Roughly half of them...Allen Bailey and Kerry Murphy are what I consider to be the two "big dogs" we are after this weekend...both, uncommitted. Two of the players committed, then opened up their options after Shula was fired...but, are on campus this weekend. It's not going to be a large class...
Choosing Major Applewhite would amount to a huge mistake on the part of Nick Saban. I would not doubt that he would be interviewed, but I don't think that Saban would be quite that desperate yet. If Saban doesn't pull someone in to the OC role from the NFL, very few 5 star offensive recruits will seriously consider 'Bama. The ability for someone like Steve Spurrier to pull Chris Smelley out of Tuscaloosa last year is what this is all about. Applewhite will keep 'Bama mediocre...:thumb:
I believe Smelley wasn't "pulled away" by Spurrier but rather wasn't offered a scholarship by Bama after the signing of Greg McElroy from Texas. As for everything else time will just have to tell. :thumb:
I think getting Applewhite is a good move for Saban recruiting wise. I don't think Alabama has ever recruited much in Texas and I think Applewhite gives Alabama immediate credibility with most Texas HS Coachs and HS recruits. It will be interesting to see how Texas, A&M, and LSU for that matter respond --- Texas has always had lots of great HS talent. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. I just hope this doesn't cause LSU any problems in the Houston area.
There was actually way much more involved with the Chris Smelley issue. Alabama came very close to being nailed once again by the NCAA for booster recruiting violations. BamaBuzzard, when Smelley was offered a schollie by LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisville and several others, didn't it make you wonder why Alabama backed off? But the bottom line is, Applewhite has only 2 years of actual paid coaching experience. One year at Rice and a year at Syracuse. I am just wondering exactly who is going to take him seriously when he has no paid experience coaching within a major conference environment or at the pro level. These days, you are recruiting 4 and 5 star kids who want to prepare for a decent shot at making it to the NFL. If I were a 4 or 5 star offensive recruit, I would run from Bama... It would be way too much of a risk!
I find that hard to fathom because neither Tebow or McElroy were done deals at any point all the way up to national signing day. I would not be at all surprised to hear the words, "Chris Smelley to Mo Brown for the TD," during the South Carolina Spring game in a few months. Meanwhile, Alabama now appears to be taking the shotgun approach. Let 'er rip and see what sticks. This 'Bama signing class looks like it will amount to, "too little too late." Maybe next year when Saban is finished counting his money...:lol:
