Alabama got another big commitment Thursday night, this time 2017 WR Jerry Jeudy:

The University Of Alabama #savageseason pic.twitter.com/lJepB5qsWB

— JJ⁴ (@jerryjeudy) July 29, 2016

Jeudy is a borderline 4/5-star, ranked as the #6 WR and #35 overall player in the class. A former high school teammate of Calvin Ridley, he hails from Pompano Beach and chose the Tide over Mark Richt’s Miami Hurricanes. Ridley undoubtedly played a role in his recruitment.

Jerry was particularly effective when paired with a certain QB of whom you may have heard:

#Bama QB commit Tua Tagovailoa & new #Bama WR commit jerry Jeudy was the most dangerous duo at @TheOpening this summer. They’ll reunite @ UA

— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) July 29, 2016

Jeudy is an exciting prospect with speed to burn and outstanding explosiveness out of breaks. At 6’1″ and 177 pounds he will need to add some weight, but there is nobody better than Scott Cochran to aid in that regard. Highlights below.

Roll Tide, Jerry!

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Just minutes ago, one of the worst-kept secrets in the entire recruiting world became public: 4-star WR Jerry Jeudy (Deerfield Beach, FL) announced his commitment to Alabama.

Jeudy has had Alabama in front of his recruitment for months, if not longer. Prior to his 2015 transfer to Deerfield Beach, Jeudy was teammates of 2015 Bama signees WR Calvin Ridley and S Shawn Burgess-Becker. Ridley remains in Tuscaloosa as the focal point of the Tide offense, while Burgess-Becker has transferred to UCF.

The point of all that is that Jeudy has been high on Alabama’s radar for years, and that connection was a 2 way street. With Ridley playing in Tuscaloosa and excelling at WR, it’s easy to see why Jeudy wanted to commit there and follow his footsteps, much like he has at the HS level.

And, just to address the thoughts of some: Jeudy was never coming here. Per Peter Ariz of CanesInSight.com, Miami NEVER CONTACTED Jeudy until the new staff was hired. That means, for 2 years since he was known as a top player, Al Golden’s staff never even reached out to the kid. So no, he was never coming here.

The fact that Jeudy was never coming here doesn’t make this any less of a miss. Obviously, having a player of this caliber from the Tri-County area hurts, and is the exact thing that the new staff is working to minimize moving forward. Jeudy is arguably the best WR recruit in America this cycle. Yeah, he’s that good. So, this is a recruiting loss, and a big one. But, it won’t be a crippling loss, depending on what Miami does to fill this spot moving forward.

Now, with Jeudy publicly committing to Alabama, the question for Miami is where do the Canes go at WR to round out the 2017 recruiting class?

Miami is not in a bad place regarding WR recruiting in 2017. With 4-ish commits: 4-star ATH DeeJay Dallas (who could end up at another position), and 3-stars Kevaughn Dingle, Evidence Njoku, and Rodney Scott, there is depth and talent already in this group. But, Miami is looking for an alpha dog in that group, and that’s what the Canes are after.

Leading the way here is 5-star WR Devonta Smith. The Amite, LA native attended Paradise Camp and was one of the standout performers. Smith recently named Alabama, LSU, and Miami as his top/final 3. Several Recruiting Analysts have said that LSU is on the list for show, and this is a 2-team race between Alabama and Miami. Smith was once committed to Mark Richt at Georgia, and continues to maintain the point that he’s high on Miami. Obviously, recruiting against Alabama is tough, but this is a battle that figures to go on for a while.

4-star WR Jeremiah Holloman recently released a top 12 list with Miami on it. I know that list doesn’t engender positivity, but Holloman said in multiple interviews that he’s high on Miami, and will visit Coral Gables in the future. Holloman was on the same 7on7 team as 2017 commit/class ambassador DeeJay Dallas, so you can be sure there is some peer-level recruiting going on there.

Holloman is a very talented receiver with a good combination of size and speed. Georgia is thought to be the favorite here, but with Dallas working the peer-level recruiting, and if Holloman takes a visit (unofficial or official, just get to campus), then Miami could make a move here.

While he’s only rated a 3-star prospect at current, St. Thomas Aquinas WR Mike Harley (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is a player whose stock is rising. Throughout 7on7 and camp season, Harley has been a terror, eviscerating every DB tasked with covering him. Harley has a slight build at 5’10” 160lbs, but he has elite speed. Mark Richt has openly talked about wanting to add speed at receiver, and getting Harley would do just that.

There are 2 things to consider in this situation: 1. Miami has not offered Harley a scholarship, and 2. Harley is committed to West Virginia. Both of those things could change, obviously, but if Miami wants to make a run at Harley, then I’d suggest giving him a scholarship offer sooner than later. West Virginia’s South Florida recruiting JaJuan Seider has done a great, GREAT job getting talent from this area up to Morgantown. Among the players that Seider has recruited to WVU from SoFLA: QB Geno Smith, WR Stedman Bailey, WR Ivan McCartney, WR Devonte Mathis, LT Yodny Cajuste, WR Jovon Durante, and more. Miami would be wise to give themselves more time to go up against Seider, and his stellar track record from this area, if they want to flip Harley.

For the reasons I included above, Smith, Holloman, and Harley are the most likely options at the top of the list at WR for Miami right now.

In the chase for the last piece of this WR class, Miami would have to look to flip a player committed elsewhere, or hope for a late riser in this class. The offered and uncommitted options seem to be largely looking elsewhere.

According to 247sports, Miami has offered 48 Wide Receivers in the 2017 class. However, many of those offers were given by the previous staff, so they might not all be valid still. And, like I said, even if all those offer are valid, the vast majority of those players do not seem to have high interest in Miami, if any interest at all.

A 4 man WR class of Dallas, Dingle, Njoku, and Scott would be good. I would take that in a minute, and those guys would add depth and talent to the Canes’ WR corps. BUT, if you add one (or more) of Smith, Holloman, and Harley to that group, it goes from good to great. And that’s what we want. That’s what we need.

Now, it’s up to CMR, WR coach Ron Dugans, and the rest of the staff to go out and make it happen.

Game on.

NFL training camps open this week for all 32 NFL teams. With this in mind, it seems like a good time to take a look at Utah alumni that are currently playing in the NFL. Just this week two more Utes joined the NFL ranks as Kendal Thompson signed as a receiver with Washington and Jason Whittingham joined Minnesota. Kyle Whittingham has done a great job of producing NFL talent since taking over as head coach in 2005 as evidenced by the 32 former Utah players currently on NFL rosters.

Here is the complete list:

Certainly this list will narrow as NFL training camp progresses and cuts are made, however 32 players currently on an active roster is pretty impressive and puts Utah firmly in the upper half of the Pac-12 conference in producing NFL talent. Below is a table of how many players are currently on and NFL roster from each Pac-12 school with BYU and Utah State thrown in for fun.

It’s interesting to see how well each of these schools produces NFL talent. Predictably USC, Stanford Oregon are near the top. It’s a little surprising to see Cal at no. 2 since they always seem to under achieve. Oregon State is also fairly high on the list given their recent history. Utah State ranks ahead of three Pac-12 schools and BYU in putting players into the NFL.

Getting back to Utah, there are a few big names that will get the most attention. Alex Smith has proven himself as a very good NFL quarterback and is in his 12th NFL season. Steve Smith is one of the all time great receivers in NFL history. He was supposed to retire after last season before suffering a season ending injury midway through the season causing him to return for one last hurrah. He is in his 16th season and will being playing his third in Baltimore. Eric Weddle will be joining Smith in Baltimore this season after playing his first nine seasons in San Diego.

In addition to these vets, Devontae Booker will be watched closely as he tries to win the starting running back position with the Denver Broncos. So far he has impressed John Elway and the Broncos coaching staff with his competitive nature and performance in minicamp.

Finally, if you are picking your NFL team based on how many former Utes play for them, you have to go with Carolina. The Panthers have five former Utes, more than any other NFL team. The Browns, Ravens, 49ers and Broncos aren’t far behind with three each.

With opening on NFL camps, football is officially back! College camps will begin next week and in a few short week Utah will be kicking off the 2016 season against Southern Utah at Rice-Eccles on September 1st.

The Arizona Wildcats hosted a big recruiting event on July 23 called The Closing. They had a large group of players come out that included current commits and high priority recruits. They even picked up two commitments from Mobile Christian School (Mobile, AL) safety Troy Young and Garden City Community College (Garden City, KS) linebacker Delshawn Phillips.

Some of the commits who made it to campus were Josh Brown, Scott Young, and Xavier Bell. It was the first visit to Arizona for the three defensive players and I was able to catch up with them to get their thoughts on the visit.

Scott Young

The 6-foot-even, 190 pound ball-hawking safety from Helix (La Mesa, CA) committed to Arizona on June 15th after camping with the Wildcats in San Diego. He had been wanting to make the trip to Tucson and was finally able to last Saturday.

“It felt like home and I was comfortable there with the coaches and players,” Young said about his visit. “It really made me realize I made the correct decision with my commitment.”

“My favorite part was being able to hang out with future teammates in the players lounge and just feeling as if we all already knew each other.”

Young and his Helix 7-on-7 team have had a productive spring and summer. That team won four out of the five championships they competed in, with Young winning MVP in one of them. Helix has also been named the pre-season top ranked school in San Diego.

I think that Young is a great pass defender and has strong instincts. He will be an integral part of Arizona’s future secondary and someone I see flying all over the defensive backfield.

ATEAM17 pic.twitter.com/Z5AsjgMmQd

— Scottieo (@_scottieoo) July 24, 2016

Joshua Brown

Brown is a 6-foot-2, 222 pound linebacker out of power house Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA). I really like what he brings to the table: a good frame, lightning reaction time to the ball carrier, and the ability to drop back and defend the pass. He committed on June 13th after camping with the Wildcats in Long Beach and made the trip out to Tucson this past Saturday.

“I loved it out there (Arizona),” Brown said about his visit. “I can’t picture myself anywhere else.”

“Stepping onto that field! It gave me chills,” Brown responded when asked about his favorite experience. “I’ve been dreaming of playing college football and there’s just something about being on that field. Like I can just tell I’m going to make some amazing plays out there.”

Brown also knows when he wants to make an official visit.

“There isn’t a set date but I’m thinking about when Arizona plays USC.”

I just want to thank God for giving me this opportunity without him none of this would be possible ! pic.twitter.com/Q42IGAv1bU

— PHARAOH (@Jbrown3_) July 24, 2016

Xavier Bell

Bell stated that if he found a school that he really liked, he would commit and not drag the process out. He was true to his word as he was offered by Arizona on June 8 and committed 9 days later. He is a 6-foot-2, 190 pound safety from another power house in Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, CA). I like his length and ability to come up and stop the run. Another trait that stands out is his aggressiveness. He is not afraid to bear down (see what I did there) on receivers and make plays.

He too made his first visit to Arizona this past Saturday.

“It (Arizona) was everything I knew it would be and more. Going out there and seeing what I was getting into took my level of excitement from 100 to 1000,” Bell said about his visit. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds with this group of ballers we have in the Class of ’17. We are for sure a group you can’t look over without hesitating.”

“Everything was great on the visit, but you know how it is when it’s time to grab your jersey number, a helmet, and a pair of gloves and flick up,” he continued. “And when I walked out of the tunnel onto the field, I envisioned what it would be like to be a Wildcat on game day and I loved it!”

Bell also has an idea about when he would like to take an official visit to Tucson.

“I’ve been leaning towards the USC game, which is on October 15th.”

On July 9, Bell and his Mater Dei 7-on-7 team made their way to Huntington Beach, CA for the Battle at the Beach event. While there, Mater Dei competed against Charter Oak (Covina, CA). If that name sounds familiar that’s because it’s the school Arizona commit Brian Casteel attends. Here is what Bell had to say about going up against his future teammate.

“It’s always cool to compete with someone who you’ll be joining in the future. The dude is a baller. I can’t wait to have him out there scoring for me instead of against me.”

Had a great time getting on campus at UofA. Can’t wait to get out there next year‼️ ⬇️ #WildCatSZN pic.twitter.com/MIbVlt3V1f

— Xavier Bell (@Young_xb) July 24, 2016

Elliott Fry

Senior

Place Kicker

6’, 170

Frisco, Texas

Recruitment

Fry, who kicked for Prince of Peace Christian School in Carrollton, Texas, was offered by Louisiana Tech, but spurned it to walk on to the football team at South Carolina.

College Career

As we all know, Fry eventually earned a scholarship from the Gamecocks as he molded himself into one of the SEC’s top kickers. In his true freshman campaign, he made all but one of his 55 extra point attempts and was 15-18 on FG tries. A year later, he was a perfect 51-51 on extra points and hit eighteen of 15 field goals, enough to put him on the All-SEC second team. Last season, he knocked through 20 of 28 FGs (including a career-best 52 yarder) and was perfect once more on point-after attempts (25-25). He will leave with a shot at being the program’s all-time leading scorer, needing just 41 points to reach Colin Mackie’s mark of 330. Fry’s also made a program-best 124 straight extra points.

2016 Outlook

Expect more of the same from Fry in 2016. By the way, let’s take a moment to reflect on the fact that it’s his final season. Feels like he’s been around forever, doesn’t it?

Potpourri

What was the first use of #FREISMAN on Twitter? Glad you asked.

The Wisconsin Badgers enter 2016 with an embarrassment of riches at linebacker. At least, to the extent the 2015 opening day starter at inside linebacker, Leon Jacobs, has moved to offense and Holiday Bowl MVP “3 Sack Jack” Cichy isn’t locked in as a starter, with split time a very real possibility. Of course, Wisconsin can’t have nice things, and now last season’s leading tackler, T.J. Edwards, is out indefinitely with a foot injury.

On the heels of losing a returning starter and leading tackler to injury before the season starts, and with Joe Schobert doing Joe Schobert type things with the Cleveland Browns, it would be easy to cast a dire outlook on this group. But linebacker is one position where the Badgers have proven depth and plenty of young talent waiting in the wings.

The only real unknown for this group is the change in scheme and personality going from Dave Aranda to Justin Wilcox as defensive coordinator. Aranda’s accomplishments for linebackers in particular have been well documented; while the overall principles of the 3-4 scheme remain, Wilcox and staff have emphasized creating turnovers. The linebacker corps is stocked with experienced and talented players, so it is unlikely to cause any major issues. The difference will require some adjustment, as Vince Biegel told the Wisconsin State Journal in April.

“(Wilcox) only heightens that awareness and that value of getting turnovers,” senior linebacker Vince Biegel said. “I think this spring, (Wilcox) has done a phenomenal job of teaching strips, teaching turnovers.

“We’ve had a phenomenal amount of turnovers this spring from the defensive backs all the way to the defensive linemen. I think those good habits we’re building in the spring will really come into fruition in the fall — those good habits of not thinking about the ball, just reacting and getting those turnovers when we’re going to need them in the fall.”

Leaders at position (2015 stats)

• T.J. Edwards: 84 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss
• Joe Schobert: 79 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 1 interception
• Vince Biegel: 66 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
• Jack Cichy: 60 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 sacks
• Chris Orr: 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss

Returning players

• Vince Biegel (RS Sr.)
• Jack Cichy (RS Jr.)
• T.J. Edwards (RS So.)
• Chris Orr (So.)
• T.J. Watt (RS Jr.)
• Garrett Dooley (RS Jr.)
• Ryan Connelly (RS So.)
• Nick Thomas (RS Fr.)
• Ty DeForest (RS Fr.)
• Zack Baun (RS Fr.)
• Tyler Johnson (RS Fr.)
• Max Praschak (RS Fr.)
• Jake Whalen (RS Fr.)

Departing players

• Joe Schobert (gradation)
• Jesse Hayes (graduation)
• Leon Jacobs (move to fullback)
• Keelon Brookins (move to safety)
• D’Cota Dixon (move to safety)

Additions to position

X-Factor: T.J. Watt

As noted in B5Q’s spring preview, Watt and Cichy were expected to battle for the remaining outside linebacker spot. After a solid spring performance, Watt now appears to have secured the outside, with Cichy splitting time inside with Orr and Edwards.

Watt’s ability to provide a secondary pass rush with be critical for the Badgers’ defensive success. Last season, opposing teams were at odds trying to slow down the dual attack of Biegel and Schobert. This year, someone will need to emerge as a consistent threat opposite Biegel. Watt certainly has the name recognition, and flashed ability during spring practice.

It is early but #Badgers TJ Watt can make some plays at OLB.

— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) April 2, 2016

Two plays by #Badgers Watt in red zone stood out. First a leaping pick of a fastball and then stuffing Deal near LOS.

— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) April 2, 2016

Likely starters: T.J. Watt, Vince Biegel (Outside); Chris Orr, T.J. Edwards/Jack Cichy (Inside)

The linebackers will be led by Biegel, who turned down NFL overtures to return for his senior season in hopes of improving his draft position and giving the mullet one last go-around. While Biegel will continue his role as disruptor and general havoc-wrecker on the outside, inside, Edwards (once healthy) and Orr should provide the sideline-to-sideline tackling they displayed last season.

Opposite Biegel, Watt has emerged as the starter on the outside after standing out during spring and summer practices. With the performances Cichy turned in late last season and during the bowl game, the coaching staff must be over the moon with Watt’s ability and potential. I suspect Cichy will provide a jack of all trades this season; he has the ability to change the dynamic at either inside or outside spots depending on the situation. Considering the unknown timeline of recovery for Edwards’s ankle injury, Cichy could very well be the starter vs. LSU on Sept. 3.

With five legitimate Big Ten starting-caliber linebackers to choose from, it would be easy to overlook the rest of the corps. However, Nick Thomas and Ryan Connelly are two younger players who have shown promise at inside linebacker and could be first in line to see more playing time if Edwards’s injury lingers. On the outside, Garett Dooley and Zack Baun appear to be next in line behind Biegel and Watt, and will likely have opportunities to provide a spark rushing the quarterback in certain situations.

As a staff, Wisconsin has focused on bringing in big and fast players to hold down the linebacker spots. An emphasis on speed has certainly been evident with position moves between safety and linebacker. Defensive coaches have made it clear linebackers at Wisconsin must be solid in pass coverage in addition to pass-rush and run-stopping abilities. The strategy has paid off, as Wisconsin’s linebackers were recently ranked the fourth-best group in the country by Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman.

The linebackers are probably the most talented positional group top to bottom on the Wisconsin roster. No doubt they will need to turn in some big performances against the gauntlet of a schedule that awaits in 2016. The good news is they have the skill to handle it and we all get to watch it play out as the season unfolds.

Auburn’s football recruiting has been on a bit of a roll, lately. The Tigers have gotten a number of commitments and rocketed up the boards of the 247Sports composite from just barely in the Top 50 to pushing the edge of the Top 10 over the last 2-3 months.

This evening, it got a bit better. 4* Running Back Devan Barrett (6’1, 190 lbs) from Tampa Catholic High School in Tampa, FL announced he is committing to the Auburn Tigers. Barrett has been high on the Tigers for quite some time. He’s visited quite a bit this year. Auburn’s biggest competitors for him were Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

His recruiting profile is quite interesting, to say the least. According to the 247Sports Composite, he’s the 18th ranked running back in the nation. He’s ranked 13th and a 4* by Scout, 5th and a 4* by Rivals, 24th and a 4* by ESPN, but 48th and a 3* by 247Sports. It will be interesting to see how his rankings adjust during his senior season.

HIGHLIGHTS

I like him. A lot. You know what I like most? No unnecessary movements. If there was one thing that worried me about Roc Thomas in all of his highlights it was the jump cuts and spins. Trovon Reed was the same way. Barrett sees a hole, he runs for the hole. He doesn’t try to make anything look flashy, he just threads through what is there and uses his speed to get into open field. In the SEC, anything that slows you down will allow a defender to close. Barrett just keeps focused on the end zone and runs for it.

THE CLASS

Auburn only jumps up one spot with Barrett’s commitment, but that’s not surprising now that we’re approaching the top of the rankings. The Tigers are now 12th in the nation and 6th in the SEC. That’s still one of the highest rankings for a team with only 13 commitments. Two of those commitments are a 2* long snapper and a 2* place kicker. This is a very good class, right now.

There are now three players committed who could fall into the category of “running back.” That’s definitely a position of need, so that’s good. The Tigers’ offensive needs are being filled with a 4* QB/ATH, #1 JUCO RB, 4* RB, and a 4* ATH. They still need a few more linemen, a tight end, and a WR or two for the offense to be complete.

I’ve always made a joke about how recruiting is a flat circle, that any time you miss out on a prospect, most of the time you can find a prospect of similar acclaim without a problem. But there is truth to it, as just days after Wisconsin’s former No. 1 target in this recruiting cycle – Fort Lauderdale, Fla., three-star linebacker James Houston — committed to Florida, the Badgers landed a transfer from Alabama in former three-star Hoover, Ala., linebacker Christian Bell, who announced the move in a tweet on Thursday.

Bell will be forced to sit out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer regulations and will be a redshirt freshman once he regains eligibility.

Bell was set to be a member of Alabama’s class of 2015 after being a long-time commitment, but his scholarship offer was converted to a grayshirt late in the recruiting process. He still signed with the Crimson Tide, but the Badgers remained a flip possibility after they were able to land Bell’s high-school teammate, running back Bradrick Shaw. When Bell finally elected to transfer, Wisconsin was the first place he visited, and he found the fit perfect.

I am extremely blessed to say that im committed to the university of Wisconsin!! #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/jGRfkmiekV

— Christian Bell (@BELL_ringerr) July 28, 2016

Bell first announced his decision to transfer from Alabama in a tweet on Sunday.

pic.twitter.com/QHu0QDhIZx

— Christian Bell (@BELL_ringerr) July 24, 2016

For the Badgers, Bell definitely has upside at linebacker. At 6’4, 240 pounds, he has the functional strength to hold up at the point of attack and the athleticism to burst past offensive tackles and chase down ball carriers. It’s a versatile skill set shown at a high level of competition. In a fashion, he’s similar to incoming freshman Keldric Preston in that if there’s further bulk to be added onto his frame, he’s versatile enough to slide to defensive end.

Bell will be the third transfer the Badgers have landed for the class of 2017, joining Hawaii transfer Nick Nelson and Pittsburgh transfer Chris James, though the Badgers will actually get a full four seasons of eligibility from Bell.

As it stands right now, the Badgers are one scholarship away from hitting 85 for the class of 2017.