Signing Day 2/3/11
Never a dull moment when it comes to Alabama recruiting, huh? As I’m sure all of you know, yesterday, February 2, was national signing day, and for us Alabama fans, it was quite a roller coaster. When all was said and done, we finished with an excellent class, ranking from 1st to 8th nationally, depending on which recruiting service you believe. Personally, I feel like we did very well, but my enthusiasm is a little bit tempered because of one very high profile miss that went to our arch enemy. And yes, I’m aware that as of this writing, Cyrus K. still hasn’t made his final decision, but I think it’s pretty clear that he’s going to Auburn when all is said and done. If I’m wrong, I may have to make a few addendums to this blog.
Sticking with the format of previous year’s signing day recaps, I’m going to rank what I consider to be the top ten recruits in this year’s class. As you might recall, I don’t rank JUCO transfers, but that might be a mistake this year, because Jesse Williams could very well be the most important signee. However, for sake of consistency, I’ll stick with the prep signees. Here we go:
10) Bradley Sylve (WR) – Bradley is a speedster from the state of Louisiana that brings an element of explosiveness to our team that we sorely need. It’s hard to say if he’ll play on the outside or in the slot, but with Julio gone and Marquis having only one year left, we need a receiver to step up, and Bradley certainly has that potential.
9) Marvin Shinn (WR) – “Marvelous” Marvin Shinn is a little bit taller than Bradley Sylve, but has similar playmaker ability. Marvin is considered by some news organizations to be the top prospect in the state this year. Whether or not that’s the case, I do believe that we’ll be hearing quite a bit from Mr. Shinn in the upcoming years, and I think that the Sylve/Shinn combo is the best one-two punch we’ve signed at WR in a long time.
8) LaMichael Fanning (DL) – LaMichael is a big (280 lb) defensive lineman from the state of Georgia. He has the athleticism of a smaller lineman, and with his combination of size and agility, his upside is enormous. He’s a little bit raw as of now, but if he comes in focused and ready to work, he will be a true standout on the defensive line.
7) Brent Calloway (RB/LB) – Ah, Brent, our prodigal son. Brent actually committed to us about a year ago, and remained steadfast until a few weeks ago where out of nowhere he changed his commitment to Auburn on national television during the Under Armor All-American game. He changed his mind back to us on national signing day, which was a boon to our class. As a player, he can be a standout at either RB or LB, but Saban plans to start him out at RB. That might work out really well, because we missed on our two main RB targets this year. And yes, I’d have him ranked higher had he not flipped to Auburn a few weeks ago.
6) DJ Pettway (DL) - DJ is an extremely athletic defensive end from the state of Florida. He could be used as an edge rusher, or if he bulks up a little, he could move to the inside, especially on passing downs. My understanding is that DJ is an extremely hard worker and is extremely coachable. If that’s true, with this guy’s athletic ability, he could make a huge impact at the Capstone.
5) Dee Hart (RB) – Dee might be underrated at this spot. Rivals ranks him as a five-star recruit, and since we needed a top flight running back in this class, Dee’s signature was very important to us. A lot of people feel like he’s too small to fit into Alabama’s power running scheme, but I don’t agree with that. I think that an elusive back that can find cracks in the defensive line will fit very well into our system. Regardless, he’ll get his shot, and I can’t wait to see what he can do.
4) Jeoffrey Pagan (DL) – Jeoffrey was a huge coup for us on signing day, choosing us over Georgia after previously committing to Clemson. He suffered a knee injury during his senior season, and I think that is causing some folks to underestimate him, but in my opinion, I believe he’s one of the top players in the nation. He’s big, tall, and freakishly fast for someone his size, and more importantly, he’s a natural defensive lineman. If healthy, I expect him to play as a freshman. If it takes a little longer for him to fully recover, that only delays the inevitable. He’s going to be good one.
3) Xzavier Dickson (DL) – Yes, I know. Xzavier is a little bit smaller and a little bit slower than Pagan, so why do I have him ranked higher? Well, once you see him play, you’ll understand. This guy’s just a player. He’s relentless, fundamentally sound, and he just has a nose for the ball. I have visions of Xzavier and Jeoffrey acting as bookends in our 3-4 scheme (with Jeoffrey on the side covered by the Jack, of course), and I can’t help but smile.
2) Trey DePriest (LB) – I remember when Trey committed to us. I was on the road, and I had my wife Lisa monitoring the Twitter feeds to see if he decided on us or Ohio State. Even though he was favoring us all along, I was thrilled when he finally finalized his decision. Scout lists Trey as the nation’s top Outside Linebacker prospect, so it’s possible he’ll be that elusive Sam linebacker that we’ve needed, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move inside with his size and high football IQ. It seems like every year I’m touting another LB signee with “can’t miss” talent, and Trey is that guy this year. He has it all, speed, size, strength, intelligence, and he is a fantastic addition to our defense.
1) Hasean Clinton-Dix (S) – Hasean is the nation’s top safety prospect according to Rivals, and was an extremely important signee in this year’s class. He is the prototypical safety, with cornerback speed and good size. He has the frame to carry 20-30 more pounds, so after he spends some time in Cochran’s weight training program, this guy is going to be a 220 pound headhunter at safety with cornerback speed. He’ll see the field this year, at the very least on special teams, but probably in nickel and dime packages too. Expect him to take over Mark Barron’s spot after he graduates next year, and to be a leader of our defensive unit from that moment until he heads to the NFL.
You might notice that there is a somewhat alarming lack on offensive linemen on my list, but we did sign several quality linemen, highlighted by Ryan Kelly out of Ohio. But Saban himself admits that we fell a little short in that respect this year, mainly at the tackle position, and I think that losing Cyrus K. really kept this from being our best class since 2008. Still it was yet another outstanding effort by our coaching staff, and it certainly keeps us among the most talented teams in the nation. And by the way, if you think this was a good class, wait until you see the 2012 edition. Ooh Baby!
That’s it for now. As always, feel free to send me any questions or comments. Until next time, Roll Tide!
Kenny
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