Early commitments: Good or Bad?

[ncbama]

Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

Facts as I see them:

1. We have a very limited number of scholarships available for 2007.

2. We have the earliest commitments I can recall!

3. The number one pick in Alabama committed to Florida.

4. Our commitments are not prominent on lists of 100 best players posted by the recruiting services.

5. Much of our attention is focused out-of-state.

6. Historically Alabama has based its success on getting the best players from in-state and complementing them with a select few from other states, mostly adjoining ones. That formula has worked for the last 100 years.

So, what can we infer from this? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Too early to tell? Other?

 

[101stVet]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

I like it, I think we should recruit Texas and Caly even more. I don't want to forget about them big hawgs they grow in the Mid and Northwest either.

 

[Proxigean Tide]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

One of the difficulties associated with assessing early commitments is that the rating services haven't rated them yet. The southeast top 100 list won't look the same in October as it does today.

With that said, one of the crazy truths regarding player ratings is that the recruiting gurus often rate early commits lower, saving the coveted 4 and 5 star ratings for kids who will drag out the process, take loads of visits and keep fans heading to recruiting websites in search of a kid's latest utterence.

Recruiting websites have become big business and early commits get punished by the gurus for taking themselves off the market before said gurus can make some money off covering their recruitment.

Another phenomenon worth mentioning are summer camps. These started to become popular in last 10 years and now are a major influence upon player evaluation and resulting scholarship offers. There are more early scholarship offers these days due to camps and resultingly, more early commits.

 

[buzzincuzzin]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

CELEBRATION!!!!!! Take a closer look for yourself. Man for man, position for position. The seven or eight early commitments on the board would stack up well in any class of the last ten years. Even the gray shirt OLman could have been mixed in with last years OL class and nobody would have batted an eye. CMS may never become a media darling but, evaluating talent is not his weak suit.

 

[GrayTide]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Not a real good answer for this question since there are more early commitments than in past years. Have to trust the coaching staff in their abilities to judge talent and to fill needs.

 

[nivekstan]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

celebration for me as well, i think some of these kids will definately move up the on the all knowing recruiting services lists as the summer moves on. also, corley's recruitment isn't over yet, he still has an interest in bama.

 

[derek4tide]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Gotta love the gloom and doomers.

 

[doliver25]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Shula doesn't want "stars." He wants players that will buy into the system and play their hearts out. Don't worry, we'll have a great recruiting year.

Grampa always said that potential means that you haven't done anything yet.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Gotta love the gloom and doomers.

Amen to that, HT.

If we didn't have many early commits, you'd have people wringing their hands that "we're lagging the big-time programs -- we're never going to get to their level recruiting like this."

Now that we have a fair number of early commits, you have folks wondering if we have enough to go on to offer scholarships, are recruiting the right guys from the right places, etc., etc.

And we wonder why outsiders view our fan base as impossible to please.

 

[TideBeliever]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Ask about this class again in 2008.

 

[Proxigean Tide]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

No gloom & doom here, its just that early commits are not always a good thing. Players will emerge this year during the fall and may not look at schools that are "booked up". Also, seven months is a long time to a 17 year old...sometimes hard to stay committed for that long. RTR.

 

[yea4alabama]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

Shula doesn't want "stars." He wants players that will buy into the system and play their hearts out. Don't worry, we'll have a great recruiting year.

Grampa always said that potential means that you haven't done anything yet.

Refreshing perspective you have, or was that tongue-in-cheek? Unfortunately most of what one reads on any of these message boards is only about 'stars' and only the stars can deliver? Probably more than a few told Prothro he could not play SEC football at his height, but gratefully he didn't listen to them.

Bama's reputation was built on just what you have stated, by Bear in all his glory. It's a shame some have lost sight of that. Back then it was ALL about team!

How is grampa?

 

[CrimsonPaul]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

I'll have to say that I see NCBAMA's points. With a min estimate of 14 scholarships available we seem to be getting commitments from a lot of out of staters at present. The recruits that have verbally commited all sound like solid players and BAMA fans so we must trust our coach. He really surprised me with all the gray-shirts a couple of years ago. I have to believe the staff has a good plan going.

 

[califbamafan]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

I think the early signing are very positive. I have followed Bama football since the early 60's. And i agree with what one poster said that we need to keep people with team in focus instead of the I complex. The pkids we seem to be getting are in that mold. I see Alabama returning to the glory days and very soon. I say to the coaches keep up the good work.

 

[Boo Radley]

Re: Early signings: Celebration or concern?

There will be scholarships available for the top instate players. For example, Sidell Corley could wait until signing day to switch from the gaters to the Tide . . . there will be a scholarship with his name on it.

 

[BamaBobo]

Re: Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

We all need to understand and accept that coach Shula just wants whats best for Alabama football. I trust him and the coaching staff he has assembled. Were moving in the right direction, people. The recruits were getting are pretty darn good! Before long well be knocking people around like in the old days.:BigA:

 

[PattheCatinSaudi]

Re: Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

Check out the number of early commitments Texas has.

 

[funnyman4ever]

Re: Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

I'm excited for the numerous commitments that we are recieving, but it is a long way until signing day. Hopefully we can land everyone that will/has committed, but I wouldn't be surprised if we have a few recruits that turn to the dark side/change their mind.

It sure is refreshing that we are recieving sooo much attention this early- things sure are turning around for us.

 

[TerryP]

Re: Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

Facts as I see them:

1. We have a very limited number of scholarships available for 2007.

2. We have the earliest commitments I can recall!

3. The number one pick in Alabama committed to Florida.

4. Our commitments are not prominent on lists of 100 best players posted by the recruiting services.

5. Much of our attention is focused out-of-state.

6. Historically Alabama has based its success on getting the best players from in-state and complementing them with a select few from other states, mostly adjoining ones. That formula has worked for the last 100 years.

So, what can we infer from this? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Too early to tell? Other?

You are looking at this from the wrong perspective.

The ideal situation is to have your class filled by the time summer ends. At that point, you can spend the time in the fall and during the recruiting season focusing on the current Jr. class.

 

[RunBamaRun]

Re: Early commitments: Celebration or concern?

All the top schools are offering the top junior players. You either make offers to the kids you want or get left out. The top kids who want to put an early end to their recruitment and make a committment are very much welcome. The early recruiting (and committments) put a premium on evaluating talent and I will put our coaches up along with any other staff in the SEC in that task.
The Bama coaches will have a spot for any of the top instate players (they are interested in) so long as they believe we have a legitimate shot at getting them so long as someone better doesn't come along.......then it could be get on board or get left out!!!!!!