Tag Archives: recruiting

In a recruiting class packed with 5-star names like T.J. Yeldon and Landon Collins, a 3-star guy named Adam Griffith is easily missed.

Griffith (Photo by Scout.com)

But the Calhoun (Ga.) High School senior is the top-ranked kicker in the country. He’s got a big leg and proved himself in the clutch.

Griffith kicked four field goals in the Class AA state title game win over Buford (home to Tide commit Dillion Lee). The 32-yarder in overtime won it. See video of the kick below.

Booting the kickoffs this season, 82 percent were touchbacks and YouTube videos show several landing behind the end zone.

“Not only does he kick the ball far, but he kicks the ball high,” said Hal Lamb, his coach as Calhoun High School. “I think that’s what coach (Nick) Saban likes. He likes height on the ball. He gets the ball high on his extra points and field goals as well.”

Read more about Griffith and the rest of the Alabama recruiting class in the coming days. Now, here’s the video of his state championship game winner.

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We’re an hour away from the classic Hoover-Prattville matchup in the Alabama Class 6A title game.

Yesterday, Alabama commitment Brad Bozeman (Class of 2013) won a state title with Hadley. Tonight’s game features two of those pledged to the 2012 signing class and several more Division I prospects.

Prattville brings quarterback Justin Thomas and offensive lineman Caleb Gulledge. Both committed to Nick Saban already.

Hoover has sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey. That name is familiar because he’s the son of former Tide running back Bobby Humphrey. It’s still too early in the process for a scholarship offer, but Alabama and Auburn are both after him, Scout.com reports.

Check back for video and insight after the game.

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The Alabama football signing class of 2008 was easily the most celebrated in program history. A consensus No. 1 class, the group went on to lead the Crimson Tide to the 2009 national title.

Now, four years later, only 14 of the 32 signees remain with the program entering their final home game Saturday. Here’s the full list of that signing class and where they are today. (Starters marked with *)

Remaining
*Mark Barron
Undra Billingsley
John Michael Boswell
*Jerrell Harris
*Dont’a Hightower
*Barrett Jones
Chris Jordan
*Robert Lester
Brandon Lewis
Tyler Love
*Brad Smelley
*Damion Square
*Courtney Upshaw
*Michael Williams

No longer with program
Marcell Dareus (entered NFL draft)
Devonta Bolton
Robby Green (transferred)
Glen Harbin (Alabama baseball)
Destin Hood (pro baseball)
Mark Ingram (entered NFL draft)
Chris Jackson
Star Jackson (transferred)
Julio Jones (entered NFL draft)
Alonzo Lawrence (transferred)
Ivan Matchett
Kerry Murphy (medical)
Wesley Neighbors
Jermaine Preyear (medical)
Melvin Ray (pro baseball)
Burton Scott
Corey Smith (transferred)

Now answer the following question.

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We were the first to bring you news of the knee injury suffered by top linebacker prospect Kwon Alexander on Friday, now the diagnosis is in.

My old buddy Nick Birdsong at The Anniston Star is reporting it’s worse than Alexander first thought. A torn ACL suffered against Austin will end his season and begin an exhaustive rehab process.

“My knee popped, and I just fell,” Alexander told The Star. “I’d never felt it pop before. That scared me. … I thought everything was cool. I didn’t think it was going to be that bad. But it is.”

The report states he has surgery this morning with Dr. Lyle Cain — the orthopedist for the Alabama program who practices with world-famous Dr. James Andrews.

The four-star recruit is considering Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida State, and Oregon.

Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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A Friday night assignment sent me west for a little high school football. Austin lost 40-24 at Oxford, but the news for Alabama fans might not be as much in the final score.

Oxford linebacker Kwon Alexander, a 4-star linebacker, went down with a fourth-quarter knee injury. The senior being recruited by Alabama, Auburn and practically every other top program in the region was on crutches after the game and had his right knee packed in ice.

Oxford coach John Grass said he wasn’t sure of an initial diagnosis, but Alexander didn’t sound too concerned about his health.

“I planted wrong and my knee popped,” Alexander said. “But I’m good, though. I’ll be ready for next week.”

Before the injury, Alexander was impressive on an athletic Oxford defense that made running the ball nearly impossible most of the night.

Stay tuned for any updates on Alexander’s injury. Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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The news out of Atlanta is positive for Alabama’s recruiting efforts. Each of the recruiting networks reported a little bit ago cornerback Geno Smith chose Alabama over Auburn at a news conference.

The Atlanta high school senior is ranked among the top defensive backs nationally. With Mark Barron graduating and junior Dre Kirkpatrick’s name appearing in mock drafts, the need for reinforcements is there.

Read more about this later. I recommend checking out the top recruiting sites if you want the latest details.

Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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The news out of Hueytown is good for the garnet and gold in Tallahassee.

Jameis Winston, the nation’s No. 2 rated quarterback reportedly announced his commitment to Florida State this afternoon. Alabama was one of the front-runners for his services. See the Twitter blow-up here.

“Alabama fans, they’re probably going to hate me,” he said live on ESPNU.

The recruitment could be a long ways from completion. It sounds like big league baseball could snap him up before heading off to any college campus. Stay tuned, but this is the second straight top QB to opt against the Tide this summer after Gunner Kiel chose Indiana over Alabama last month.

Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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For the second time this summer, a top quarterback prospect is picking a college with Alabama in the mix. It didn’t go so well for Nick Saban when Gunner Kiel made his decision last month.

Today, the quarterback in the spotlight is a local. Jameis Winston of Hueytown is set to decide between the Crimson Tide, Florida State and LSU.

Reports indicate he’ll make the announcement live on ESPNU somewhere in the 2 p.m. CDT neighborhood. Keep it here for all the updates.

Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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R.A. Hubbard star Floyd Jones (Daily photo by Jeronimo Nisa)

You’ll have to check out today’s Decatur Daily for a solid story about a high school senior hoping to join the generations of Town Creek natives playing in Tuscaloosa.

Floyd Jones, a quarterback and defensive back at R.A. Hubbard is being recruited by several SEC teams. But he’s hoping to get that offer from Nick Saban and Alabama to continue the Town Creed tradition of Antonio Langham, Chris Goode, Clyde Goode, and Pierre Goode.

“I really look up to those guys and, maybe one day, I could be like an Antonio Langham,” Floyd told ace  Daily reporter Cody Whitlock.

Click here to read the full story.

Click here for all Alabama recruiting stories.

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