Recruiting in the State of Alabama

[GH2001]

Its no secret the Yellowhammer State is loaded to the gills this year with HS Talent. Which makes our subpar recruiting even more frustrating. What I am about to post below will be a somber wake up call for those that don't already know about a lot of the 'why' with our subpar recruiting and how this is happening. This below goes into more than just Auburn and is more from a higher level view of the bigger HS Coaches in the state....some of it touches on Auburn, and the 'why' - and some of it does not...but in reading the tea leaves and comments from samplings of coaches, you can kind of see what's going on here. Enjoy.

Inside Alabama recruiting: Coaches explain Nick Saban’s success, Bryan Harsin’s struggles 

You may have heard that this is a banner year for in-state recruiting in the state of Alabama. If not, let me lay it out for you.

There are seven five-star players in the 247Sports Composite. Seven of the top 32 players in the country hail from the Yellowhammer State. Eleven recruits are in the top 100 and 15 are in the top 200. If you make your living procuring talent, it’s a good year to hop on I-65 and the backroads of Alabama.

That talent is being spread around, too. Of the top 10 players in the state, two are uncommitted, three are verbally pledged to Nick Saban and Alabama, two are committed to Clemson, one to Georgia, one to Florida and one to Florida State.

You might notice that Auburn isn’t represented on that list. That’s a problem, both in perception and reality, for Bryan Harsin and his coaching staff. The Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class currently ranks 54th with 10 commitments, having added three pledges since Sept. 15. That ranks 13th out of 14th in the SEC, a cutthroat league that takes no prisoners and spares no feelings when it comes to recruiting. After four-star receiver Karmello English decommitted last week, Auburn’s top-rated in-state commitment is four-star running back Jeremiah Cobb, who is ranked 15th.

Top 15 in-state recruits for 2023

STATE   PLAYER   POS   COLLEGE   NAT'L   HS
1   James Smith   DL   TBA   14   Carver (Montgomery)
2   Christopher Vizzina   QB     Clemson   19   Briarwood Christian (Birmingham)
3   Jahlil Hurley   CB     Alabama   23   Florence
4   Qua Russaw   Edge   TBA   26   Carver (Montgomery)
5   AJ Harris   CB     Georgia   27   Central (Phenix City)
6   Peter Woods   DL     Clemson   31   Thompson (Alabaster)
7   Tony Mitchell   S     Alabama   32   Thompson (Alabaster)
8   Wilkin Formby   OT     Alabama   71   Northridge (Tuscaloosa)
9   Kelby Collins   DL     Florida   79   Gardendale
10   Keldric Faulk   DL     Florida State   88   Highland Home
11   Tomarrion Parker   DL   TBA   96   Central (Phenix City)
12   Yhonzae Pierre   Edge     Alabama   104   Eufaula
13   Hunter Osborne   DL     Alabama   128   Hewitt-Trussville
14   Karmello English   WR   TBA   155   Central (Phenix City)
15   Jeremiah Cobb   RB     Auburn   187   Montgomery Catholic

Alabama hasn’t swept the board, either, for players it wanted to keep in-state, losing five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods to Clemson, but it’s hitting on most of the players it wants. The Crimson Tide have commitments from five of the state’s top 13 players thus far. In the end, it might come down to where Carver High School teammates James Smith and Qua Russaw (both five-star recruits) sign. If Alabama gets both, it’s a home run year for the Crimson Tide in-state.
So what does it take to recruit this state effectively? As part of a recurring series of state recruiting confidential stories, The Athletic spoke to high school coaches around the state to understand how Alabama and Auburn recruit, which out-of-state programs have made inroads and which recruiters stand out. Coaches were granted anonymity in exchange for candid remarks. Any identifiable comments were removed to ensure anonymity.

Here’s the panel:
Coach 1: Head coach in the Birmingham area
Coach 2: Head coach in the Mobile area
Coach 3: Head coach in East Alabama
Coach 4: Head coach in West Alabama
Coach 5: Head coach in North Alabama
Coach 6: Head coach in Central Alabama



How would you describe the way Alabama recruits your players?​

Coach 1: I think Nick Saban has changed the whole landscape of recruiting in the fact that they do such a great job of evaluation. What I’ve liked about what they do: They’ve been very honest about situations.

Coach 3: Alabama’s one of those programs that everywhere I’ve been they do a good job. I think, of course, they go after those big-time guys. You don’t really see them a ton when you don’t have those big-time players, but those guys are always around. Coach Saban’s great at helping anytime you need anything. He does a great job of helping out high school coaches.

Coach 6: Once they decide they want a guy, I don’t think anybody does any better in what they do being very thorough in the recruiting process. Probably the best thing they do is what they do on visits. I mean, their presentation is unbelievable.

Coach 2: I think Alabama does a really good job recruiting. They initially come in when the kids are young and they stay focused on the kids and have a great relationship with them. I think Alabama does a great job. I say great job from the point of I don’t think they smother the kids. I think they let their desires and their interest in a player be known, but they don’t smother them. Now, they do stay in touch and they do check on the kid regularly. They call me regularly. They’re real professional about talking to me and letting me know what’s going on with recruiting with kids. I don’t think they slack. They’re on top of the situation.

Coach 4: Alabama is just like you would think it would be. It’s a machine. You’re gonna get tools the day before that they’re coming. Very structured. Very organized. It’s very professional. But at the same time, you’re going to get really good conversation with those guys. It’s not a robotic-type deal. They’re really good recruiters. They’re down to earth.


What out-of-state schools recruit Alabama well?​

Coach 1: For us, it’s been the University of Maryland. They’ve done a great job down here. (Defensive coordinator) Brian Williams does a great job. They have been really aggressive in trying to recruit our state.

Coach 5: I think Georgia Tech does a good job. At least I see them a lot. Coach (Geoff) Collins has some Alabama ties. I think Air Force and Army and Navy — all those all those schools do a really good job. I see Clemson and Oklahoma a good bit.

Coach 6: I think Tennessee does a really good job. North Carolina does a really good job. We don’t see a lot of the Mississippi schools. (Steve Sarkisian) and (defensive line coach) Bo Davis, they’re in touch pretty regularly at Texas. Florida seemingly since they’ve had a coaching change has come on a little bit better. Obviously, Georgia since Kirby Smart’s has been there, Georgia does a good job. South Carolina, they’re regularly on our kids. We see a little bit of LSU toward the end when it’s getting down nitty gritty.

Coach 4: Oregon did a good job when Mario (Cristobal) was there. Notre Dame does a good job. Georgia has taken the Alabama blueprint and is following it to a T. Clemson is outstanding. Every kid I’ve had that goes to Clemson comes back and talks about how great it was. They’ve figured it out.


How would you describe the way Auburn recruits your players?​

Coach 2: I gotta be careful because I don’t want to get hung out here, but Bryan Harsin hasn’t been to our school. He’s never been here. That’s been a surprise. They’ve got a lot of outstanding recruiters on their staff, though. I think that (Harsin) has put together a good staff. But I don’t know the head coach there.

Coach 6: (Offensive line coach) Will Friend does an excellent job. (Running backs coach) Carnell Williams is good. They’ve got a lot of outstanding young coaches. But I don’t know their head coach at all. Nick Saban comes to our school every year — every year he makes a trip to our school, whether he’s recruiting a guy or not.

Coach 1: Honestly, they do a poor job in recruiting. I’ve never met the man (Harsin) in person. I do want to meet the guy because I think a lot of my kids could play at Auburn. But just as a rule, they just haven’t done a very good job recruiting our kids.

Coach 4: I took a player down there that had some good offers, and I don’t think they realized who he was.


What’s the biggest difference between Alabama’s recruiters and Auburn’s?​

Coach 1: Boy, you’re going to get me in trouble. The biggest difference I guess between Alabama and Auburn is every time there’s a permissible time for Alabama to be out recruiting, they’re out recruiting. Every permissible time. And I don’t know that Auburn is doing that right now.

Coach 5: (Auburn) should be more aggressive at my school.

Coach 6: Alabama is constantly evaluating kids. They’re always a year ahead. They’re recruiting a year ahead. It’s amazing.

Coach 2:  I think they’re good guys. I think Alabama’s becoming more of a national brand, they recruit nationally. Auburn’s trying to recruit the Southeast. I think that Alabama is going to get kids from everywhere. I think they stretch all the way from the East Coast to the West Coast. Because everybody wants to play where they have a chance to win a national championship. I think that Alabama does a great job. They’re gonna go after those four- or five-star kids. And then, you know, of course, Saban does his due diligence. If there’s a three-star and he’s really, really good, he’ll go after those guys. He does a really good job of not missing too many times on kids.

Coach 3: The glaring thing is to me is recruiting is the lifeblood of your program, and I think that knowing the importance of recruiting in the SEC and knowing how it works, and I think that I just think there’s a stark difference between Alabama and Auburn. You have to know the backroads and know how to get into places. Knowledge of the SEC and how the recruiting world is is more important now than ever.

Coach 4: At the end of the day, I think Alabama has just, you know, they just stay ahead of the curve on everything. And not just in recruiting. In everything. The consistency is amazing to me. They’re a machine.


Have you ever had any of these come in and negatively recruit against the other? If so, what was said? ​

Coach 1: The worst thing a program could do for me as a high school coach is to talk about other schools. That would be a big red flag. I will say that Gus Malzahn and his staff when he was here and Nick Saban and their staff have not engaged in that from the time that they’ve been here.

Coach 6: I wouldn’t say negatively recruit because a lot of high school coaches and high schools take offense to it. But they’ll poke around and see how you feel about certain schools. And if you have a negative view of that school, they’ll jump right in there. There’s not many that negative recruit, but there are places that will say, “Hey, if he wants to win, this is the place for him. I know he’s got these offers, but these guys ain’t gonna be competing for championships.”

Coach 3: They don’t say it in front of me. What they say to kids, I don’t know. I’m sure there is. I mean, in this day and time, I don’t put nothing past some of these recruiters. It’s a nasty business. The guys that negative recruit, I don’t know if they mean to. It’s just such a dog-eat-dog world right now. They’re trying to do anything they can to sway that kid away from another program. I’m sure people talk about Coach Saban’s age. You hear it. They’re going to bring it up. If your school has a black eye about something, you know they’re going to bring it up.


Who is the best recruiter you’ve experienced from any school?​

Coach 6: Brian Williams from Maryland is outstanding. I really like the young guy that’s at Tennessee now, the wide receiver coach (Kelsey Pope). I think he’s going to be an outstanding recruiter. As far as head coaches, I was really impressed with Mike Norvell (Florida State). When he came to my school, you can tell he works hard … He’s trying to build back a situation. It’s hard not to say Kirby Smart. He’s just such a dynamic head coach.

Coach 5: I hear from Kevin Steele a good bit. I see Dameyune Craig from Texas A&M. The linebacker coach from Auburn (Christian Robinson) is a good recruiter. Todd Bates (formerly of Clemson, now at Oklahoma) is a great recruiter. Rodney Garner (Tennessee) is really, really good. He’s going to be upfront with the kids and tells them the truth. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Coach (Tim) Horton at Air Force. I hear from him a lot. Coach (Bobby) Williams when he was at Alabama did a great job.

Coach 3: I’ll tell you who’s a really good recruiter is the guy from Austin Peay, the head coach Scotty Walden. He’s a good recruiter. He’s fired up all the time. He relates to the kids.

Coach 2: I know he’s out of coaching now, but Bill Clark did a great job when he was at UAB.

Coach 1: I think the two that come to mind are Nick Eason (Clemson) and Freddie (Roach, Alabama). Clemson probably recruits our kids as hard as anybody. Clemson does a great job here. I’ve known Dabo (Swinney) for 20 or 30 years. Probably the best I’ve ever come across was Jeremy Pruitt. He’s unbelievable.

Coach 4: Two of the best I’ve dealt with are Jeremy Pruitt and Lance Thompson (Maryland). They’re just down-to-earth guys and they don’t bulls—. Kevin Steele does an outstanding job. Bo Davis does a great job. He’s been at Bama and now at Texas. He gets it.


Is there anything else I should know?​

Coach 1: You really should be researching the NIL.

Coach 3: NIL is benefitting the schools that were already good anyway. It kind of stays the same.

Coach 2: Alabama stays ahead of the curve. They know how to do it before anyone else. They figure it out and everyone copies them. They’ve figured it out.

Coach 4: The transfer portal has changed everything. High school kids are getting left out. Schools aren’t recruiting them as hard because they’re holding spots open for portal guys. It’s a real problem that they’re going to have to figure out because it’s hurting the high school kids.

[Snaggletiger]

They were reading that piece on our local sports talk show this morning.  It's flat out embarrassing, and disheartening to know you have a staff at a Power 5 school, in the SEC West, who just doesn't get it. And after last year, when it was pretty well publicized that Hartman was not getting out and recruiting, you still have coaches complaining that they've never met the man?  Wow!

[GH2001]

They were reading that piece on our local sports talk show this morning.  It's flat out embarrassing, and disheartening to know you have a staff at a Power 5 school, in the SEC West, who just doesn't get it. And after last year, when it was pretty well publicized that Hartman was not getting out and recruiting, you still have coaches complaining that they've never met the man?  Wow!

Its inflated narcissism mixed with equal part egomaniac. Ive seen it before. They will die on that hill, those types.

Their way is the ONLY way no matter how badly its proven otherwise. Its always someone one else, not them. And these type people are some clinical gaslighting mofos.

1. He doesn't believe his scheme or in-game plan is bad. Its the players not executing it right....how bout its both BH? But yeah way to throw your players under the bus there twice the last 4 days. 

2. If he read this article he would tell you that its not his recruiting style or process that's not working....its those dumb idiots he can't convince. They just aren't smart enough like him to realize his way is THE WAY damnit.

Its not just Saban or Smart or Dabo or even some of the better recruiting assistants in the land like McGee, Eason, Steele, Garner and on and on.....its also Bruce Pearl. Its Butch Thompson. You HAVE to do these things and you have to do them well. This isn't new. Its an OLD OLD known, especially in the Deep South....He doesn't agree. And that's a huge problem. Ive been hearing the rumblings from a few HS coaches I know since around Dec/Jan echoing this very same things.

I don't like to make anything about race without it being needed 100%, but this is to a degree. The African American Southern household is a terribly different dynamic than what this dude had ever seen. Even the white southern household is vastly different than one in Idaho. You've gotta speak the language. You've got to let them know your plan for their kid, that you are going to take care of them, nurture them, ride their ass hard, but love em. That aint happening. Nor does he think it needs to...nor does he think he even needs to show em love on the trail very often...or at all in some cases. This is what Bruce does. This is what Dye did. And even Bear to a lesser extent. Even Saban's asshole self does....because he knows this is how you do it. And it works.

Kaos said it months ago....tough love. And ultimately this is what makes Bryan Harsin such a bad fit here. We just didnt know it at first. He may fit in better at Boise, or Montana or Idaho State or some other strange place in Big Sky country but even at those places, his ego driven narcissism is going to wear thin and I think it did at Boise if you look into it more.

Hes gotta be willing to grow and learn and play the game that has proven to be iron clad since the dawn of integration in the 60's and 70's......The big pillars....RECRUITING/NETWORKING/REALTIONSHIPS/CULTURE....  You don't really get a choice and that is showing in spades.

[AUJarhead]

They were reading that piece on our local sports talk show this morning.  It's flat out embarrassing, and disheartening to know you have a staff at a Power 5 school, in the SEC West, who just doesn't get it. And after last year, when it was pretty well publicized that Hartman was not getting out and recruiting, you still have coaches complaining that they've never met the man?  Wow!

Motherfucker should be in front of Roberts this afternoon to explain it.  You figured after it came to light in December that he'd never met some high school coaches, he would have been on the first Uber out of Auburn to do just that.

[Kaos]

Its inflated narcissism mixed with equal part egomaniac. Ive seen it before. They will die on that hill, those types.

Their way is the ONLY way no matter how badly its proven otherwise. Its always someone one else, not them. And these type people are some clinical gaslighting mofos.

1. He doesn't believe his scheme or in-game plan is bad. Its the players not executing it right....how bout its both BH? But yeah way to throw your players under the bus there twice the last 4 days. 
Look.  Kelisparky, Devyn and Kes all twittered that the players were letting him down.  They wear shit tons of makeup, have plastic faces and suck botox straight from the bottle.  Who else knows more about football than they do  Those players are making their man look bad!

2. If he read this article he would tell you that its not his recruiting style or process that's not working....its those dumb idiots he can't convince. They just aren't smart enough like him to realize his way is THE WAY damnit.
Hater. Which of those damned journalists have ever coached a game. The hell do they know?

Its not just Saban or Smart or Dabo or even some of the better recruiting assistants in the land like McGee, Eason, Steele, Garner and on and on.....its also Bruce Pearl. Its Butch Thompson. You HAVE to do these things and you have to do them well. This isn't new. Its an OLD OLD known, especially in the Deep South....He doesn't agree. And that's a huge problem. Ive been hearing the rumblings from a few HS coaches I know since around Dec/Jan echoing this very same things.
High School Coaches?  The fuck do they know?  Can they curl a 75lb barbell? Do they make $7 million a year?  That's right.  Didn't think so.

I don't like to make anything about race without it being needed 100%, but this is to a degree. The African American Southern household is a terribly different dynamic than what this dude had ever seen. Even the white southern household is vastly different than one in Idaho. You've gotta speak the language. You've got to let them know your plan for their kid, that you are going to take care of them, nurture them, ride their ass hard, but love em. That aint happening. Nor does he think it needs to...nor does he think he even needs to show em love on the trail very often...or at all in some cases. This is what Bruce does. This is what Dye did. And even Bear to a lesser extent. Even Saban's asshole self does....because he knows this is how you do it. And it works.
Racist. He loves all kids, regardless of what shade of white they are. Any kid worth his weight can carry on a lengthy conversation about potatoes.

Kaos said it months ago....tough love. And ultimately this is what makes Bryan Harsin such a bad fit here. We just didnt know it at first. He may fit in better at Boise, or Montana or Idaho State or some other strange place in Big Sky country but even at those places, his ego driven narcissism is going to wear thin and I think it did at Boise if you look into it more.
It's culture, bitch. He had it in Utah.  He's gonna reproduce it here.  3 star players left over after all the big schools get done with their recruiting.  And then beat the hell out of -- well play close with -- teams like Montana State, San Jose State, Wyoming and Air Force. That's competitive, dammit. 

Hes gotta be willing to grow and learn and play the game that has proven to be iron clad since the dawn of integration in the 60's and 70's......The big pillars....RECRUITING/NETWORKING/REALTIONSHIPS/CULTURE....  You don't really get a choice and that is showing in spades.
Fuck that noise.  You'll adapt to him, not the other way around.  Got it?  In a few short years, this team will be able to beat Fresno State almost every year.   

[GH2001]

Motherfucker should be in front of Roberts this afternoon to explain it.  You figured after it came to light in December that he'd never met some high school coaches, he would have been on the first Uber out of Auburn to do just that.

Auburn family....lets ride.

4th and 1.

1-0