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One of the cogs of a “Nick Saban defense” is the ability to have a couple guys on the defensive line that can plug the gaps and force the plays to the boundaries. Nose tackle Terrance Cody filled this role during the 2008 12-2 campaign beautifully, and will return for the 2009 season as well. However in the SEC depth is everything, and Saban is recruiting hard at the Defensive Tackle position in hopes of having 3 or 4 deep of big, ugly, snotty hog-mollies that can turn an offensive line into a 7 yard-wide scrum.
Below are the 2010 defensive tackle recruits being targeted by Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban and his staff of assistants: Calvin Barnett, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Tulsa, OK
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 300 lbs Barnett is the type of monster you want anchoring down your defensive front. His 300-pound frame is deceiving due to his speed and great pursuit to the ball. He has a good swim move and possesses decent mechanics. He's a good balance of quickness and brute strength, making him a great fit for Saban's front line in the future. Curt Cignetti recently made a visit to Tulsa and let this young man know that the Tide wants his signature. So far, Alabama is the only school Barnett has openly stated he will "camp" at this summer. Related News to this prospect:
http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=944307
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=71578&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d71578 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey Whitaker, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Warner Robins, GA
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 285 lbs Whitaker shows great speed for his size, and has an explosive ability to blow up the pocket. He's a good interior pass rusher that can disrupt a pass play by quickly forcing the quarterback to scramble. He plays low and does a good job of keeping his blocker off his body. Georgia and Auburn are both vying for this kid's services. The Tide has extended an offer, but will have to make up some ground. Of course, with Saban placing a tremendous focus this year on recruiting in Georgia, that may not be difficult to do. Whitaker could project at the DE position as well. Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQG0Dr8RjQ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garrison Smith - DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 250 lbs Head Coach Nick Saban is not being so subtle with his raid on Georgia talent this year. He continues his barrage on the state of Georgia by offering Garrison Smith, an explosive defensive tackle from Atlanta. Smith had 108 tackles during his junior season, 27 of which were for negative yardage. He also had 14 sacks and caused 7 fumbles. Smith as a knack for blowing up plays before they start. He shows glimpses of brilliance with an explosive first step that can gain leverage on his blocker. He has good footwork and shows a lot of natural ability at shedding blocks. However he needs to work on his consistency, including better body control and placement. Smith seems interested in Alabama, recently discussing his respect for Saban: “I love the history and tradition of Alabama,” Smith said. “I love learning about the history of college football and Alabama with coach Bear Bryant was the best. Now it seems like coach Saban is building his own history there.” Smith says he's interested in majoring in Business and currently has a 3.5 GPA and scored a 1280 on his SAT.
Video
http://alabama.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=88108
News:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/shared-blogs/ajc/cfbrecruit/entries/2008/09/03/douglass_coach.html
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=71982&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d71982 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James Carmon, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Perkinston, MS
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 370 lbs Many see the second coming of Terrance Cody when they look at the Gulf Coast native Carmon. And the resemblances are many, indeed. Carmon is a huge guy. He possesses a lot of raw strength that wasn't truly realized until he spent a year in junior college. He even hails from the same JUCO that Cody played for, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The regimented atmosphere of a solid program has helped him properly strengthen and condition his body. And now the kid that no one was interested in out of high school is becoming a hot commodity in the 2010 class. With scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa State, Mississippi, South Florida, and Tulsa, I'd look for Carmon to be a major contributor on a D1 team in the near future. Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Nicj46NTc Related News to this prospect:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/recruiting/2009/03/where_are_they_now_wayne_dorsey_and_james_carmon.html
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=85186&season=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d85186%26season%3d2010
http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=935618 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alton Bailey, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Seffner, FL
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 265 lbs Bailey is a bit of a mystery at this point. He is a solid player. He looks a little shorter than his listed Height. Bailey has a quality frame and with some work can really develop at the DT position. He has good hands and shows a consistent ability to take on and shed blockers. He plays low and can wrap up a tackler after he creates a mess in the middle. His abilities, however, are not the mystery. His on again/off again status at Armswood has made his status with the recruiting services plummet. To this point, though, he still has offers from several large schools, including UA. If he can get his act together, Alabama might have a 2009 signee that can factor in to his recruiting as well. 2009 recruit Petey Smith is a former teammate of Baileys. Video
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4162908 News:
http://www.maxpreps.com/florida/football/armwood-(seffner)/alton-bailey/stats.aspx?athleteid=1e12a802-344a-4827-92b4-d5a0bae390ea&ssid=2f36027d-d6f6-4509-aba9-adad5cc85b5e&urpath=,local,player
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/article996986.ece
http://blogs.tampabay.com/preps/2009/04/football-bailey-no-longer-at-armwood.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kenneth Carter, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Greensville, AL
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 267 lbs Carter is a prototypical defensive tackle. He has solid frame that will serve as a real foundation for his future strength and condition. He shows incredible vision at the line of scrimmage and is like a pit bull once he spots the ball carrier. He has great footwork and uses his hands well to shed blocks. He has great lateral movement along the line of scrimmage and doesn't play out of position frequently. Carter seems to consider Alabama and Auburn as his top two. I'd expect the Tide to turn up the heat on Carter before long. He's had an offer from AU for quite some time now, and has only recently received an offer from the Tide. Video
http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Kenneth-Carter-Highlights-1-41644 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Thornton, DT
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown: Stone Mountain, GA
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 273 lbs Thornton is a beast on the defensive line, despite his less than ideal size. He tallied 49 solo tackles and 95 total tackles, including 4 sacks, during his 2008 campaign. He has incredible speed and is fairly elusive for a defensive lineman. His first step is powerful and he plays at a great pad level. Most of the recruiting experts agree that Thornton is best used to combat the rushing attack, as his pass rushing skills are, just like his physique, not quite fully developed. Thornton will be visiting the Capstone in early June, and while it looks like Georgia and South Carolina are at the top of this Thornton's list, I'd look for Saban to make a strong move for him this summer. Related News to this prospect:
http://thebigspur.com/news/story.php?article=2964 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related Links: Recruiting Outlook - Tight Ends Recruiting Outlook - Running Backs Recruiting Outlook - Wide Receivers Saban Sets Blistering Pace - Summary of 2010 Verbal Commitments "Recruiting Central" Forum Join The Bama Nation Facebook Group!!! |
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