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Alabama Football Again Has No. 1 Recruiting Class
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football again raked in the talent in the 2016 edition of National Signing Day. According to 247Sports, Rivals and Scout the Tide again had the No. 1 recruiting class. ESPN ranked the Crimson Tide second behind the Florida State Seminoles.
Alabama has a total of 25 players signed, sealed and delivered for the class of 2016, eight of whom have already begun attending classes at UA and are eligible to practice in the spring. The other 17 have come from 12 different states and gotten all their paperwork in order so that upon graduation they will be ready to begin making their way to the Capstone.
Bama casts a wide net, indeed being a national draw to student-athletes. This class consists of seven student-athletes from Alabama, four from Texas, three from Mississippi, two from Louisiana and one each from California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.
Here are the 17 new signees:
Announced 2/3/16:
SCOTT LASHLEY, OT (6'7", 295 lbs.), West Point, Mississippi (signed)
RAEKWON DAVIS, DT (6'7", 315 lbs.), Meridian, Mississippi (signed)
SHYHEIM CARTER CB, Kentwood, Louisiana (signed)
JARED MAYDEN, CB, Sachse, Texas (signed)
NIGEL KNOTT, CB (5'11", 175 lbs.), Madison, Mississippi (signed)
QUINNEN WILLIAMS, DL (6'4", 265 lbs.), Birmingham, Alabama (signed)
TREVON DIGGS, ATH (6'0", 186 lbs.), Rockville, Maryland (signed)
DEONTE BROWN, OL (6'3", 330 lbs.), Decatur, Alabama (signed)
BEN DAVIS, LB (6'4", 240 lbs.), Gordo, Alabama (signed)
JOSHUA JACOBS, RB (5'10", 200 lbs.), Tulsa, Oklahoma (signed)
AARON ROBINSON, DB (6'1" 185 lbs.) Deerfield Beach, Florida (signed)
B.J. EMMONS, RB (5'11" 230 lbs.), Morganton, North Carolina (signed)
KENDELL JONES, DT (6'4" 360 lbs.), Killeen, Texas (signed)
MACK WILSON, OLB (6'2" 230 lbs.), Montgomery, Alabama (signed)
TERRELL HALL, LB (6'5" 245 lbs.), Washington, D.C. (signed)
JAMAR KING, DL (6'5" 285 lbs.), Detroit, Michigan (signed)
IRVIN SMITH, TE (6'4" 235 lbs.), New Orleans, Louisiana (signed)
JARED MAYDEN, CB, Sachse, Texas (signed)
NIGEL KNOTT, CB (5'11", 175 lbs.), Madison, Mississippi (signed)
QUINNEN WILLIAMS, DL (6'4", 265 lbs.), Birmingham, Alabama (signed)
TREVON DIGGS, ATH (6'0", 186 lbs.), Rockville, Maryland (signed)
DEONTE BROWN, OL (6'3", 330 lbs.), Decatur, Alabama (signed)
BEN DAVIS, LB (6'4", 240 lbs.), Gordo, Alabama (signed)
JOSHUA JACOBS, RB (5'10", 200 lbs.), Tulsa, Oklahoma (signed)
AARON ROBINSON, DB (6'1" 185 lbs.) Deerfield Beach, Florida (signed)
B.J. EMMONS, RB (5'11" 230 lbs.), Morganton, North Carolina (signed)
KENDELL JONES, DT (6'4" 360 lbs.), Killeen, Texas (signed)
MACK WILSON, OLB (6'2" 230 lbs.), Montgomery, Alabama (signed)
TERRELL HALL, LB (6'5" 245 lbs.), Washington, D.C. (signed)
JAMAR KING, DL (6'5" 285 lbs.), Detroit, Michigan (signed)
IRVIN SMITH, TE (6'4" 235 lbs.), New Orleans, Louisiana (signed)
Alabama added nine linemen, five offensive and four defensive, five linebackers, four defensive backs, two running backs, two wide receivers, two tight ends and one quarterback yesterday.
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What Saban Said
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What Saban Said
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Here is a look at what Alabama head football coach NICK SABAN had to say in his opening remarks yesterday following the excitement and busy day of handling National Signing Day.
"We're...very excited and pleased to have 17 players who signed with us today to join the eight players who came here at mid-semester..."
"This class is really the culmination of a lot of hard work...by a lot of people, especially our coaches."
He said that playing in the SEC Championship game, the College Football Playoff Semifinal game as well as the College Football Playoff National Championship game really "...pushed our coaches to do the great job that they did to try to put together a really solid recruiting class." He was pleased by all their hard work. He also complimented all those in "the university community" that contributed to the process.
"I think that this class sort of reflects some of the needs that we had. I was really pleased that we got five quality offensive linemen in this class. I think that we got two good runners which certainly we need...some young talent at that position in terms of the number of players that we have at that position. We got a couple of tight ends. I'm really pleased with the quarterback prospect that we had."
"We'd like to have added another receiver to this group...that was our goal. Sometimes you don't meet your goals, in terms of numbers, but we're certainly pleased with the two players we were able to get at that position."
"Defensively, I think we got a great group of linebackers, really good cover people in the secondary, got some really good down guys with some good size. Probably would have like to have got a really great edge rusher, a defensive end type of guy to add to that group...but again, you don't get everything that you want all the time but I'm really pleased with the players that we got."
Saban emphasized that the "stars" and rankings of players were not as important to him as those players who "are committed to doing the things they need to do to develop in your program ... personally, academically and athletically...because these guys have never played college football before. And that's something they're going to have to grow and develop into. I think it's a much better barometer to look back a year from now, or look back at last year's class that happened a year ago, however you want to say it. How did they develop? How many guys played? What did they contribute? And those types of things."
"A special thanks to fans...who create the passion."
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McCleney & Osorio Make Player Of The Year Watch List
Graphic/Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Crimson Tide softball is no stranger to awards and honors. This season will be no different. Senior HAYLIE McCLENEY and sophomore ALEXIS OSORIO have both been named to the "Watch List" of 50 candidates for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The announcement came yesterday by USA Softball.
Only 12 schools have multiple nominees on the prestigious list, of which Alabama is one. The list consists of 25 seniors, 15 juniors and 10 sophomores. Though freshmen are ineligible for the initial list of 50 candidates, they may be added, as well as other new candidates, when the list is cut in half to 25 on April 13th. Then on May 11th the list will once again be trimmed, this time to 10. On May 25th the list will then be cut to only three candidates, with the winner being announced just prior to the start of the Women's College World Series on May 31st.
McCleney enters her senior season as Bama's career batting average leading and was second in the SEC. She led the league in walks, on-base percentage, fifth in runs scored and sixth in doubles.
Osorio led the SEC last season in ERA and strikeouts.
Congratulations, ladies!
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Quanesha Burks Makes Bowerman Watch List
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Last season this young lady was phenomenal, and is expected to be even better this season. Expectations are so high that Alabama junior long jumper QUANESHA BURKS has been selected as one of only 10 members of the February edition of the women's watch list for the 2016 Bowerman Trophy. The announcement came yesterday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Burks was a semifinalist for the Bowerman last year, incidentally, following her NCAA title in the outdoor long jump. She was a member of the preseason Watch List released earlier this year also. Thus far in 2016 indoor season Burks has only competed in the long jump. She won the inauguaral Conference Clash at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama with a jump of 22-0 1/4 (6.71m) which broke the school record that had stood for almost 30 years. That jump also tied the 10th-best jump in the event in women's collegiate history. She is one of only 13 collegiate women to jump at least 22 feet in the indoor long jump and the only one to do so this season.
Bama's Burks is also tied for 14th in the 60 meters. She had a time of 7.33 at the season-opening Commodore Indoor Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this year.
Burks was a semifinalist for the Bowerman last year, incidentally, following her NCAA title in the outdoor long jump. She was a member of the preseason Watch List released earlier this year also. Thus far in 2016 indoor season Burks has only competed in the long jump. She won the inauguaral Conference Clash at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama with a jump of 22-0 1/4 (6.71m) which broke the school record that had stood for almost 30 years. That jump also tied the 10th-best jump in the event in women's collegiate history. She is one of only 13 collegiate women to jump at least 22 feet in the indoor long jump and the only one to do so this season.
Bama's Burks is also tied for 14th in the 60 meters. She had a time of 7.33 at the season-opening Commodore Indoor Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this year.
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Women's Basketball
Tide Women Host Ole Miss Tonight
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama women's basketball team will host the Ole Miss Rebels tonight at Foster Auditorium. Tonight's contest begins at 6 p.m. CT. The Tide is 13-9; 2-7 SEC, while the Rebels are 10-11, 2-6 SEC.
The will be the 56th meeting between the two, with the Rebels leading the series 34-25. Alabama, however, has won five of the last eight.
All tickets for tonight's game are just $1.
