Tag: recruit

USC transfer Domani Jackson spending Rose Bowl practice with Alabama

Former USC five-star DB seen at Alabama’s Rose Bowl practices

Coming out of high school, [autotag]Domani Jackson[/autotag] was one of the most highly touted recruits in the history of Southern California. As a junior, he earned All-American accolades as well as tying the California 100-meter dash record with a time of 10.25 seconds before committing to play football at USC.

During his two years with the Trojans, Jackson posted career stats of 34 tackles and four passes defended but ultimately wasn’t seeing the progress he needed to be a future NFL player. Jackson then decided to enter the portal on Dec. 18 and it was pretty quickly announced that Alabama and Michigan were the two leading candidates for his services.

Alabama has been out in Los Angeles preparing for the Rose Bowl, not far from Jackson’s hometown and right in USC’s backyard. Today, Jackson reportedly walked into Alabama’s practice with Bob Welton, Alabama’s player personnel director. With both Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold receiving first-round draft projections, it would make a ton of sense for Jackson to learn from Saban and come to Tuscaloosa.

Jackson is one of the best players in the portal, so that in itself would be a massive win for the Tide. Especially then when you factor in that it will be a major position of need for 2024 with Arnold and McKinstry gone.

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Alabama MBB and Arizona Wildcats set to meet in Birmingham in 2024

Alabama MBB continues to add to their gauntlet out-of-conference schedule’s

Under the guidance of Nate Oats, the Alabama basketball program is thriving in ways never seen before. From elite recruiting classes to SEC Championships to first-round draft prospects, Oats has completely changed the trajectory of the program. By the time Avery Johnson left Tuscaloosa it felt like the program was in a poor place, but stealing Oats from Buffalo was one of Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrnes’s best moves to date.

One of the things that have made the Tide so successful and fun to watch is the strength of their out-of-conference scheduling. In 2022,  Alabama took on UCONN, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Houston, and North Carolina all before even getting into SEC play.

The Crimson Tide has announced another massive out-of-conference game for the future as they will take on the Arizona Wildcats in 2024 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL as part of the CM Newton Classic on Dec. 18th. Arizona has been one of the best college basketball programs since the beginning of the 2000s and getting them to come into the state of Alabama will be can’t-miss TV for all the Tide faithful.

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LOOK: Alabama HC Nick Saban purchases new beachfront home in Florida

Nick Saban purchases a staggering $17.5 million beachfront home

Despite being 71 years old, Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] doesn’t plan on stepping down anytime soon. In fact, this offseason Saban doubled down on that by telling five-star recruit Ryan Williams that “he plans to coach until he croaks.” With seven national championships to his name and some historical recruiting classes as of late, Saban is at the top of his game and it doesn’t seem like he will be leaving.

Unfortunately, there will eventually be a day when Saban finally steps away, but he has made sure that when he does step into retirement, he will enjoy every minute of it. Saban is currently under contract with the University of Alabama through the 2029 season on an eight-year deal that will pay him $90 million throughout its entirety.

Recently, Coach Saban decided to treat himself to a brand new $17.5 million beachfront home in Jupiter, Florida. Jupiter is the home to many great golfers and has one of the greatest golf scenes in the world, Saban is a known avid lover of the sport. He will now be neighbors with guys like Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Gary Player, which I am sure helped finalize his decision on the new home.

The beachfront property is gorgeous as it features six bedrooms and five bathrooms at over 6,200 square feet. It will also come with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, a private garden, a dock, a boat lift and so much more.

Cheers to Nick Saban for living his best life!

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Alabama RB Justice Haynes viewed as one of the top performing CFB players in spring

Justice Haynes is a name that all Crimson Tide fans need to know heading into 2023

The Alabama quarterback situation is a bit hazy heading into the 2023 football season, to say the least. As a result of some of the inexperience at the position, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide get back to prioritizing the ground game and establishing control at the line of scrimmage.

Jase McClellan will be the starting running back heading into the season, but true freshman Justice Haynes has turned heads through spring ball. Haynes was listed as a top-10 standout player in spring ball and Haynes was one of the few true freshmen to make the list per On3 Sports. It’s impressive that Haynes is turning heads across the country without ever playing a snap of collegiate ball.

Coming out of high school, Haynes was the No. 24 overall player in the 2023 class and the No. 3 running back. At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds he is a bowling ball and will be very difficult for defenders to bring down, but he also has great breakaway speed in the open field.

In four years as a varsity high school player, Haynes put up video game numbers. He appeared in 48 career games with 777 carrier carries for 7,407 yards and 91 touchdowns.

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Alabama basketball listed as a top-six finalist for the No. 1 player in the 2024 class

Alabama basketball in the hunt for the top player in the 2024 recruiting class

Tre Johnson, the No. 1 player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, has narrowed his list down to six schools, including the Crimson Tide. It will be an all-out war to land his commitment as Alabama is up against some very reputable programs such as Kentucky, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Baylor.

Johnson is a 6-foot-5, 180 pound shooting guard out of Dallas, Texas who is already a very polished shooter. He’s great in a spot-up shooting type of role but also has the ability to create his own shot with such a lengthy frame. He has the ability to get hot and take a game over at any minute. Johnson has already scored 2,000 career points in high school and has been lighting it up on the spring AAU tour.

The only other time Alabama landed the No. 1 player coming out of high school was Brandon Miller; needless to say, he was sensational for the Tide. Oats’ has been incredible on the recruiting trail during his tenure in Tuscaloosa, and the addition of Johnson would really keep that momentum going.

All schools make sense for Johnson, but if he wants to be the guy, Alabama makes the most sense. He will essentially have a green light anytime he crosses over half court and will have a chance to grow and improve on the defensive end.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Johnson’s recruitment

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Alabama listed as a top-five finalist for the No. 1 TE in the 2025 class

Crimson Tide in contention for the top TE in the 2025 recruiting cycle

The one position where Alabama hasn’t always found the most success under Nick Saban is at tight end. O.J. Howard was once a first-round pick, Irv Smith Jr. was a second-round pick, and Cam Latu went in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, but outside of these guys, there hasn’t been a ton of pro potential from the position.

The Crimson Tide would love to get a key contributor from the TE position and they are heavily pursuing four-star TE, Davon Mitchell, of the 2025 class. He is the top-ranked TE in the class and a top-20 player regardless of position coming out of Los Alamitos, CA. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds he has a massive frame and would be an outstanding asset for any quarterback.

Depending on the site you look at, he varies between being a four and five-star prospect. This week, Mitchell listed his top-five schools that included Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Miami. Hopefully, the staff down in Tuscaloosa can earn his services.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Davon Mitchells recruitment.

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Former Alabama DT Antonio Alfano headed to Lackawanna Community College

Former Alabama DT Antonio Alfano finds a new team in Scranton, PA.

Antonio Alfano was one of the most widely sought-after recruits in the 2019 recruiting cycle and the Alabama Crimson Tide were ecstatic to land his commitment. Unfortunately, things never quite went to plan in Tuscaloosa.

Just weeks into the 2019 season, Alfano entered the portal and eventually wound up committing to Mel Tucker and his Colorado Buffaloes. Just like at Alabama, Alfano never saw a snap on the field.

After two failed stints in the power five, Alfano transferred to Independence Community College where he looked outstanding in spring practices but again did not play in the fall. For whatever reason, things did not work out, and once again Alfano was on the move.

He has committed to go play for Lackawanna Community College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. If you are a fan of ‘The Office,’ this should ring a bell.

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Former Alabama OT Amari Kight transferring to UCF

Former Alabama OT joining Christian Leary and Javon Baker at UCF

Former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive tackle, Amari Kight, announced his decision to transfer to the University of Central Florida. Kight was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and will join former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn in Orlando.

Despite not seeing the field much in Tuscaloosa, Kite was the No. 10 offensive tackle in the 2019 recruiting cycle and the No. 76 overall player. At 6-foot-6 and just over 315 pounds, Kight has an NFL frame and can be a valuable immediate starter for the Knights.

Kight was not likely to crack the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide next season, so the in-state product chose to assess all of his options. Kight will team up with former Alabama teammates Javon Baker and Christian Leary in Central Florida.

Ironic that the former Auburn coach keeps making calls on the Crimson Tide.

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Will Smith Jr., son of late Saints Super Bowl champ, signs with his father’s alma mater

Will Smith Jr., son of late Saints Super Bowl champ, signed with his father’s alma mater. He’ll be looking to make a splash at Ohio State:

Now this is really cool. Will Smith Jr. is following in his late father’s footsteps, having signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Smith Jr. is a four-star recruit for the 2023 class; the elder Smith earned All-American honors at Ohio State before being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2004 NFL draft. He helped the team win Super Bowl XLIV and usher in the brightest era of Saints football in franchise history, but was tragically slain in a 2016 shooting.

But Smith’s family has gone on to carry on his legacy, and now one of his children will be representing him at his old stomping grounds. Smith Jr. described the decision to sign with the Buckeyes as an “easy call” given his father’s history with Ohio State. He plays defensive line just like his dad did, and he’s eager to get to work.

And, hey, we can’t rule out the possibility of Smith Jr. ending up in New Orleans someday. The Saints have made no secret of the value they put on draft prospects coming out of Ohio State — their roster is littered with former Buckeyes like Chris Olave, Pete Werner, Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby, and Michael Thomas.

Maybe Smith Jr. joins them someday. For now, we’ll wish him well in his studies at Ohio State and look for him when the Buckeyes hit the field next fall. Good on him for taking his football journey to the next level.

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Notre Dame lands big-time running back commitment, Jeremiyah Love

HUGE get for Notre Dame!

Notre Dame has landed one of the top running backs in the 2023 recruiting cycle as [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag], a four-star prospect out of St. Louis made his pledge to [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and the Irish official on Saturday.  Love is on campus this weekend making another visit and made his pledge in front of family and friends.

Make no bones about it, Notre Dame is getting one of their top running back recruits in recent memory.  He can obviously run and is dangerous in the passing game as well.

Notre Dame won this recruiting battle over a few big-time programs including Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M, and others.  He becomes the third running back commit this cycle for the Irish, joining speedster [autotag]Dylan Edwards[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Limar[/autotag], both who are also four-star prospects according to 247Sports.

Love is listed at 6-0, 190-pounds and comes from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis.  He ranks as the 66th overall player nationally according to the 247Sports composite ratings.

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