Isaiah Buggs to Alabama: Crimson Tide Land 5-Star DE Prospect

Isaiah Buggs, a 5-star defensive end from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, according to Scout, committed to Alabama on Tuesday, per James Smith of the Times-Picayune. 

Buggs chose the Crimson Tide over LSU, though he took the time to thank the Tigers for their interest:

"

LSU, thank you for giving me the opportunity to play in my home state. This decision was hard to make, but I will pursue my degree and compete for a national championship with the Alabama Crimson Tide. I just want everyone to understand how hard this decision was to make. Without having a complete coaching staff ready to roll, my family and I made the decision to sign with Alabama. Thanks for supporting my decision. Geaux Tigers.

"

Auburn also made an effort to sign Buggs, according to Smith, though Buggs was "a longtime LSU lean," making his decision to go with Alabama a slight surprise. 

It is also a major win for the Crimson Tide, as Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News noted:

Andrew Bone of Yahoo Sports concurred:

Buggs is one of the top junior college defensive players in the country, making the signing a big one for Alabama. He accumulated 75 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks in 2016, according to Scout, which offered the following analysis on the player:

"

Buggs is a jumbo defensive end who can and will make plays behind the line of scrimmage, but on a play-to-play basis he will play under control and get in on many plays. He was the team's leading tackler, so that goes to show how often he is around the football. He has a good motor that keeps running and does not stop and that will help him make a quick adjustment to the highest levels of the college game. His best attribute is his ability to play soundly against the run on a snap-to-snap basis. He has the strength to get off blocks and closes on the football quickly.

"

Given his junior college experience, Buggs is a candidate to compete for playing time immediately with the Crimson Tide, especially given that Alabama will again lose a lot of talent to the 2017 NFL draft. Along with beating out rivals LSU and Auburn for his signature, that is yet another reason his addition is big for the Crimson Tide.

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