our depth chart has something to do with it as well. RTR
 

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