College Football Recruiting 2013: Reuben Foster Makes Strong Case as Top Recruit

There isn't much Reuben Foster can't do.

The 6'2", 235-pound, linebacker/running back from LaGrange, Georgia wasted little time in committing to Alabama because he knew exactly where his talents fit best.

Down in Tuscaloosa, where Nick Saban's defense reigns supreme, big, athletic linebackers roam like buffalo on the open plain.

Foster will very likely be the next in that line.

He recorded a whopping 185 tackles (144 solo), 32 tackles for loss and 14 sacks for Troupe County, and he was one of only three juniors named a First-Team ESPN High School All-American. One of the other two is Robert Nkemdiche of Grayson High School, currently the No. 1-rated prospect ahead of Foster by both Rivals and Scout.

Both players hail from the state of Georgia, but while Nkemdiche will suit up for Grayson again next season, Foster will reportedly be wearing a different uniform.

About a month ago, reports surfaced that the No. 2-ranked recruit was transferring after the controversial firing of his coach, Charles Flowers. Foster was quoted by Michael Carvell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying, "I’m definitely gone, I’m leaving, I’m out of here. Coach Flowers has changed my life. He’s like a father figure. It’s just not right with what happened."

That type of loyalty is something that Alabama hopes holds steady throughout his recruitment, as Carvell also reports that Foster is still flirting with other schools, most notably the in-state Georgia Bulldogs.

But his appearance on the Georgia campus hasn't stopped Foster from saying that he's still very much behind his commitment, "I’m still looking at Georgia but I’m still committed to Alabama … nothing has changed there. I’m just checking out some other places."

In any other year, Foster could very well be the No. 1 overall recruit with his size, speed, tenacity and instincts, but many consider Nkemdiche a rare, generational recruit.

Foster's only weakness, if you could call it that, is in pass coverage, because more often than not, he's taking down the quarterback rather than covering a receiver.

He flies to the football, is a ridiculously sound tackler (which isn't common at his age) and will make an immediate impact wherever he plays in 2013.

You don't need to remember the name Reuben Foster, because he'll make sure you know who he is before long.

Here at Signed, Sealed, Delivered we'll spotlight a top recruit every day in one of our many daily features. Be sure to check it out and have your say too—we're all ears.

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