Alex Leatherwood to stay at Alabama

[hoops]

Surprised at the wills takes on here. That guy didn’t look fluid or athletic enough to me to play in space at tackle. More straight linish imo

 

[Dolphins81]

Graduating with your class and your peers is the idea. Those are lifelong bonds and friendships and memories. You cherish all the carefree days on college campus as a senior, ordering pizza and cramming for midterms while knowing how drastically your life will change within one year. Someone who bails out at the 3/4 mark is simply not held in the same regard. That is reality. There won't be as many contacts 30 years from now. The memories of the other guys don't include you, so naturally you are not the priority when those phone calls are made and laughs exchanged.

Sure you can go back and get the degree. But "you can't go home again" is one of the great truisms in life. You'll have the paper but otherwise you'll feel like somebody's uncle. The faces will be impossibly young. Professors will double take at you.

I realize the majority of responses will scoff at this. Focus on sports boards is always the dollar. But I've reached the point in life that it's overpoweringly true that you remember the experiences along the way far more than the successes or failures.

Rookie year in the NFL is the happiest days of your life. I don't think that's how it goes...

Career ending injury in college and you can kiss a multi million dollar contract good bye. But sure turn that contract down to take a chance on getting injured for free. Real smart!

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Every time I see Wills I'd be nervous about having him isolated outside with any type of room available. Someone like Chase Young, for example, could set him up one way then dip the other way.

I think you are correct that his upside is highest at guard.

Leatherwood has always been rated higher than Wills. I like to keep that in mind and ignore recency, just like with Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence last year. Leatherwood was 5 star and one of the top handful of players in the country. Wills was a high 4 star recruit and very highly sought, but simply not the same priority level as Leatherwood.

Leatherwood has been moved around and trusted at multiple positions at Alabama while I believe Wills has been right tackle only.

You also have to keep in mind that Wills has been mostly protecting the blindside of a lefty quarterback.

I understand your big picture philosophy in terms of recruiting rankings, but just keep in mind those rankings by recruiting services don’t mean much to Saban. He has his own rankings.

Kids like Mark Ingram, Josh Jacobs, Quinnen Williams, and a whole lot more weren’t rated very high by the recruiting services. Saban invited them to his workouts and he evaluated them - after getting a look he offered them scholarships when not many were really offering.

Leatherwood has more upside at tackle than Wills, but Jedrick Wills is a heck of a player that’s steadily getting better. He’s looked like a 1st round pick in a lot of games this year.

 

[ckparrothead]

Hard to watch this and not come away thinking highly of Jedrick Wills.



I don't care for what the recruiting services do, personally. It's the wild west out there. They are not like NFL scouting departments. A bunch of these guys doing the ratings could be recruited from this message board. Maybe even the Main Forum of this message board.

 

[ckparrothead]

You know how I know recruiting services are crap?

Josh Allen. The quarterback.

Listen I don't care what you think he is as an NFL quarterback. Good, bad, ugly, don't give a ****. What he clearly is though, is HUGE, and STRONG, and FAST, and AGILE, with a ****ING RAILGUN on his shoulders. And yet recruiting services couldn't give two sh-ts about the kid, even after he went to Reedley College, bulldozed and literally leaped over everyone at that level of competition, ran for nearly 100 yards per game and passed for nearly 300 yards per game, and threw 26 TDs to only 5 INTs.

Again, I don't give a damn what you think he is as a pro. For a college guy? That's a ****ing FIVE STAR recruit. As obvious as any that could ever stare you in the face.

 

[Namor]

You know how I know recruiting services are crap?

Josh Allen. The quarterback.

Listen I don't care what you think he is as an NFL quarterback. Good, bad, ugly, don't give a ****. What he clearly is though, is HUGE, and STRONG, and FAST, and AGILE, with a ****ING RAILGUN on his shoulders. And yet recruiting services couldn't give two sh-ts about the kid, even after he went to Reedley College, bulldozed and literally leaped over everyone at that level of competition, ran for nearly 100 yards per game and passed for nearly 300 yards per game, and threw 26 TDs to only 5 INTs.

Again, I don't give a damn what you think he is as a pro. For a college guy? That's a ****ing FIVE STAR recruit. As obvious as any that could ever stare you in the face.

While,I whole heartily agree with you..Amazing athlete and measurables....but..some of Josh's decisions..just make me go "WTF"?

 

[Lovethefish]

While,I whole heartily agree with you..Amazing athlete and measurables....but..some of Josh's decisions..just make me go "WTF"?

Playoff game loss was microcosm of Allen.
He can drive an 18-20 out like no one. But the decision making - sacks - carelessness with ball will drive a coach nuts.
Recall a few years ago- Falcs traded up for Julio- I think this kid needs a big time - big body WR. I don’t see a Julio in this draft per day- but they need to address the position.

 

[ckparrothead]

While,I whole heartily agree with you..Amazing athlete and measurables....but..some of Josh's decisions..just make me go "WTF"?

Again that's purely an NFL consideration. At the college level that's a five star player. Easily. With an aura around him so brilliant you'd have to be blind not to see it.

This is not about "is Josh Allen a good NFL quarterback".

 

[Namor]

Again that's purely an NFL consideration. At the college level that's a five star player. Easily. With an aura around him so brilliant you'd have to be blind not to see it.

This is not about "is Josh Allen a good NFL quarterback".

I agree...hard to believe,that athlete..only had one college offer.
Could you imagine Josh running a Gus Malzahn offense at Auburn?

 

[Lovethefish]

Again that's purely an NFL consideration. At the college level that's a five star player. Easily. With an aura around him so brilliant you'd have to be blind not to see it.

This is not about "is Josh Allen a good NFL quarterback".

He’s a mountain with an NFL arm.
Surprised he was missed -
Possible that he is dumb as rocks.

 

[jimthefin]

To be fair to the scouting services none of the college recruiters wanted Allen either.

He had to badger schools with emails and videos to get his one measly offer from Wyoming.