2009 Signing Day Recap
Yesterday, February 4, 2009, was National Signing Day. As you know, I consider National Signing Day to be like Christmas morning, but yesterday was more like a ride on the Cyclone at Coney Island! Quite frankly, the day started out horribly, with the first three players that we thought we had flipping on us at their press conferences, one going to FSU and two going to Ole Miss. To make matters worse, another odd twist found a top-flight WR switching at the last minute from LSU to Auburn, which paved the way for the guy that we really wanted to go to LSU. All in all, the day couldn’t have started worse. But then around 10:00 am central time things started going our way, and from that point on, every one of our prospects’ press conferences ended with a Bama hat on the head, and when all the dust settled, we finished with one of the nation’s top recruiting classes once again. How good was it? Depending on the service you look at, we finished either first, second, or third. Personally, I think we had a great class, but an objective viewer would almost certainly have to rank LSU higher than us. Had we gotten those three we thought we had, we would have taken it in a runaway, but regardless, I’m thrilled with the guys we signed. We certainly have come a long way since those table-scrap classes of Shula and Franchione, haven’t we?
Following the formula from last year’s signing day recap, I’m going to rank my top ten signees from this year’s class. Once again, it’s a tough task, but if I don’t do it, I’ll end up boring you guys to tears by talking about each and every recruit! Keep in mind as you read my list, it’s strictly my opinion, and will almost certainly differ from similar lists from professional services. Of course, I did include Don’ta Hightower on my list from last year….
10) Ed Stinson (DE) – We signed several DL in this class, but I have a feeling that Ed might be the one that ultimately makes the biggest splash. Ed is a little undersized to play DE, but he has the speed to be an excellent speed-rusher off the edge, and he can drop back in zone-blitzing schemes. This type of hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end is perfect for Saban’s system, and as he bulks up, Ed could become a monster on the end.
9) Kendall Kelly (WR) – Kendall is an interesting prospect. He started the year being extremely highly regarded, as high as the Number 3 WR nationally. However, he had some injuries this season, and he eventually fell all the way down into the 20s. Personally, I think he has a ton of potential. He certainly has the size and speed to contribute immediately, and if he lives up to his potential, he could be the playmaking WR that we need lining up opposite Julio.
8) Darrington Sentimore (DL) – Darrington is listed as a DT, but I find it hard to believe that he won’t stay on the outside, at least until he packs on about 40 pounds. He is an excellent talent with a nose for the ball. He’s one of those linemen that always seems to be able to find a crack in the OL and slip through into the offensive backfield. If he does bulk up into a DT, he could be deadly teamed up with Marcel Dareus clogging up the middle.
7) A.J. McCarron (QB) – A.J. is our most highly touted QB prospect since Brodie, and from what I’ve seen of him, I think he might be even better at Alabama. He has a strong arm (not cannon-strong, but strong), and he is very accurate. In addition, he’s fairly mobile, which I have always thought was extremely important in QBs. Plus, he appears to have great character. On National Signing Day, he drove down to Pensacola with fellow signee D.J. Fluker (more on him later) to attend Trent Richardson’s press conference. Did that play a part in Trent’s decision? Maybe, maybe not, but you have to think that was the move of a real team player. Great job A.J. and D.J.!
6) Rod Woodson (S) – Rod is listed as a DB, but I think he’s a safety all the way. This guy is a hitter, and he’ll be equally effective in pass coverage and run support. The physical presence that he’ll bring in the secondary is something that we need, and I think that the combination of Rod Woodson and Mark Barron will be devastating.
5) Tana Patrick (Outside Linebacker) – We signed an absolutely brutal linebacker class, and Tana stands out even among such an amazing group. He can do it all, cover, blitz, drop down into a stance and come off the edge, everything. It’s hard to say how quickly he’ll start contributing, but you can bet that we’ll hear his name loud and clear before he leaves the Capstone.
4) D.J. Fluker (OT) – I can hear it now. “Are you crazy? You have D.J. at Number 4?” Yeah, I know that’s lower than anyone else will have him. D.J. has more potential than anyone else in this class. His size and strength are awe-inspiring, and his raw power is unbelievable. He just has to work on his technique a little. I think that he only played on the offensive line for one year in high school, so I think it might take him a little time to be ready to play. Once he does, he has All-American written all over him.
3) Dre Kirkpatrick (CB) – Dre was generally regarded as the nation’s top CB prospect. If he comes into camp in shape and ready to learn from probably the best secondary coach in America, I think he’ll be in the rotation from Day One. We fell short on a couple of our DB prospects this year, but Dre was at the top of our list, and getting him absolutely vital for our football team.
2) Trent Richardson (RB) – Let me start by saying that this is the only list that you’ll read that doesn’t have Trent at Number 1. He is regarded as the nation’s top RB prospect, and he deserves every bit of it. He is fast and elusive, but the thing that strikes me is how hard he runs. This guy is great at avoiding defenders, but when contact is imminent, Trent absolutely punishes the defender. I don’t really know who to compare him to, maybe a little Emmitt Smith mixed with Glen Coffee (but more speed). I fully expect him to get 10+ carries against Virginia Tech in next year’s season opener, and as he grows with our young offensive line, we are going to see something special.
1) Nico Johnson (LB) – Nico is everything you want in an Alabama football player. He’s fast, strong, smart, and he’s Bama through and through. He’s a five-star recruit, but he committed to us early, never waivered, and faxed in his signed letter of intent early on national signing day. He didn’t need a press conference; there was no drama, no last minute second thoughts, nothing. When our linebackers coach moved to Tennessee because of his personal indiscretions, Nico remained solid. When opponents pointed out that we already have two young middle linebackers (Rolando and Don’ta), Nico remained solid. He’s exactly what we need at Bama. Heck, we need about 10 Nicos. Don’t get me wrong; he’s not just character; this guy is a player. In fact, I think he’s the most talented pure inside linebacker that we’ve ever had (slightly ahead of Rolando). You never know how these guys are going to progress, but I don’t see a weakness in Nico. He’s like a combination of DeMeco Ryans and Rolando McClain, with all the best aspects of both. One way or another, he will make a huge impact on our football team.
I know that I’m leaving out several excellent signees. Chris Bonds, Anthony Steen, Kevin Norwood, Brandon Moore, Kenny Bell, Jonathon Atchison, Petey Smith, the list goes on and on. We’re thrilled to have all of you here, and we can’t wait to see what you can do.
To Coach Saban and staff, thank you very much for your efforts. You’ve made us relevant again, and we all greatly appreciate it. Keep up the good work, and know that I fully understand how much you’ve done for our program.
I’ll probably post another blog in a few days with a few miscellaneous items related to signing day. There were a lot of happenings here at Bama and around the SEC that you might find interesting. Until then, feel free to send me any questions or comments.
Roll Tide, Kenny
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