Tag: bama football recruiting

Texas vs ‘Bama: Roll Tide Wire talks Jalen Milroe, expectations for Week 2

Alabama writer shares thoughts on Jalen Milroe, Alabama in 2023 and Week 2 matchup with Texas.

The Alabama Crimson Tide plays host to the Texas Longhorns in 2023. It has potential to be the game of the year.

Last season, each team traded punches until the final whistle with the Crimson Tide leaving victorious. Alabama’s 20-19 win was one of the more confounding performances of the year for both teams. It led many to conclude either the Tide was falling off a cliff or Quinn Ewers was leading Texas to prominence.

In reality, neither of those things happened. The game stood alone as a singular performance that had little bearing on the remainder of the season.

To get a fuller picture on this year’s pivotal matchup, I talked with Stacey Blackwood of Roll Tide Wire to get more insight into the matchup.

UGA football offers 5-star Alabama commit

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to class of 2025 Alabama wide receiver commitment Ryan Williams

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams. Williams is a member of the class of 2025. He plays high school football for Saraland High School in Saraland, Alabama.

Kirby Smart and Georgia join Georgia Tech, Colorado and Miami in offering the five-star Alabama commit. Williams is ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the class of 2025. He’s the sixth-ranked receiver and the fourth-ranked recruit in Alabama.

The 6-foot, 155-pound receiver has excellent speed and plays multiple positions in high school. Williams’ versatility is something college coaches love.

It will be tough to get the five-star wide receiver to flip his commitment. Alabama is a very stable program, and the Crimson Tide consistently sign elite recruiting classes.

Nick Saban and Alabama finished with the No. 1 class of 2023 in the nation. Georgia did not finish far behind. The Bulldogs reeled in the second-ranked class of 2023.

The Saraland standout has excellent acceleration and a shifty juke move. Williams is a player that need touches because he is so dynamic in the open field.

Williams announced his scholarship offer from the University of Georgia football via Twitter:

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UGA legacy, elite RB makes surprising commitment

Elite running back Justice Haynes has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs. What’s next for UGA?

Elite running back Justice Haynes has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs. Haynes is ranked as a four-star recruit and is the third-ranked recruit in Georgia.

He is the fourth-ranked running back prospect in the class of 2023 and is the No. 50 recruit in the country. Haynes is not far from being ranked as a five-star prospect.

Justice Haynes, is the son of former Georgia Bulldog running back Verron Haynes, he previously played high school football for Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell, Georgia. Haynes now plays for Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Buford is one of the top high school football programs in the state.

Verron Haynes is a famous figure in University of Georgia football history for his last-minute receiving touchdown in the Hobnail Boot game, which gave Mark Richt and UGA a huge win over sixth-ranked Tennessee in 2001.

Justice Haynes is making his own name. As a junior in high school, he scored 31 total touchdowns and ran for an incredible 2,475 yards.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back was also considering USC and Ohio State. Justice Haynes has committed to the 2023 Under Armour All-American Game. Haynes received his scholarship offer from UGA in Oct. 2020.

Now, Kirby Smart and Georgia football will have to look for another running back to commit to the program in the class of 2023. The Bulldogs are an attractive destination for running backs, but need to find a new top target in the rising senior class or can try to flip Haynes.

Haynes announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide via Twitter:

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No. 1 JUCO recruit Malik Benson makes commitment

Elite junior college wide receiver recruit Malik Benson has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide and will be able to play in 2022.

Elite junior college wide receiver recruit Malik Benson has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide over Oregon, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee. Benson is rated as a four-star wide receiver prospect and the top JUCO recruit in the country.

The talented wide receiver has spent the past two seasons with Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. Now, Benson will get a taste of SEC football during the 2022 college football season. Could Benson see immediate playing time at Alabama?

The Crimson Tide do have a need at the receiver position.

Benson was originally a three-star recruit coming out of Lansing High School as a member of the class of 2021.

Benson has impressive speed and generates a lot of separation on tape. The four-star had scholarship offers from many of the top college football programs in the country.

The Hutchinson star has a track and field background. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver visited all of his top schools, but ultimately rolled with Alabama.

Kirby Smart and Georgia could still be looking for another addition to the roster ahead of the 2022 college football season.

Malik Benson announced his commitment to Alabama via Twitter:

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5-star RB Richard Young names top schools

5-star running back Richard Young has named his top three schools including UGA

Five-star running back recruit Richard Young has named his list of top schools.Young is the second-ranked running back recruit in the class of 2023.

Young plays high school football for Lehigh Senior High School in Lehigh Acres, Florida. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound running back is the No. 24 prospect in the class of 2023 and the No. 5 recruit in Florida. Young also runs track and has excellent speed for someone his size.

Richard Young excels in the classroom in addition to being a standout for Lehigh Senior. He has scholarship offers from most of the top college football programs in the country.

Who are Richard Young’s top three schools?

3-star OL RyQueze McElderry flips commitment from Georgia

Three-star offensive guard recruit RyQueze McElderry has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Alabama

Three-star offensive guard recruit RyQueze McElderry has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Alabama. McElderry decommitted from Georgia in early July and almost immediately changed his pledge to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

McElderry is a member of the class of 2023 and plays high school football for Anniston High School in Anniston, Alabama. Nick Saban and Alabama are always some of the best in-state recruiters in the country.

The three-star’s decommitment drops Georgia football down to 12 commitments in the class of 2023. The Bulldogs have secured commitments from a pair of 2023 offensive linemen.

Georgia currently has the No. 7 ranked recruiting class in the country per 247Sports. Alabama has the No. 19 ranked recruiting class. Both teams have plenty of room and time to improve upon their respective rankings.

RyQueze McElderry originally committed to Georgia in December 2021. The three-star offensive line recruit holds scholarship offers from numerous SEC programs, but his recruitment came down to Georgia and Alabama.

The 6-foot-3, 340-pound offensive lineman is very powerful. In his high school tape, the three-star offensive guard frequently locks into opposing defensive linemen and controls them for the rest of the play. The Anniston High School star played a lot of right tackle in his impressive highlights, but he is expected convert to offensive guard at the college level.

McElderry announced his commitment to Alabama on July 4:

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UGA football in 5-star DB’s final four

The Georgia Bulldogs have made five-star defensive back Tony Mitchell’s top four schools.

The Georgia Bulldogs have made five-star defensive back Tony Mitchell’s top four schools. Mitchell is already an accomplished high school athlete in Alabaster, Alabama.

The five-star defensive back considers Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, and Texas A&M to be his top schools. Mitchell is favored to commit to the Alabama Crimson Tide per 247Sports.

In 2020, Mitchell won a state championship (Class 7A) in dramatic fashion with Thompson High School. Mitchell has won three state championships during his impressive high school career. The talented five-star recruit is a rising senior and received immense recruiting interest from some of the nation’s top college football programs.

Thompson defensive back Tony Mitchell (3) breaks up a pass intended for Central wide receiver Karmello English (2) during the 7A state championship game. [Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News]

Tony Mitchell is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2023 and the No. 15 overall prospect. Mitchell is the No. 2 recruit in Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defender has desirable size for a cornerback prospect.

Mitchell no longer is strongly considering some of his previous top schools like LSU, Clemson, Florida, and Oregon.

The Alabaster standout announced his latest list of top schools via his Twitter account:

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No. 1 JUCO recruit Malik Benson sets commitment date

Elite junior college wide receiver recruit Malik Benson is ready to decide between Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, and LSU.

Elite junior college wide receiver recruit Malik Benson is quickly approaching the time to decide where he will play college football in the fall. Benson plans to commit on July 5th.

The four-star wide receiver has spent the past two seasons with Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Benson was originally a three-star recruit coming out of Lansing High School as a member of the class of 2021. Now, Benson is rated as a four-star wide receiver prospect and the top JUCO recruit in the country.

Hutchinson Blue Dragons receiver Malik Benson scores on the opening play of the game in the KJCCC semifinals against the Independence Pirates. The Blue Dragons beat the Pirates 42-0. Billy Watson/The Hutchinson News

Benson shows impressive speed on tape and has offers from many of the top college football programs in the country. The Hutchinson star has a track and field background. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver has recently named his top five schools of Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, Alabama and LSU.

The four-star wide receiver has recently visited Oregon (May 20), LSU (June 3), Tennessee (June 10), Alabama (June 15) and Georgia (June 17) per 247Sports.

It is good to see a JUCO prospect getting some love from Power Five programs. The transfer portal has decreased the level of interest for many JUCO players.

Kirby Smart and Georgia may still be looking for a wide receiver ahead of the 2022 college football season. Could UGA add to a few more pieces to the roster before fall camp?

Benson announced his commitment date via Twitter:

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4-star OL Earnest Greene is ready to commit

Earnest Greene is considering playing college football for Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Ohio State. Where will he go?

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools competing to land a commitment from elite offensive guard recruit Earnest Greene. The four-star offensive lineman played high school football for St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California.

Greene plans to make his commitment on Jan. 8 during the All-American Bowl on NBC.

The St. John Bosco star is ranked as the No. 2 offensive guard in the class of 2022 and the No. 41 recruit overall. Earnest Greene has good size at 6-foot-4 and weighs 330 pounds. St. John Bosco has been home to a great deal of high school football talent, including NFL players Josh Rosen and Wyatt Davis.

Greene has received over 20 scholarship offers, but is projected to attend the University of Georgia. Greene is rated the No. 3 recruit in California. Can UGA land another elite recruit from the West Coast?

Greene’s tape shows his position versatility. He plays both left and right tackle against high-level competition. Greene is particularly effective as a run blocker.

Greene is considering playing college football for Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Ohio State.

Kirby Smart and Georgia have the No. 3 class in the 2022 cycle in the country. The Dawgs are seeking their top-ranked offensive line signee in the class.

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4-star LB Shemar James decommits from Florida

Four-star linebacker recruit Shemar James has decommitted from the Florida Gators after a visit to UGA.

Four-star class of 2022 linebacker recruit Shemar James has decommitted from the Florida Gators. James originally picked the Gators on June 20, but has backed off his initial decision.

The Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide were among the top contenders for James, who visited Georgia for the Kentucky game. The four-star outside linebacker prospect plays football for Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is ranked the No. 10 linebacker in the country and the No. 70 overall recruit. James is the No. 4 player in Alabama.

It is always hard to win a recruiting battle for top in-state players against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

James plays wide receiver and outside linebacker. His team looks to get him the ball in space anyway it can. He sometimes lines up in the backfield. It is rare to see a wide receiver who plays defensive end/outside linebacker, but James has the size to star in both positions at the high school level.

James projects to be a pass rushing outside linebacker in college. He has excellent speed and could be a big-time difference maker in the SEC.

The four-star linebacker announced his decommitment via his Twitter account:

James was Florida’s top commitment in the class of 2022. The Gators have the 18th-ranked recruiting class in the country.

Will James be the latest player UGA has flipped? Or will the four-star linebacker commit to the Crimson Tide. Florida will still pursue James as well.

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