Quick commitment
Pierce Quick, 2019 four-star offensive tackle from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, revealed on Saturday morning, prior to A-Day, his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Quick informed Alabama OL coach Brent Key early last week of his decision. He made the commitment official when he spoke to Coach Saban on Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa.
I am sure some are surprised Quick is the only commitment (publicly at least) from A-Day weekend. It's not a surprise for Quick to go ahead with his decision. He grew up a big Alabama fan and has visited campus several times this spring. This gets him on board as an active recruiter for the Tide for the next two recruiting cycles. Reminds me a lot of Bradley Bozeman's early commitment to Alabama. He recruited guys for two recruiting cycles, and did a very good job. Quick is definitely one who will stay active recruiting guys whether it's at camps, on visits or even social media.
Will Quick's commitment to Alabama help with 2019 Rivals100 OL Clay Webb from Oxford High School in Alabama? The two have become friends on the recruiting trail. Quick plans to keep in regular contact with Webb with hopes of getting him on board with the Crimson Tide.
Bama in good shape with elite WRs
I think Alabama proved it has a few young, highly talented quarterbacks, and an OC who is going to throw the ball around this fall. It was good to showcase in front of Justyn Ross, five-star wide receiver from Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, and Jacob Copeland, four-star wide receiver from Pine Forest High School in Pensacola. Alabama considers both as 'must-get' recruits in 2018.
Copeland (riding shotgun) and Ross rode with Coach Saban on the way to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for the A-Day game. You can trust they are high on the wish list. Both were extremely impressed with their car ride.
Bama is in good shape with both of these elite prospects after the weekend visit.
More commitments coming soon?
Will Jacob Copeland put an end to his recruitment in the near future? It won't come as a major surprise after his fantastic A-Day experience. Jaycee Horn, three-star cornerback from Alpharetta High School in Georgia, favors Alabama after attending the spring game. Horn was named the DB MVP at the Rivals Camp on Sunday. He is the son of former NFL wide receiver, Joe Horn. He said on Sunday he isn't sure when he will make a decision, but Alabama is in great shape. Expect him to also rise in the rankings after an impressive performance.
Quay Walker, three-star outside linebacker from Crisp County High School in Cordele, Georgia, returned to Alabama on Saturday after naming the Crimson Tide his favorite. There was some thought Walker would commit to Alabama after the spring game. He held off from announcing a decision. He is one of Alabama's top LB targets. We will continue to keep a very close eye on his recruitment in the next few weeks.
Jalen Cunningham, four-star defensive tackle from St. Clair County High School in Alabama, remains on the verge of announcing his decision. Cunningham was expected to commit at Alabama's spring game. He did not make the trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday (grandmother's birthday). I spoke to Jalen on Monday evening. He said he is still waiting a little bit longer before announcing a decision. Auburn extended an offer last week.
Andres Fox, three-star defensive end from Mobile Christian in Alabama, attended A-Day. He grew up an Alabama fan, and possibly close to making a decision.
Alabama offers in-state RB
Asa Martin, four-star running back from Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama, received an offer on Saturday from Alabama. Martin has been on Alabama's radar for a while. Bama likes him a lot, but will still need to attend camp in June. Reminds me of Kenyan Drake.
Additional top 2018 targets in attendance for A-Day
Nicholas Petite Frere, four-star defensive end (recruited as an OL) from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida, returned to Tuscaloosa. He is one of Alabama's top targets on the OL. He is very quiet and doesn't do many interviews. I'm told the visit went really well. Bama definitely believes it is in the race for him.
Coynis Miller, three-star defensive end (he will move to four-star soon) from Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, remains a top Crimson Tide target. Miller made his third trip of the spring to Tuscaloosa. It remains a very close Alabama/Auburn battle, but Bama is starting to feel really good on this one.
A pair of in-state targets also in Tuscaloosa for the spring game- Myles Mason, four-star athlete from Pleasant Grove High School and Kevontae Ruggs, four-star linebacker from Lee High School in Montgomery. Mason is not doing any interviews at this time. I spoke with Ruggs at the Rivals Camp on Sunday.
Vernon Jackson, three-star athlete from Boling High School in Texas, is one to keep an eye on in the coming months. Jackson has kept his recruitment very quiet. He rarely does interviews. Alabama holds Jackson in high regard and happy to have him on campus for A-Day. Alabama likes Jackson as an inside linebacker.
Tyneil Hopper, four-star tight end from Roswell High School in Georgia, and Christian Tutt, four-star cornerback from Thomason High Schoo in Georgia, were also on campus. Both will get visits from Alabama this spring. Both will probably need to attend camp.
Alabama extends more offers during A-Day
Talanoa Hufanga, four-star athlete from Cresent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon
Tyron Hopper, 2019 safety from Gaffney High School in South Carolina
Will Bama lose another commitment?
It really won't surprise me if Alabama loses another commitment in the 2018 class. We see decommitments happen every year for many different reasons. A lot of times it's because recruits commit too early. Maybe there is a coaching change. Sometimes there is a mutual parting of ways. We can throw out all sorts of reasons.
Malcolm Epps, four-star tight end from Dekaney High School in Spring, Texas, decommitted from Alabama earlier this year. There really wasn't any concern when he informed Alabama he was backing away from his decision. Alabama isn't heavily recruiting him, and not trying to get him back in the class.
Damien Pierce, four-star running back from Bainbridge High School in Georgia, attended Georgia's spring game on Saturday. We've seen a few recruits from the Peach State who originally committed to Alabama flip to UGA (Jake Fromm, Netori Johnson, Tyler Simmons). Pierce visited Alabama two weekends ago. It was his first visit to Alabama since he committed last summer.
Alabama likes Pierce more than Epps. They want to keep him in this class. Alabama has some great young running backs (maybe you saw them on Saturday). Alabama wants a running back in this class. It's possible UA signs two (we'll see). Zamir White is at the top of the wish list, but UGA remains the team to beat.
Xavier Williams, Rivals100 wide receiver from Chaminade Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida, committed to Alabama earlier this year. There has been some speculation he may end up staying in-state with Miami as a serious threat. He visited the Canes last week. He does seem pretty solid at this time.
Jordan Davis, four-star defensive end from Southwind High School in Memphis, is very solid with his commitment to the Tide. Alabama has a pair of 2019 commitments with Quick (mentioned above) and Trey Sanders, Rivals100 running back from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Sanders was also in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. He continues to take recruiting trips, but remains solid with Alabama.
(Jordan Davis, Trey Sanders and Xavier Williams)
Five-star DE to visit Bama
Micah Parsons, five-star defensive end from Harrisburg High School in Pennsylvania, decommitted from Penn State on Sunday. Most expect him to eventually commit to Ohio State. He even named his dog Brutus (Ohio State's mascot). Parsons received an offer from Alabama last year. Alabama told him he can play different positions including running back.
He gave an exclusive to Rivals.com after his decommitment. Below is an excerpt
"My plan right now is getting ready for the SAT, focusing on school, getting bigger, and getting ready for the Rivals Camp," Parsons told Adam Friedman. "I think I'll take a family visit up to Penn State. Coach Franklin said he wants me to bring my whole family up there to talk to him. I'm pretty sure I'll be at the Lasch Bash too. I think I'll also go to Friday Night Lights at Ohio State. My Dad and I will probably make a trip to Alabama and Florida State. I think I'll commit on Signing Day or before the first signing period."
QB decommits from Kentucky (again)
Kentucky fans knew the end was near when Alabama extended an offer to Mac Jones in 2017. Jones would have a spot in Alabama's class as a second QB commitment if he had a great camp performance. Jones performed well, decommitted from Kentucky and shut down his recruitment with a commitment to Alabama.
Kentucky doesn't battle with Alabama too often for top recruits. Alabama did steal two five-stars from the Wildcats' backyard (Damien Harris, Jedrick Wills). Jarren Williams, three-star quarterback from Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, received an offer from Alabama last week. He has started to see his recruitment take off with several major offers.
Williams has remained in contact with Alabama since the offer, and is expected to return to Tuscaloosa this summer. He will also need to impress at camp for Alabama to accept a commitment.
Four-star WR names favorites
Dyami Brown, four-star wide receiver from West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, revealed his top five schools earlier today. Brown recently visited Alabama. He is one of Alabama's top 'athlete' targets. He can play on either side of the ball.
Rivals Camp miscellaneous notes
What I liked
- I liked seeing three five-star QBs in the 2018 class compete- Trevor Lawrence, Emory Jones and Matt Corral showcased their arms. These guys don't have to attend camps. They are the best players in the country at their position, and they are all committed. It was good to see elite talent on display.
-Clay Webb working on the interior. Webb is one of the top overall players in Alabama for 2019, and in consideration for five-stars. He works primarily as a tackle for Oxford High School. He is an interior player at the next level and dominated on Sunday. He earned an invite to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge with his performance.
-Jaycee Horn's performance. I thought Horn was excellent during the one-on-one session despite the wet conditions. He played fast and had a few really nice pass break-ups. He earned MVP honors at DB the day after attending Alabama's spring game. His father, Joe Horn, was on the sidelines watching his son compete.
-New partnership with Adidas. Rivals teamed up with Under Armour the last few years for camps, combines and Five-Star Challenge. The partnership ran its course, and now Rivals has partnered with Adidas. The registration was smooth on Sunday despite having to move everything to the Alpharetta High School gym because of the weather. The gear is very nice. I think I can be down with the three stipe life. I definitely like the shoes more than Under Armour.
-This story won't mean much to you all, but it means a lot to me. Robbie Ashford, 2020 athlete from Hoover High School, has an early offer from Missouri. He worked out at quarterback on Sunday at the Rivals Camp. He was impressive for his age, and I expect him to continue to develop into a very good player. His great-grandfather was part of my life for a long as I can remember. He worked for our family, just also our go-to guy to do everything. He would wake me up in the mornings before school. He was a big part of my entire family's life. He even would sit at the head of the table at my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. It's going to be a lot of fun covering the recruitment of Robbie Ashford no matter which school he attends.
-Dave's Cosmic Subs. I stopped in at this sandwich joint close to Emory in ATL. It's a solid sub spot if you are in the area. I ordered the Dave's World Famous which included roast beef, chicken and horseradish sauce. Very good!
What I didn't like
-Lack of star power from Alabama. Several top players from Alabama registered to compete in the camp, but failed to show on Sunday. Weather could have been a factor for some. Some were still in Tuscaloosa. It still would have been nice to see guys like Justyn Ross, Coynis Miller, Jalen Cunningham, Seth Williams compete at the event. They will not get invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. It's just like The Opening- you have to attend a regional camp to earn an invite.
-Big Boi a no-show. One of the most iconic duo's in the history of rap is OutKast. Andre 3000 and Big Boi really put ATL on the map when it comes to rap music. You hear 'Hey Ya' played every home football game weekend in Bryant-Denny Stadium. His son, Cross Patton, earned an invite to the Rivals Camp on Sunday after competing in the combine on Saturday. Patton attended the camp on Sunday, but his father who has a very busy schedule was not in attendance. Big Boi was on the Jimmy Fallon show on Tuesday night. Just would have been cool to meet him or see him on the sidelines.
Weather. You really could not have asked for better weather in ATL on Friday or Saturday. I attended the Sweetwater 420 Music Fest (Trey Anastasio Band, WideSpread Panic, Moe.) the days before the Rivals Camp and it was perfect. Then the rain decided to make an appearance on Sunday morning. It was cold, rainy and overcast throughout the event. Yes, the weather played a major role in several top recruits not showing for the event.
Five-star Challenge invites
Several recruits earned invites to the Five-Star Challenge including Clay Webb. Click the link below to see a recap of the players who earned top honors in ATL, and the invites to the Five-Star Challenge.
https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-3-stripe-camp-atlanta-awards
Pierce Quick, 2019 four-star offensive tackle from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, revealed on Saturday morning, prior to A-Day, his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Quick informed Alabama OL coach Brent Key early last week of his decision. He made the commitment official when he spoke to Coach Saban on Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa.
I am sure some are surprised Quick is the only commitment (publicly at least) from A-Day weekend. It's not a surprise for Quick to go ahead with his decision. He grew up a big Alabama fan and has visited campus several times this spring. This gets him on board as an active recruiter for the Tide for the next two recruiting cycles. Reminds me a lot of Bradley Bozeman's early commitment to Alabama. He recruited guys for two recruiting cycles, and did a very good job. Quick is definitely one who will stay active recruiting guys whether it's at camps, on visits or even social media.
Will Quick's commitment to Alabama help with 2019 Rivals100 OL Clay Webb from Oxford High School in Alabama? The two have become friends on the recruiting trail. Quick plans to keep in regular contact with Webb with hopes of getting him on board with the Crimson Tide.
Bama in good shape with elite WRs
I think Alabama proved it has a few young, highly talented quarterbacks, and an OC who is going to throw the ball around this fall. It was good to showcase in front of Justyn Ross, five-star wide receiver from Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, and Jacob Copeland, four-star wide receiver from Pine Forest High School in Pensacola. Alabama considers both as 'must-get' recruits in 2018.
Copeland (riding shotgun) and Ross rode with Coach Saban on the way to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for the A-Day game. You can trust they are high on the wish list. Both were extremely impressed with their car ride.
Bama is in good shape with both of these elite prospects after the weekend visit.
More commitments coming soon?
Will Jacob Copeland put an end to his recruitment in the near future? It won't come as a major surprise after his fantastic A-Day experience. Jaycee Horn, three-star cornerback from Alpharetta High School in Georgia, favors Alabama after attending the spring game. Horn was named the DB MVP at the Rivals Camp on Sunday. He is the son of former NFL wide receiver, Joe Horn. He said on Sunday he isn't sure when he will make a decision, but Alabama is in great shape. Expect him to also rise in the rankings after an impressive performance.
Quay Walker, three-star outside linebacker from Crisp County High School in Cordele, Georgia, returned to Alabama on Saturday after naming the Crimson Tide his favorite. There was some thought Walker would commit to Alabama after the spring game. He held off from announcing a decision. He is one of Alabama's top LB targets. We will continue to keep a very close eye on his recruitment in the next few weeks.
Jalen Cunningham, four-star defensive tackle from St. Clair County High School in Alabama, remains on the verge of announcing his decision. Cunningham was expected to commit at Alabama's spring game. He did not make the trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday (grandmother's birthday). I spoke to Jalen on Monday evening. He said he is still waiting a little bit longer before announcing a decision. Auburn extended an offer last week.
Andres Fox, three-star defensive end from Mobile Christian in Alabama, attended A-Day. He grew up an Alabama fan, and possibly close to making a decision.
Alabama offers in-state RB
Asa Martin, four-star running back from Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama, received an offer on Saturday from Alabama. Martin has been on Alabama's radar for a while. Bama likes him a lot, but will still need to attend camp in June. Reminds me of Kenyan Drake.
Additional top 2018 targets in attendance for A-Day
Nicholas Petite Frere, four-star defensive end (recruited as an OL) from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida, returned to Tuscaloosa. He is one of Alabama's top targets on the OL. He is very quiet and doesn't do many interviews. I'm told the visit went really well. Bama definitely believes it is in the race for him.
Coynis Miller, three-star defensive end (he will move to four-star soon) from Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, remains a top Crimson Tide target. Miller made his third trip of the spring to Tuscaloosa. It remains a very close Alabama/Auburn battle, but Bama is starting to feel really good on this one.
A pair of in-state targets also in Tuscaloosa for the spring game- Myles Mason, four-star athlete from Pleasant Grove High School and Kevontae Ruggs, four-star linebacker from Lee High School in Montgomery. Mason is not doing any interviews at this time. I spoke with Ruggs at the Rivals Camp on Sunday.
Vernon Jackson, three-star athlete from Boling High School in Texas, is one to keep an eye on in the coming months. Jackson has kept his recruitment very quiet. He rarely does interviews. Alabama holds Jackson in high regard and happy to have him on campus for A-Day. Alabama likes Jackson as an inside linebacker.
Tyneil Hopper, four-star tight end from Roswell High School in Georgia, and Christian Tutt, four-star cornerback from Thomason High Schoo in Georgia, were also on campus. Both will get visits from Alabama this spring. Both will probably need to attend camp.
Alabama extends more offers during A-Day
Talanoa Hufanga, four-star athlete from Cresent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon
Tyron Hopper, 2019 safety from Gaffney High School in South Carolina
Will Bama lose another commitment?
It really won't surprise me if Alabama loses another commitment in the 2018 class. We see decommitments happen every year for many different reasons. A lot of times it's because recruits commit too early. Maybe there is a coaching change. Sometimes there is a mutual parting of ways. We can throw out all sorts of reasons.
Malcolm Epps, four-star tight end from Dekaney High School in Spring, Texas, decommitted from Alabama earlier this year. There really wasn't any concern when he informed Alabama he was backing away from his decision. Alabama isn't heavily recruiting him, and not trying to get him back in the class.
Damien Pierce, four-star running back from Bainbridge High School in Georgia, attended Georgia's spring game on Saturday. We've seen a few recruits from the Peach State who originally committed to Alabama flip to UGA (Jake Fromm, Netori Johnson, Tyler Simmons). Pierce visited Alabama two weekends ago. It was his first visit to Alabama since he committed last summer.
Alabama likes Pierce more than Epps. They want to keep him in this class. Alabama has some great young running backs (maybe you saw them on Saturday). Alabama wants a running back in this class. It's possible UA signs two (we'll see). Zamir White is at the top of the wish list, but UGA remains the team to beat.
Xavier Williams, Rivals100 wide receiver from Chaminade Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida, committed to Alabama earlier this year. There has been some speculation he may end up staying in-state with Miami as a serious threat. He visited the Canes last week. He does seem pretty solid at this time.
Jordan Davis, four-star defensive end from Southwind High School in Memphis, is very solid with his commitment to the Tide. Alabama has a pair of 2019 commitments with Quick (mentioned above) and Trey Sanders, Rivals100 running back from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Sanders was also in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. He continues to take recruiting trips, but remains solid with Alabama.
(Jordan Davis, Trey Sanders and Xavier Williams)
Five-star DE to visit Bama
Micah Parsons, five-star defensive end from Harrisburg High School in Pennsylvania, decommitted from Penn State on Sunday. Most expect him to eventually commit to Ohio State. He even named his dog Brutus (Ohio State's mascot). Parsons received an offer from Alabama last year. Alabama told him he can play different positions including running back.
He gave an exclusive to Rivals.com after his decommitment. Below is an excerpt
"My plan right now is getting ready for the SAT, focusing on school, getting bigger, and getting ready for the Rivals Camp," Parsons told Adam Friedman. "I think I'll take a family visit up to Penn State. Coach Franklin said he wants me to bring my whole family up there to talk to him. I'm pretty sure I'll be at the Lasch Bash too. I think I'll also go to Friday Night Lights at Ohio State. My Dad and I will probably make a trip to Alabama and Florida State. I think I'll commit on Signing Day or before the first signing period."
QB decommits from Kentucky (again)
Kentucky fans knew the end was near when Alabama extended an offer to Mac Jones in 2017. Jones would have a spot in Alabama's class as a second QB commitment if he had a great camp performance. Jones performed well, decommitted from Kentucky and shut down his recruitment with a commitment to Alabama.
Kentucky doesn't battle with Alabama too often for top recruits. Alabama did steal two five-stars from the Wildcats' backyard (Damien Harris, Jedrick Wills). Jarren Williams, three-star quarterback from Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, received an offer from Alabama last week. He has started to see his recruitment take off with several major offers.
Williams has remained in contact with Alabama since the offer, and is expected to return to Tuscaloosa this summer. He will also need to impress at camp for Alabama to accept a commitment.
Four-star WR names favorites
Dyami Brown, four-star wide receiver from West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, revealed his top five schools earlier today. Brown recently visited Alabama. He is one of Alabama's top 'athlete' targets. He can play on either side of the ball.
Rivals Camp miscellaneous notes
What I liked
- I liked seeing three five-star QBs in the 2018 class compete- Trevor Lawrence, Emory Jones and Matt Corral showcased their arms. These guys don't have to attend camps. They are the best players in the country at their position, and they are all committed. It was good to see elite talent on display.
-Clay Webb working on the interior. Webb is one of the top overall players in Alabama for 2019, and in consideration for five-stars. He works primarily as a tackle for Oxford High School. He is an interior player at the next level and dominated on Sunday. He earned an invite to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge with his performance.
-Jaycee Horn's performance. I thought Horn was excellent during the one-on-one session despite the wet conditions. He played fast and had a few really nice pass break-ups. He earned MVP honors at DB the day after attending Alabama's spring game. His father, Joe Horn, was on the sidelines watching his son compete.
-New partnership with Adidas. Rivals teamed up with Under Armour the last few years for camps, combines and Five-Star Challenge. The partnership ran its course, and now Rivals has partnered with Adidas. The registration was smooth on Sunday despite having to move everything to the Alpharetta High School gym because of the weather. The gear is very nice. I think I can be down with the three stipe life. I definitely like the shoes more than Under Armour.
-This story won't mean much to you all, but it means a lot to me. Robbie Ashford, 2020 athlete from Hoover High School, has an early offer from Missouri. He worked out at quarterback on Sunday at the Rivals Camp. He was impressive for his age, and I expect him to continue to develop into a very good player. His great-grandfather was part of my life for a long as I can remember. He worked for our family, just also our go-to guy to do everything. He would wake me up in the mornings before school. He was a big part of my entire family's life. He even would sit at the head of the table at my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. It's going to be a lot of fun covering the recruitment of Robbie Ashford no matter which school he attends.
-Dave's Cosmic Subs. I stopped in at this sandwich joint close to Emory in ATL. It's a solid sub spot if you are in the area. I ordered the Dave's World Famous which included roast beef, chicken and horseradish sauce. Very good!
What I didn't like
-Lack of star power from Alabama. Several top players from Alabama registered to compete in the camp, but failed to show on Sunday. Weather could have been a factor for some. Some were still in Tuscaloosa. It still would have been nice to see guys like Justyn Ross, Coynis Miller, Jalen Cunningham, Seth Williams compete at the event. They will not get invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. It's just like The Opening- you have to attend a regional camp to earn an invite.
-Big Boi a no-show. One of the most iconic duo's in the history of rap is OutKast. Andre 3000 and Big Boi really put ATL on the map when it comes to rap music. You hear 'Hey Ya' played every home football game weekend in Bryant-Denny Stadium. His son, Cross Patton, earned an invite to the Rivals Camp on Sunday after competing in the combine on Saturday. Patton attended the camp on Sunday, but his father who has a very busy schedule was not in attendance. Big Boi was on the Jimmy Fallon show on Tuesday night. Just would have been cool to meet him or see him on the sidelines.
Weather. You really could not have asked for better weather in ATL on Friday or Saturday. I attended the Sweetwater 420 Music Fest (Trey Anastasio Band, WideSpread Panic, Moe.) the days before the Rivals Camp and it was perfect. Then the rain decided to make an appearance on Sunday morning. It was cold, rainy and overcast throughout the event. Yes, the weather played a major role in several top recruits not showing for the event.
Five-star Challenge invites
Several recruits earned invites to the Five-Star Challenge including Clay Webb. Click the link below to see a recap of the players who earned top honors in ATL, and the invites to the Five-Star Challenge.
https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-3-stripe-camp-atlanta-awards
