The two most decorated positions… All in one article

With this last installment, we finally come to the end of the series introducing you to each of the incoming freshmen for the class of 2017.

You’ve all likely heard at this point that the most important position in the state of Alabama’s political structure is the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Well, Jalen Hurts has that distinction for now, but there are two new candidates joining the scene this year.

That said, the Crimson Tide has truly made it’s legacy in the run game, both in the past and in the Saban era. The school’s two Heisman trophy winners have both been running backs, and the pressure is just as high for these ball carriers as it is for the ball-throwers.

I will mention SPARQ and Z-scores in this article as a method of quantifying athleticism, so if you don’t know what that means, check out the little box below:

For continuity within this series, I will always use 247sports.com ‘s composite rankings for a player’s star rating and national and state rankings. All heights, weights, and other athletic tests come from espn.com, who integrates their data with that of Nike’s Combine results.

Tua Tagovailoa

Rated as a dual-threat QB, Tua brings pretty impressive athleticism to the table, though it doesn’t necessarily show up in his 40-yard dash. Instead, his short area explosiveness and acceleration for his size is what really separates him from many quarterbacks out there.

Going forward, his height (or lack thereof) will likely be one of the biggest talking points for his detractors. Also, he is a lefty.

Pros

In his techniques, Tua is an odd blend of the footwork and throwing motion of an older generation of QBs while operating in a spread-option style of play. He has quick, jerky feet when dropping back and moving in the pocket, and throws more with his lower body than with pure arm strength. These aren’t really good or bad per se, but definitely look out of place next to a more deliberate and smooth mover in Jalen Hurts.

Tua has the velocity on his throws to really thread needles across the middle on even intermediate level passes, and can get pretty good distance on his deep balls. He usually puts a lot of spin on his passes, which can make them a little easier for a receiver to catch, as the ball will spin into their gloves.

He’s exceptional at dodging defenders in the pocket and scrambling around to find another receiver. There’s a reason he’s been repeatedly compared to Russell Wilson and Randall Cunningham in the media (and I would add Doug Flutie as an even better comparison). He’s got the explosiveness and fleetness-of-foot to escape any hairy situation, and can turn what should have been a sack into a big play.

Cons

Like most any other high school QB in this day and age, he comes from a spread-option offense, where his responsibility is typically to look for the primary receiver, and if covered, run. For his credit, Tagovailoa is more likely to scramble and then look for another receiver than to just take off running, but I’d still like to see more confidence in stepping up in the pocket and progressing to the next read rather than bailing out backwards.

I’m also not totally sold on his ball placement, as he tends to throw a little bit behind his receiver, especially on drags and other horizontal routes. On deeper, vertical routes, his throws tend to rainbow a little, rather than taking a more laser-like trajectory (though that isn’t necessarily bad, if he has the arm strength to get the distance with a fast receiver… Think Blake Sims and Amari Cooper).

He’s a lefty. If the receivers aren’t used to the ball spinning in the opposite direction, we could see more drops. And the offensive line will have to block a little differently.

Prediction

Many are already crowning Tua as the next coming and believe he’ll unseat Jalen Hurts as the starter. I don’t believe that Nick Saban wants a 4th year in a row with a new quarterback, so I think Hurts will resume his role. Tua will obviously be the second best QB on the team, but will he be the primary back-up? Saban may try to redshirt the Hawaiian to give him an extra year buffer to be a starter after Hurts leaves the team.

Mac Jones

Though all four of his tests are very similar numbers to Tagovailoa’s, Mac Jones is nearly 35 pounds lighter than the Hawaiian, which drops his SPARQ score significantly (though he’s still a pretty athletic QB overall).

Though listed as a pro-style passer, Jones actually ran a wing-T offense in high school.

Pros

Quick releases and selling play-fakes is Mac’s name to fame. When it comes to executing a convincing play-action and quickly getting a screen out to a wide receiver waiting past the hash marks, he’s one of the best you’re ever going to see.

He’s also got great touch on outside throws such as corner routes, fades, and wheels, letting receivers cradle in his soft throws without ever breaking stride. His footwork is solid, if unspectacular, and he can make medium range throws while rolling out either to the left or right.

Cons

He short arms most of his throws, which severely limits any ball velocity or distance he might otherwise have the arm to accomplish. When throwing across the middle, his ball often hangs in the air and takes forever to reach his target. I also did not see any throws over about 30 yards from the LOS from him, so I have to assume that the deep ball is not a strength.

I also can’t speak for his pocket presence, as the nature of his offense was that of quick-hitting screens and play-fakes that kept defensive linemen from ever coming close to him. Maybe he can operate in the pocket under fire, or maybe he’ll freak out. I just can’t know for sure.

Prediction

I actually think that Jones will end up getting the bulk of any mop-up duty this year while Saban redshirts Tagovailoa. Ultimately, though, I think Jones was signed to be depth, and little more. That said, I’ll be cheering for him to prove me wrong.

Brian Robinson

As sort of an update, Brian Robinson recently ran a 4.41 forty during Alabama’s spring practices after he enrolled, making him the fastest running back on the team. So it seems he’s matured some athletically since participating in the Nike combine last summer.

Pros

It is my belief that Robinson is probably the most underrated player in this class. He’s big, powerful, fast, and agile.

He’s got a long stride that lends to his exceptional breakaway speed, especially for someone his size. He has a built upper body and runs with a forward lean, so any defenders aiming to hit him high or bring him down with arm tackles will bounce off or get run through.

And while you may think he’s just a size/speed combo guy, he’s got surprisingly light feet and can hop step through a hole or break some ankles in the open field. He’s at his best on stretch plays where he can build up a head of steam around the corner and down the sideline.

Cons

He is a bit top heavy, so defenders going for his legs can be fairly successful. It also somewhat limits his effectiveness up the middle, as he needs a little space to get up to full speed and really be able to use his size to his advantage.

His ability in the passing game, both as a blocker and a receiver, is untested and unknown. Whether he can develop there will go a long way towards determining how soon he gets playing time.

Prediction

I think he redshirts this year. With Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, and B.J. Emmons all returning, plus the addition of Najee Harris, I would guess that Saban will aim to get an extra year of eligibility on Robinson to keep his services around a little longer after the others start to leave.

Najee Harris

The crown jewel of this recruiting class, Harris was the #1 overall recruit in the nation by the opinion of more than one recruiting service. Athletically, he actually didn’t test all that well for someone of his lofty status, with only his twenty-yard shuttle really being impressive.

In some cases, it just goes to show that there is more to football than pure athleticism.

Pros

He’s one of the best recruits that Nick Saban has ever brought in for a reason. Najee Harris can do just about everything, and he does it all well.

Hurdle over defenders going low? No problem. Truck a defender going high? Check. Break some ankles in the open field? Sure thing.

And the list keeps on going. Through all of it though, his incredible balance and lower body power and flexibility is what really sets him apart. No matter how he gets hit or what kind of physics defying cuts he tries, he’s always going to stay on his feet and keep fighting for yards.

He has the footwork to pull off any move in the books, be it a cut, stutter, high-step, hop-step, spin, or a full out juke. He’s powerful enough to truck someone head on, or stiff arm a man to the ground from the side.

And past his running skills, he’s a well rounded player overall. He smoothly transitions the ball to either hand to keep it away from the defender, which is a rare quality even up to the NFL level, and should do wonders for preventing fumbles. He’s a willing and stalwart pass blocker.

Oh, and he plays receiver sometimes too. Throw him a fade in the endzone and he can box out two defensive backs to win a jump ball.

Combine all that with exceptional patience behind the line of scrimmage and the explosiveness to plant his foot and attack the hole as soon as it appears, and, well, that’s why he’s the best recruit in the class.

Cons

Um. He doesn’t have ridiculous breakaway speed and another gear to really pull away from faster defenders.

That’s about it.

Prediction

Though Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, and Josh Jacobs all return from last season’s rushing effort (all of whom proved more than capable of being a starter), Najee Harris will find a way onto the field. He’s too good not to.

He may not be a major contributor this year due to the depth ahead of him, but I’d expect him to be in national conversations sooner, rather than later.

With A-Day coming up, recruiting is starting to pick up. Let’s look at the top news from this week.

2019 defensive end and Tennessee native Joseph Anderson has picked up an offer from the Tide. Anderson is a powerful, quick end who can make an immediate difference on the line. Anderson is one of the top underclassmen in the early 2019 rankings. Expect Alabama to be in it until the end—with the Volunteers being the lead dog.

Chances Alabama lands Anderson: Medium

Top 2018 target and 4-star QB Tanner McKee recently visited Tuscaloosa. McKee is an accomplished student-athlete, holding a 4.2 GPA in his high school career thus far. The 6’6” gunslinger from California holds over 20 Power-5 offers. He is Alabama’s top QB target for 2018.

Chances Alabama lands McKee: Medium-High

The Midwest, particularly Wisconsin, is known for its large and talented lineman, and Minnesota is no different. The 2019 OT has picked up a huge offer from Alabama. Carroll holds over 10 power five offers, as well as Auburn, Arkansas and Florida State. Alabama looks to be in the drivers seat for the 6’6” lineman who visited this week.

Chances Alabama lands Carroll: High

Georgia native and highly touted 2020, yes 2020, LB Kevin Swint picked up his 7th offer from Alabama. The 6’3” outside linebacker plays physical, strong and fast. Coach Saban offered him on his visit to Tuscaloosa this week. Georgia looks to be the favorite.

Chances Alabama lands Swint: Low-Medium

In-state DE and 4-star prospect Coynis Miller recently visited Alabama’s spring practice. The 2018 prospect is planning to decide between Auburn and Alabama. He holds over 10 offers.

Chances Alabama lands Miller: Medium

The highly-touted, dual-threat QB Adrian Martinez has picked up a huge offer from the Tide. The Cal commit says he could see himself at Alabama and fitting into Bama’s system.

Chances Alabama lands Martinez: Low-Medium

2018 brothers, Justin and Jayson Ademilola, have picked up Alabama offers. The two brothers are both 4-star recruits and have both been committed to Notre Dame for some time now. Don’t expect anything to happen here.

Chances Alabama lands the Ademilola brothers: Low

2018 4-star DE and Alabama native Jalen Cunningham visited Alabama this week. Jalen has taken many visits to Tuscaloosa this year, making him one of Alabama’s top targets. Expect Alabama to close in on Cunningham soon.

Chances Alabama lands Cunningham: High

2018 3-star DT and Miami, Ohio native Tyler Bentley has picked up his 22nd offer from the Tide. Bentley is a large defensive tackle, at 6’3” 295 and would be a great addition to the line, but Kentucky has been the long time leader for Bentley’s services. Alabama doesn’t look to be a factor here.

Chances Alabama lands Bentley: Low

2018 4-star LB Amari Gainer has took his 2nd visit to Alabama. The explosive LB from Tallahassee has a top two of Alabama and Florida State. Gainer holds 19 offers, including numerous SEC offers.

Chances Alabama lands Gainer: Medium-High

Big time QB and 4-star Alabama Native James Foster has picked up his childhood dream offer from The Tide. The 6’3” dual-threat QB has a top list of Missouri, Alabama, Gerogia and Tennessee. Expect Alabama to continue to push hard for Foster’s services.

5-star QB and top 20 player nationally Emory Jones has visited Alabama for this first time. The OSU commit picked up an Alabama offer last month and just took the next step in the process by coming to see Tuscaloosa. Jones is an electric playmaker. I wouldn’t get your hopes up though.

Chances Alabama lands Jones: Low

2018 CB and Georgia native Jaycee Horn made his first trip down to T-Town. The 6’1” cornerback plays with speed and instincts. Horn holds an Alabama offer, as well as about 16 other offers. Alabama should be able to close out on Horn.

Chances Alabama lands Horn: Medium-High

Elite 2019 playmaker and WR Arjei Henderson has picked up an offer from Alabama. The Texas native holds over 30 offers and is committed to Oklahoma. Henderson will just likely stay put and stay committed to Oklahoma.

Chances Alabama lands Henderson: Low

Tom Allen brings in another secondary player for the 2018 recruiting class

On Saturday afternoon, Elijah Rodgers, a three-star defensive back from South Carolina, announced via Twitter that he is committing to play at Indiana University in the fall of 2018.

In his announcement however, he is still open to listening to other school’s offers.

Per 247 Sports, Rodgers is the ranked 16th in South Carolina and is the top-ranked defensive back in the state.

The 6’1” defensive back and Blacksburg native also had offers from the likes of Coastal Carolina, Cincinnati, Brigham Young, and even rival Purdue.

Rodgers joins safety Jordan Jusevitch as the only two commitments for Tom Allen so far.

Beautiful day for some football.

Northwestern football held its first open spring practice on a crisp, sunny Saturday morning at lakeside Hutcheson Field. Fans, recruits and media lined the sidelines as Pat Fitzgerald and co. ran through a number of basic drills, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 scrimmages. A few observations:

Offense:

• The offensive line looked about as you’d expect with Blake Hance, Tommy Doles, Brad North and J.B. Butler all getting first team reps. Interesting, though, was redshirt freshman Gunnar Vogel running with the starters at RT for much of the scrimmages. This will be a position to look out for, especially when graduate-transfer Trey Klock reports. “We’re getting better but we’ve got a long way to go,” Fitzgerald said of the offensive line’s progress.
• Clayton Thorson looked sharp in basic drills, but didn’t see much action other than tossing bubble screens when scrimmages broke out. Backup Matt Alviti had some impressive zip on his throws. Aidan Smith and TJ Green, who are battling for the third QB spot, both looked solid.
• There wasn’t much Justin Jackson, who will obviously be handled with care this offseason, and John Moten IV didn’t practice due to injury, but shifty redshirt freshman Jeremy Larkin looked good coming out of the backfield as a receiver and running downhill.
• Flynn Nagel appears to be the heir-apparent to Austin Carr’s No. 1 receiver position and he played like it today, catching virtually everything thrown his way, including a couple highlight-reel grabs. He also continues to field punts with first team special-teamers. “It’s not too tough handling both of them,” Nagel said of balancing punt-return and receiver duties. “But stepping up into a bigger receiver role is one I’m more focused on.”
• Corey Acker had a 60-yard touchdown run in one of the 11-on-11 drills. Jared McGee was not thrilled.
• Macan Wilson hauled in a twisting touchdown catch in the corner of the endzone from Smith to cap off a nice sequence for the offense.
• In a one-on-one drill early in practice, Jackson made a falling, shoe-string catch in the back corner of the end zone. As he rose back to his feet, ball in hand, Keith Watkins yelled, “What can’t he do?”
• SECRET WEAPON POTENTIAL: The offense ran a lot of decoy end-around action for Jelani Roberts in scrimmages. The operative word there would be decoy.

Defense:

• We learned today that Trae Williams will be out until at least October with a torn achilles.
• Warren Long is earning high praise from coaches and teammates alike after making the switch to linebacker for this season. “He’s learning every day, he’s embraced the role, he’s got some instincts and can fly around,” Fitzgerald said. “He was making plays… Great athlete, intelligent dude,” Godwin Igwebuike said.
• Igwebuike, who didn’t practice, also said he thinks a lot of the concerns swirling around the linebacker position will be resolved by the end of spring.
• Nate Hall, Joe Gaziano and Xavier Washington, among others, also didn’t make appearances at practice today.
• Watkins II was limited and sporting a brace on his knee. Fitzgerald said they won’t rush him back and that “baby steps” are being made for a guy he called “an all-Big Ten player.””
• McGee played with great energy and was all over the field today, laying two noticeably jarring hits in 11-on-11s. “I think Jared has really developed,” Fitzgerald said.
• Montre Hartage defended well in one-on-ones, looking especially physical in breaking up a pass to Solomon Vault in the back of the endzone during one drill. He needs to become more consistent this year.

Special teams:

• The Jack Mitchell era is over and that means we’re in for some spring competition at the kicker position. Mason Weissenhofer and Drew Luckenbaugh will be competing until true-freshman Charlie Kuhbander arrives.

Kellogg-gate?:

• When asked jokingly if the new Kellogg School of Management building looming over the practice field was a cause for concern because of the threat of ‘spies’ from other teams infiltrating practice, Fitz simply responded, “Still gotta block us. Still gotta tackle us.”

Other quotes from availability:

• Fitz on what they were able to accomplish today: “Game-like situations…any time you can put guys in situational football, it gives you an opportunity to teach a ton, and that’s what we’ll have an opportunity to do on Monday.”
• Fitz on Nagel returning punts even as one of the top receivers: “Sure. Absolutely. I just watched Christian McCaffrey go do it for a number of years, so I have no problem with our best players being on the field every play. If we started today, Flynn would be our punt returner and Solo(mon Vault) would be our kick returner.”
• Fitz: “Are roles clearly defined? Absolutely not. Spring ball, we try to…make it hard on them mentally so they can learn.”
• Fitz on the mood of the team: “I think the guys are pretty salty with the way we played early in the year (last season), and it always comes back to the way you prepare. We’ve got great momentum. We carried the momentum from the bowl win over into winter workouts, into recruiting…pretty cool to see the basketball team, that’s athletic department and university momentum.”
• Fitz: “We’re maturing, we’re growing, we’ve got some redshirt freshmen that are totally different guys today than they were week one of spring ball. We’re gaining on it, but this next stage after spring ball is so critically important for that. That little taste of the field for some guys is a hell of a motivator.”
• DT Tyler Lancaster on the team’s sense of urgency: “Coming off a 10-win season, I felt like we were sorta okay with that, and then we were gliding through thinking ‘oh, we’re good, we’re a 10-win team,’ and obviously showing up in the next season, that’s not the case. Everything matters. Now we’re pushing it like we’re 0-0 and we wanna go undefeated, and we’ve been working our butts off accordingly.”

The Frogs picked up a JUCO commit for 2017, and a WR for the class of 2020.

TCU football added immediate depth along the defensive line, while also landing a player who won’t be on campus for a few more years.

Tyler Junior College defensive end Michael Epley committed to the Frogs on Friday evening.

He has two years of eligibility remaining, and can play immediately, meaning he’ll be able to step in for the departed Josh Carraway and James McFarland, adding some much needed depth along the outside of the defensive line.

Standing at 6’3”, 255 pounds, Epley has an outstanding motor and great hands, something that allows him to dominate on the edge. He should come in and have an immediate impact for the Frogs.

Epley was also being pursued by Arkansas, Texas Tech, and a handful of other schools.

While Epley will be an immediate addition to the team, TCU got another commitment that they’ll have to wait on a while.

Wide receiver Jacobi Bellazin, the No. 1 receiver in the state of Louisiana, gave his pledge to the Horned Frogs. It’s a big commitment, but the Frogs will need to be patient, as Bellazin is just a freshman; part of the recruiting class of 2020.

While the Frogs have to wait three years for Bellazin to get to campus, he’ll be worth the wait, according to SB Nation recruiting expert Bud Elliott.

247 Sports’ Barton Simmons also had good things to say about Bellazin, while the receiver participated in the The Opening New Orleans, saying he was arguably the “best route-runner” at the event. That even included the No. 1 receiver for the 2018 class, Terrace Marshall (another TCU target), as well as a bevy of other elite receivers.

Bellazin currently holds offers from Georgia, Utah, Purdue, Kansas, and a few others, but he’ll likely start seeing more offers come in after his performance at The Opening.

The Cowboys had some 2018 prospects in Stillwater this weekend

Recruiting season never truly ends.

On Saturday, Oklahoma State played host to two 2018 4-star recruits; Tight End Mustapha Muhammad and Inside Linebacker Chad Bailey.

Muhammad and Bailey are teammates at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas.

Muhammad, a 6-foot-4, 235 lb. tight end has offers from more than 30 schools, including Clemson, Texas, LSU, Florida State, and others. In 2016, he caught 29 passes for 430 yards and four touchdowns.

Check out his HUDL highlights.

Muhammad is obviously a highly coveted player, and while there is mutual interest between he and the coaches, I’m not sure how high Oklahoma State really is on his list.

Teammate Chad Bailey also made the trip this weekend. According to 247Sports, he doesn’t currently have an offer from Oklahoma State. I expect that could change shortly.

Last year, the 6-foot, 238 lb. linebacker totaled 99 tackles and 5 sacks, forced 3 fumbles and nabbed 2 interceptions.

Right now, Oklahoma State has a tight end in Nic McTear and linebacker in Blake Barron, committed to the 2018 class.

The sought-after quality control coach isn’t confirming a return to the Gators just yet.

It was reported on Friday that Alabama football analyst Mike Locksley would return to the on-field coaching ranks with Florida in 2017. On Saturday, in the wake of Alabama’s Peach Bowl triumph over Washington, Locksley spoke for the first time since those reports — and clarified them, sort of.

It’s worth noting, as well, that AL.com reporter Matt Zenitz and Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman both tweeted on Friday — in remarkably similar tweets — that they were told that reports of Locksley agreeing to join the Gators were “premature.”

To be clear, I don’t think Feldman plagiarized Zenitz, or anything like that — but I do think it’s entirely possible that the same or very closely related sources told Zenitz and Feldman the same thing.

And I also think that reading between the lines, triangulating recent reporting with quieter reporting from Florida beat writers — who have discussed the possibility of Locksley rejoining the Gators for days — and thinking about things from Locksley’s perspective are all worth doing.

The practical value of Zenitz and Feldman reporting that Locksley has not yet agreed to a position with Florida is the “not yet” — which is, notably, far from a denial. What Locksley’s quote to McMurphy says is that he hasn’t been offered Florida’s offensive coordinator position — which is currently held by Doug Nussmeier, who is unlikely to leave Florida, and which no one reported Locksley was offered, anyway — and is sticking with Alabama through the College Football Playoff, which was widely assumed.

A few Alabama assistants have stayed with the Crimson Tide through the Playoff before planned departures over the last two years, as well. Then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart remained with the Tide in 2015 before leaving for Georgia, as did defensive backs coach Mel Tucker, who is now Smart’s defensive coordinator in Athens. Lane Kiffin is coaching Alabama’s offense in this Playoff — for better or worse — before departing for Florida Atlantic.

Locksley, though, is blocked at every step with Alabama, which will likely have a full offensive staff even after Kiffin’s departure. Kiffin — who quite possibly pitched Locksley on joining him in Boca Raton, given reporting earlier in December that suggested he was interested in bringing Locksley along, which was promptly batted down as inaccurate — has plucked just two Alabama secondary staffers for his FAU staff, assistant strength coach Wilson Love and offensive analyst Charlie Weis, Jr., and would seem unlikely to remove incoming offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, running backs coach Burton Burns, wide receivers coach Billy Napier, or offensive line coaches Mario Cristobal and Brent Key from Nick Saban’s staff.

Burns and Cristobal have associate and assistant head coach titles, respectively, and any of the other coaches from what looks like Alabama’s 2017 offensive staff would assuredly be taking a pay cut to join Kiffin — Kiffin himself is doing so, after all.

Locksley, meanwhile, is making $45,000 as an Alabama analyst — peanuts in college coaching, though far more than most schools can offer off-field coaches — and would have the chance to make perhaps 10 times his salary if he comes to Florida, even if he does not take on the duties of offensive coordinator. No Florida coach is making under $285,000 in 2016, and Locksley’s experience might well command a salary near $500,000, in a band that would put him on par with Nussmeier, respected defensive line coach Chris Rumph, and veteran offensive line coach Mike Summers.

Florida’s staff might also be in for another round of small raises, with Geoff Collins leaving for Temple freeing up almost $900,000 for Florida’s salary pool even before any consideration of the staff leading the Gators to a second consecutive SEC Championship Game appearance.

Locksley likely does not have a signed contract with Florida at this moment; if he did, I can’t imagine he would be staying with Alabama for the next week, rather than joining Florida as soon as possible to help with the sprint to National Signing Day. He has quite possibly not been “offered” any job — offensive coordinator, running backs coach, recruiting coordinator, unspecified position — by the Gators, either, given how that word is used both expansively and narrowly in college football to convey both informal and formal overtures, and Jim McElwain’s cagey responses to questions about staff changes this offseason.

And it remains possible that Locksley won’t come to Florida after all, because nutty things happen all the time in this nutty industry.

Put that all together, and I think that it’s most likely that Locksley will, eventually, end up at Florida — or, perhaps, another school that can give him a significant raise, though Florida is clearly the favorite to hire him — even if it takes a little while for him to extricate himself from the Alabama machine.

And so long as that likelihood becomes a reality, it will be a significant win for Florida.

Four Star linebacker Nathan Proctor committed to the Hokies at the Under Armour All-American game today. Let’s take a look at his highlights.

At the Under Armour All-American Game today, the Hokies picked up a much needed commitment from a highly sought-after prospect. Indian Head (MD) linebacker/defensive end Nathan Proctor picked the Hokies from a host of other offers, including Pitt, Penn State, Ole Miss, Cal, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, UNC, ND, and others. Proctor is rated at four stars across the board- ESPN, Scout, 247, and Rivals. Scout has him as the 161^st rated prospect overall and the 11^th best OLB on the board, ESPN has him as the 6^th rated outside linebacker and the 100^th best national prospect, 247 has him as the 148^th best prospect and the 9^th best OLB. Rivals still has him as a 4 star, but their review isn’t as glowing.

Let’s discuss his merits and deficiencies by going over film.

Nathan Proctor (Indian Head, MD. 6’-3”, 220lbs. Outside Linebacker/Defensive End)

Proctor, to me, is going to be an interesting case. I don’t think he’s got the edge-rush speed to be the defensive end that I hear that the coaching staff wants him to be. He tracks the ball well, and definitely can run down people. I mean, the reason he’s rated so highly is his size to speed ratio- he’s fast for a dude as large as he is- but because of the fact that he doesn’t play a ton of defensive end (that I can see, mostly due to the fact that all I’ve got are highlights, not true tape), I’m doing guesswork here. He’s got the right frame for a Foster/Wiles end- he’s longer and narrower- but I’d honestly rather him be a standup outside linebacker in the Tremaine Edmunds mode. Now, unfortunately, that’d mean he wouldn’t see the field for a while- Tremaine still needs more work, and is only a sophomore. He’d definitely be the starter for at least another year (if he breaks out even more his junior year, we could lose him to the draft, but he’s still kind of narrow for the pros). Granted, it would give us a chance to redshirt Proctor and then move him up. But right now I suppose the need is at defensive end, where Mihota and Hill will be out for the spring practices and the main competitors to Houshon Gaines will be Jimmie Taylor (a redshirt freshman next year), and Seth Dooley (a redshirt senior if he comes back). Considering what Tech expects to land in the rest of the class, they’ll be sticking Proctor down with a hand in the dirt. We’ll see what comes of it, but regardless, it’s good to get a very talented recruit onboard, and hopefully it portends more good things to come.

Welcome Nathan, and go Hokies!

Dylan Moses, Alex Leatherwood, Jerry Jeudy and more.

Eight Alabama commits will take part in the 2017 Under Armour All-America Game. The game will be played Jan. 1, 2017 in Orlando, FL, airing on ESPN at noon CT / 1pm ET.

TEAM ARMOUR (White uniforms):

#6 LB Dylan Moses (Baton Rouge, LA/IMG Academy) – Top 10 player overall.

#70 OT Alex Leatherwood (Pensacola, FL/Booker T. Washington High School) – Top 10 player overall.

#4 WR Jerry Jeudy (Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach High School) – 5-star, Top 4 WR.

#96 DT Akial Byers (Fayetteville, AR/Fayetteville High School) – 4-star, top 10 DT.

#8 LB Markail Benton (Phenix City, AL/Central High School) – 4-star, top 5 OLB.

TEAM HIGHLIGHT (Dark uniforms):

#67 OG Jedrick Wills Lexington, KY/Lafayette High School) – 4-star, top 10 OT.

#4 LB Chris Allen (Baton Rouge, LA/Southern University Lab) – 4-star, top 10 OLB.

#10 S Daniel Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Boyd Anderson High School) – 4-star, recent flip from FSU.

As always, some recruits will be announcing their commitment but none are expected to pick Alabama. Two outside possibilities:

• Deangelo Gibbs 6-3, 205-pound #3 safety from Suwanee, GA is supposed to announce during the first break of the 3rd Quarter. He’ll likely pick UGA but Bama has a shot at him.
• Xavier McKinney 6-1, 192-pound #5 safety from Roswell, GA is a Clemson lean.

One interesting/odd/gaudy aspect of the game is that players will wear state-specific cleats:

Which State are you reppin? #IWILL pic.twitter.com/YxiNLWe7Zn

— All-America Game (@AllAmericaGame) December 27, 2016

And a round of applause for the outgunned Silver Bullets.

For any number of reasons, 2016 was seemingly tough on the human race. People were mad online 24/7. Tumult was everywhere. Numerous real celebrities bit the dust, many of whom had varying degrees of impact on a great number of people. And, of course, Ohio State was humiliated by Clemson in the College Football Playoff. Admittedly, the author looks back on 2016 and owns not-great-Bob thoughts about the past 365 days.

But, 2017 is here. Allow me to make the case for sanity.

Before reaching for hate, remember that we all inhabit this planet together. We need each other. We need to open doors for one another and to come home to smiling faces. We need warmth to triumph over cruelty.

Now, having said all that, I’ll probably still ring in the new year by watching The Godfather tonight.

Cheers, y’all. Let’s rank stuff.

1. (Maybe) Browns fans

After Deshaun Watson’s third straight monster showing (316 total yards, 3 TDs) in a College Football Playoff game — last season, Watson racked up 332 total yards and 2 TDs vs. Oklahoma, and 478 yards and 4 TDs vs. Alabama — the Browns surely can’t pass up Watson with the (presumed) No. 1 overall pick, can they?

2. Perspective

Matt did a great job out of outlining the positives from Ohio State’s 2016 season here, but I harbor many of the same sentiments. The most inexperienced team in the nation overachieved by tallying two incredible road victories, beating the best Michigan team since Bush Jr.’s first term, and overcoming some clear recruiting misfires on the offensive line and wide receiver. The sting of last night will linger for awhile, but 2016 was a triumph for the Buckeyes.

3. The returnees

Offensive guard Billy Price and defensive end Sam Hubbard are both on record saying they are returning to Columbus, with the former on the Elflein Plan and moving to center.

The Buckeyes are going to lose more studs (Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker, etc.) to the NFL draft than the public (and perhaps even the program) anticipated entering the season, but bringing back Price and Hubbard will add a nice veteran touch to what will be a still-young outfit in 2017.

4. Deshaun Watson, troll

I can appreciate a well-played heel move as much as anyone. Nicely done, sir.

5. The defense

Yours truly is as big of a numbers guy as any, but in this case, the fact that Clemson racked up 31 points and 470 yards of offense fails to illustrate the solid job the Silver Bullets did on Saturday night.

On seven first half drives, but the Buckeyes defense did its job, keeping the Tigers’ vaunted offense to 17 points and notching a pair of interceptions. Ohio State’s D also limited Clemson to 49 yards and three points on its first three possessions post-intermission.

Before running out of gas late in the game thanks to a non-existent offense, the Buckeyes defense mostly bottled up Clemson’s run game and kept Watson from going completely crazy — which is all any reasonable Ohio State fan could have asked of a unit going up against an offense with the potential first pick in the NFL draft and future skill position pros everywhere.

As Larry Bird once told this writer, “Sometimes, shit just doesn’t work out.”

6. Jadar Johnson, keepin’ it real

Johnson, a Clemson safety, didn’t exactly dog J.T. Barrett with his comments on Ohio State’s quarterback earlier in the week…but he didn’t exactly not dog Barrett, either.

Which is fine. And great.

Johnson told us what he thought. And deep down, Reasonable Ohio State fan knew Johnson was right about his Barrett-is-a-good-college-QB-but point of view. If Barrett and the Buckeyes used Johnson’s words as bulletin board material, more power to them.

But Johnson backed up whatever intentions he may have had with his words, as his defense blanked the Buckeyes and limited them to under four yards per carry and under four yards per pass.

7. J.T. Barrett and that bad taste in your mouth

I’m in the camp that believes Ohio State can win a national championship with Barrett as its quarterback, but he’s going to have to help himself more, while also receiving more assistance from his supporting cast — players and coaches included.

Barrett’s raw numbers were awful last night: 19-of-33 for 127 yards and two interceptions plus minus-2 rushing yards on 11 carries. He’s a better player than that.

Over two years ago, I sat high up in Spartan Stadium and watched Barrett, then a freshman, toss the rock around the yard and carve up a good Michigan State pass defense. Barrett finished with 300 yards passing, but it could’ve easily been 450 yards. He was that good. I’m not naive enough to think that Barrett hasn’t regressed, and that in 2014 he was was aided by throwing to Devin Smith, Michael Thomas, and Jalin Marshall, and that he had the supreme privilege of handing off to Ezekiel Elliott, who might be the best running back on the planet.

But with better/new coaching, improved options at receiver, and an actual commitment to offensive balance against good teams, I’m convinced 2014 Barrett (or at least, say 75 percent of that guy) is waiting to be unfrozen out of carbonite.