Watching the Tide Rise with Great Commitments: Alabama's Best 2011 Commitments
Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) With some surprises yet to come, the staff at Alabama, led by Nick Saban has once again pulled in a bumper crop of talented high school stars to continue to keep the Tide high in Tuscaloosa's talent pool.
In absolutely no particular order, because too many great five-star picks went bad and so many one-star athletes become MVPs, let's take a look at some of the ones referred to as the "Lucky Seven" expected to be in the next group of great players at their positions.
Though there certainly are players just as important as these seven featured, these are the ones that may see playing time the earliest.
Jesse Williams The "Awesome Aussie" Nosetackle
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Can lightning strike twice for Alabama at this position after plucking someone from the Jr. College ranks?
Yes, if you listen to Nick Saban who says that Jesse Williams has the power, size and speed to possibly exceed what "Mt. Cody," Terrence Cody, was able to do in his two memorable years in Tuscaloosa.
After playing junior college football in Arizona after coming over from Australia, this is going to be a fan favorite just as Cody was.
Opposing teams will have to put two men on him every snap and that will create gaps that Kirby Smart, Alabama's defensive coordinator will love to exploit.
He's one of the top Jr. College prospects in the country as well the top nose tackle.
Does Your Opposing Quarterback Need an Exorcism? Call DePriest
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Trey Depriest is one of the great linebackers in the nation coming out of high school and he pulled the trigger early for Alabama, which helped bring other top names in as many saw this class quickly shaping up to be one of the nation's best.
Though Alabama is deep at linebacker, this youngster will be making a case for playing time early and often before finally claiming a spot for himself.
Watching film on Depriest makes you think of a young Rolando McClain. Before he leaves Tuscaloosa, he could be one of the great ones and that says a lot when you're talking about great linebackers who wore Crimson.
The Ohio native will be coming in from a long distance and many thought Ohio State would land him, but like others who came from so far, he'll be "home" in Tuscaloosa for the rest of his life.
Hasean Clinton-Dix Commiting Made a Lot Of Alabama People Go HA HA...
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It's no secret that Nick Saban loves great defensive backs with this athlete, he landed the crown jewel of the 2011 class. He's the right man at the right time for the right school and it didn't take Hasean long to realize that too.
He committed last year at Alabama's spring A-Day game and started paving the way to a top class.
The 6'2" speedy safety from Orlando, Florida is coming in at the right time. With experienced safeties playing their last year, this gives Ha Ha, as his friends call him, a year to learn the complicated Alabama defensive backfield schemes and then step in as a sophomore and earn a spot of his own.
He needs that year to have strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran to put another desperately needed ten to twenty pounds of more beef on him, but he already packs quite a punch and could see time as a killer special teamer in his first year.
Need a Great Defensive End? Who You Gonna Call? Dial Quinton!
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Quinton Dial committed to Alabama out of high school but ended up going the junior college route for his first two years. Now he finally gets to wear the crimson and he is considered one of the best defensive end recruits in the country.
Dial is big, really big for a defensive end. At 6'6" and around 315 he can bat down a lot of passes and with his quick feet, he will be planting quarterbacks in dirt all over the SEC.
With Marcell Dareus leaving early for the NFL, Dial may be coming in at the right time to earn himself a quick starting job. With only two years of playing time left, that is his intention from day one.
Need a Block, Don't Go in Shock, Call The Rappin Tackle and He'll Stop His Clock
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Yes, someone who is sure to make things lively around the athletic facility is Aaron Douglas.
The big 6'6" 285 pound offensive tackle was a freshman All American at Tennessee before leaving and spending a year with Jesse Williams at Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Arizona.
Yes, he is a rapper of some note, something not too typical of big athletic white guys from Tennessee.
He has great size, long arms and great footwork that could help him challenge for lots of playing time even in his first year. He would start on almost any other SEC team, but with D.J. Fluker and Arie Kouandjio along with others already in line, the chance of landing a starting job will be a battle indeed.
Nick Saban Was Fanning the Flames for Stealing This Athlete from Georgia
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LaMichael Fanning is just another top athlete from Georgia, stolen by Nick Saban and Alabama and it sure fanned the flames in the border war recruiting battle when he committed to the Tide in April of last year.
Besides being a top Georgia athlete, there is another characteristic that Nick Saban likes in his players, this player too comes in at 6'6" like so many others you've just read about.
This big tall defensive tackle comes in at around 290 pounds and is the prototypical big really fast defensive lineman from the South that the Big Ten and others are tired of facing in BCS bowl games.
Fast enough to run down backs from sideline to sideline and being a step faster than most blockers who will try and stop him, he should rack up some big numbers before he leaves Alabama.
Only Saban and Company Could Catch Bradley Sylve and What a Catch He Was
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A lot of schools say they've got a fast recruit. Alabama can prove it was national indoor track results.
Bradley Sylve will leave a lot of defenders grabbing empty air as he runs away from them.
He could be the next Javier Arenas on punt and kickoff returns and the next Marquis Maze catching deep balls over his shoulder as he pulls away from defenders.
All this speed is without proper coaching and facilities. In fact, his High School didn't even have a track, so he never got to run on a curved track until he showed up for meets. Can you imagine how he will blossom under the coaching of this great staff?
He makes the list of the lucky seven because he could see special teams play early and get significant play if not a starting job as a sophomore.
Others That Could Have Just as Easily Made the List That Have Committed
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Here is a list of the other commitments and as said earlier, any of them could be the big pick. Only time will tell...
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 | Shannon Brown 4 stars | LB | Adel, GACook | 6'2" | 225 | 4 stars | 5.8 | |||||||||
 | Daryl Collins 3 stars | WR | Gadsden, ALGadsden City | 6'0" | 190 | 4.5 | 3 stars | 5.6 | ||||||||
 | Xzavier Dickson 4 stars | DE | Griffin, GAGriffin | 6'3" | 238 | 4.8 | 4 stars | 5.8 | ||||||||
 | Phillip Ely 4 stars | QB | Tampa, FLPlant | 6'1" | 186 | 4.6 | 4 stars | 5.8 | ||||||||
 | Demetrius Hart 4 stars | RB | Orlando, FLDr. Phillips | 5'8" | 190 | 4.4 | 4 stars | 6.0 | Jim McElwain | |||||||
 | Chris Jones 4 stars | DB | Adamsville, ALMinor | 6'0" | 185 | 4.5 | 4 stars | 5.8 | ||||||||
 | Ryan Kelly 3 stars | OL | West Chester, OHLakota West | 6'5" | 270 | 5.0 | 3 stars | 5.7 | ||||||||
 | Isaac Luatua 3 stars | OL | La Mirada, CALa Mirada | 6'2" | 299 | 5.0 | 3 stars | 5.7 | ||||||||
 | D.J. Pettway 4 stars | DE | Pensacola, FLCatholic | 6'3" | 255 | 4 stars | 5.8 | |||||||||
 | Marvin Shinn 4 stars | WR | Prichard, ALVigor | 6'3" | 177 | 4.5 | 4 stars | 5.9 | ||||||||
 | Vinnie Sunseri 3 stars | LB | Tuscaloosa, ALNorthridge | 5'11" | 193 | 4.6 | 3 stars | |||||||||
 | Jabriel Washington 3 stars | ATH | Jackson, TNTrinity Christian Academy | 5'11" | 165 | 3 stars | 5.7 | |||||||||
 | Danny Woodson 4 stars | WR | Mobile, ALLeFlore | 6'2" | 200 | 4.5 | 4 stars | 5.8 | ||||||||
And There You Have It! The Making of What Could Be a No. 1 Recruiting Class
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Will this be the number one class? It sure looks that way at this point.
Just because football season is over, don't think there's no news left till fall.
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