Alabama's Top Ten Recruiting Wish List

By Mike Parker

1	Jadeveon Clowney	6’6”	247 lbs	40/4.6	South Pointe High School	Rock Hill, South Carolina
	Clowney looks a lot like last year’s Ronald Powell. You name it; Clowney’s got it: speed, strength, technique, and extremely good closing speed. If you had to describe Clowney in one word, it would be “explosive.” He has been unbeatable on the field and at camps. Clowney has proven that he is practically unblockable because he can use his strength to push you back or his speed to run around you. Wherever he ends up going, Clowney is the type of player who can make an immediate impact as a true freshman. It looks like it is going to be a battle to the end with South Carolina and Alabama fighting for this prospect. Alabama has put itself in outstanding shape to land Clowney.
2	Isaiah Crowell	5’11”	200 lbs	40/4.4	Carver High School	Columbus, Georgia
	Ranked #4 RB in the country Isaiah Crowell is truly the complete package when it comes to running backs. He has it all: great speed, toughness, the ability to catch the ball out of the back field, make great cuts, and he hates to lose. With the recent commitment of Malcolm Brown to Texas, you can bet the Tide’s coaching staff is going to put the full-court press on this Georgia stud. This battle will be very interesting to watch as it plays out, as Crowell’s decision should come down to either Georgia or Alabama. Don’t be surprised if new names begin to surface at the running back position, since the Tide has focused on just two backs, Crowell and Malcolm Brown, who recently committed to Texas. Crowell could go either way.
3	Cyrus Kouandjio	6’6”	325 lbs.		DeMatha High School	Hyattsville, Maryland
	Ranked #2 OT in the country With the Tide losing out on Shon Coleman and James Stone late last year, Kouandjio is a must-get for the Tide. Alabama secured a commitment from his brother, Arie Kouandjio, last year, which can’t do anything but help the Tide. Cyrus Kouandjio is already 325 lbs and has the frame to add even more weight. He is the ideal offensive tackle that coaches covet. The Tide is in very good shape, even though Kouandjio will probably take some visits and wait a while before he makes his final decision.
4	Nick O’Leary	6’4”	215 lbs	40/4.6	Dwyer High School	West Palm Beach, Florida
	Ranked #1 TE in the country Catching everything thrown his way, Nick O’Leary is truly a catching machine. He makes great adjustments in the air and runs great routes with speed and decisiveness. With the Tide’s offense using as many as three tight ends at once, Alabama will have the advantage over other teams pursuing O’Leary. The Tide already has one tight end commitment, Malcolm Faciane, who is a bruising blocker with surprisingly good hands. However, Alabama would like to close out the tight end class with more of an offensive threat and O’Leary is the best in the country at being just that. Alabama is always mentioned in O’Leary’s list of favorites.
5	Tony Steward	6’2”	225 lbs		Pedro Menendez High School	St. Augustine, Florida
	Ranked #1 Outside Linebacker in the country The term, “They don’t make them like they used to” does not apply to Tony Steward. He is old-school in that he likes to get dirty, mean, and aggressive. He is a big-time hitter with the speed to go along with it. Alabama already has four linebacker commitments, and three of those are the best in the country (Brent Calloway, Shannon Brown, and Trey Depris). It will be interesting to see how hard the Tide goes after Steward, but, to be sure, if Alabama can secure Steward’s commitment, they will take him, as he is just too good to pass up.
6	Jessie Williams	6’4”	330 lbs		Arizona Western Community College	Yuma, Arizona
	When Nick Saban goes after juco players, you can bet he expects them to get immediate playing time. The Tide is already pretty stacked at nose guard, with Kerry Murphy and Josh Chapman, but it seems like Nick Saban likes to take at least one big nose tackle a year (for example, the late addition of Brandon Ivory in last year’s class) . There have been rumors swirling that Williams will commit to the Tide. To have such a big frame, Williams has surprisingly good speed. Also, Williams will require constant double teams in college, which is the main purpose of the nose guard in Nick Saban’s defense.
7	Ray Drew	6’5”	243 lbs		Thomas County High School	Thomasville, Georgia
	When Nick Saban goes after juco players, you can bet he expects them to get immediate playing time. The Tide is already pretty stacked at nose guard, with Kerry Murphy and Josh Chapman, but it seems like Nick Saban likes to take at least one big nose tackle a year (for example, the late addition of Brandon Ivory in last year’s class) . There have been rumors swirling that Williams will commit to the Tide. To have such a big frame, Williams has surprisingly good speed. Also, Williams will require constant double teams in college, which is the main purpose of the nose guard in Nick Saban’s defense.
8	Chris Jones	6’0”	185 lbs		Minor High School	Adamsville, Alabama
	Ranked #18 Safety in the country Alabama did not offer Jones until late in the recruiting process, which is probably why the Tide currently trails Florida in the race to secure Jones’s signature. With Alabama in great need of safetys and with Jones being an Alabama boy, I think the Tide can make up lost ground quickly, especially since Nick Saban has the reputation for being the best defensive back coach in the country.
9	Gabriel Wright	6’3”	273 lbs		Carver High School	Columbus, Georgia
	Ranked #7 DT in the country. Wright is an outstanding prospect and very convenient for the Tide, since he is right across the state-line in Georgia, where Alabama seems to be recruiting harder every year. The Tide currently trails Auburn, with Bama and Georgia tied for second place. Wright’s position, however, is not set in stone, as he can play multiple positions… the Tide love his versatility. Best position guess for Wright is that it will be defensive end. It’s hard to say whether Wright will make an immediate commitment or drag out the process.
10	Xzavier Ward	6’7”	255 lbs		Colquitt County High School	Moultrie, Georgia
	Ranked #41 OT in the country. Ward is extremely under-rated and the Tide staff is very high on him. They like Ward as an offensive tackle and, with a 6’7” frame weighing 255, he has plenty of room to add weight. The Tide loves his long arms and quickness off the line of scrimmage. Though Ward has been pretty quiet on his recruitment, the longer he takes, the better for the Tide. Saban loves to evaluate talent by using the eye-ball method and he was extremely impressed with Ward’s physical attributes. Don’t look for the Tide to give up on this one, as they have made Xzavier Ward a priority.

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