Alabama football recruiting takes over #1 spot, Tim Smith and Keon Sabb on the countdown

like all the other message boards are saying here comes [Music] Bama you are locked on Bama your daily podcast on the Alabama Crimson Tide part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hey everybody welcome back in L onama Luke Robinson that's me from the ahsa radio network and Jimmy Stein from B online that's him and we want to thank you for making this your first listen every single day this episode is brought to you by game time and we especially thank you every day y'all are the best but we also like the new guys so come on in Jimmy Alabama recruiting after the big commitment from Tai he wood which we talked about yesterday has moved up to the number one class uh at least on some services and uh I'll take it and you know it's somewhat of a surprise I think this is you know everybody's been a little shocked nationally by by how well kayn dor is Rec recruited but I think taking this spot at this time has really opened eyes like oh my God they're not really going anywhere it's hard to imagine uh with this level of recruiting not not being successful on the field down the road it it has felt like a continuation of of Nick sabin's recruiting success and so many ways uh I had higher expectations than most when kayin dbor was hired and put together that staff and Courtney Morgan head in the recruiting effort uh I felt really good about Alabama continuing to recruit well because of everything that was in place to recruit well but my idea of kayin deor recruiting well meant well I'm confident they could put together a top 10 group and and frankly I felt I really wanted to say I bet they still recruit top fiveish I bet but I didn't expect number one particularly in a in a cycle where someone like an Ohio who traditionally recruits really well has sort of put the the accelerator to the floor as it relates to niil and Ohio State is bound and determined to whip everybody in recruiting and Alabama's still number one ahead of them uh I didn't expect that that level of recruiting so I'm as surprised as everyone else Luke even though I felt it would probably be better than what most thought because Nick Sabin had sort of to use the sabbin uh you know automobile terms Nick had sort of built a Ferrari here and all all kayin dbor had to do was drive it and keep it between the lines uh I just didn't expect him to drive that Ferrari and and win the nd500 no I'm right there with you it's almost like uh we thought he was just gonna be the Sausage King of Chicago and dri drive his dad's car to AB Fran Abe Fran to the fancy restaurant turns out Kaylin debor was the valet uh running down the streets going 100 miles an hour with his hair in the wind very little hair but that's okay recrui was that that wasn't a for was that a Corvette what was I I don't even know what it was Jimmy I had seen that movie in so long but it FIS Beer's day off I I had either but I I did somehow remember Abe Fran um The Sausage King of Chicago here's the question can it can it stay there um I mean there's Ty Jackson left on the board there's AK deer left on the board there's Derek Meadows khle locket left on the board um I mean if you want to say Malachi Goodman but Maliki Goodman actually I think just trimmed his list to three and Alabama's not on it because Alabama's pretty full at the offensive line um maybe another running back should turbo Rogers decommit and flip to Ohio State like some people think uh maybe but um I don't think there's a lot more spots left now you know it's quality over quantity at this point but um I think it's going to be relatively difficult to stay at number one because I feel like Ohio State's got a few more bag uh tricks in its bag and um bags in its tricks that's that would be horrible um but I feel like it's got some more uh I don't know Aces the hold the pull and um when they do that and if they assuming they hold on to nem Alford and things like that then I feel like it's going to be very difficult to beat Ohio State for that number one spot but regardless if you're an Alabama fan one or two this year I mean you've got to be over the moon with the way things are going and you got to feel like hey there's no reason this can't be maintained yeah I think holding on to number one's going to be tough I we do expect as we've predicted at BO I predict AK deer will will at some point choose Alabama and that's going to just cement Alabama in that number one spot adding a player as highly ranked as AK deer is uh but then from that point Luke I'm not saying Alabama won't add I think they will add actually from there someone a couple of kids somehow will be added but I think in terms of the super Heavy Hitters that that might be almost done you know so the question is once you add AK deer is that enough to hold on to number one all the way till December if you hold on to all you got which by the way is gonna be difficult in this nil landscape where all of the sudden other teams get a little desperate when they get desperate they they can add zeros to chck I mean that that that that and that's legal these days so holding on to this group is going to be uh uh fraught those with uh high anxiety may not uh may not enjoy that holding on process because who knows there could be late visits and things like that so uh adding AK deer holding on to what you got is that enough for number one maybe maybe so it be close I do have a couple I don't have it names here but just looking at this group and terms of I think what we might this is a prediction on my part this isn't a BL thing this isn't a scoop thing this is just a Jimmy out there on a thin limb prediction I think some new names might emerge during senior Seasons uh particularly at DB because I I don't think they're going to be done at defensive back and uh there's not defensive backs out there well right now you only got Derek Smith dejon Lee and uh Chuck McDonald that's okay you brought up Dereck Smith I I saw Cole Pinkston from on three had Derek Smith in his mck Auburn class he assumes a flip I I just don't see that happening do you I don't see it happening I don't forecast happening I don't predict it happening but I also don't absolutely rule it out uh I mean obviously any kid that's going on visits and uh I wouldn't be surprised if Derek Smith is at Big Cat weekend I think a few I think a few Alabama commitments might be at Big Cat week and uh you know which is Auburn's big recruiting blowout the thing to watch for the only reason I would get freak out or be anxious about an Alabama kid going to Big Cat weekend is if that same Alabama kid did not go to the Alabama Champions barbecue if if if that same kid is going to big cat but not Alabama's barbecue then I'm okay then it's time to at least be nervous you know uh but you know Auburn and all these other schools going to continue to recruit these Alabama kids who will continue to go on other visits if there's going to be fun times and parties and football talk and uh and uh you know college girls I mean why why not go on these trips not necessarily in that order no no no that just like nil and other things you you line up the priorities according to personal preference but uh no no don't but but I do think that Alabama I I just don't think Alabama's going to sit at 3 DBS now they can address DB through the trans for portal you know well I thinking because their DB class was so good last year too that it it feels like going after one more DB may be Overkill unless you went in the transfer portal to get somebody that may be like okay he's sort of a stop Gap yeah their numbers overall at DB aren't awesome there may be a couple short of what they would like to have some of it depends on okay how many of these guys are leaving only Malachi Moore is out of Eligibility but you have other draft eligible kids who could leave I mean dman Jackson could have a huge year and go Keon Sab could have a huge year and go Devonte Smith could have a huge year and go uh but you know if you're only losing Malachi you probably would like to sign maybe four and they have three uh again it's just a prediction on my part I I would look for a senior season DB to emerge that probably a guy we're not talking about they they were interested in ivin Taylor uh you know he's he's going to Michigan I believe um you know you know and they looked at a couple other DBS there's a couple that are out there a kid out in Arizona that visited and from a from yeah Jim Coley from CJ Jim Coley from Tennessee is interesting and then there's even what you know who's gonna be floored if something happens with Alabama and Anquan fagans I mean that that's something that could happen but uh but I think the best bet is a senior season type DB that blows up late well another guy we're hoping will blow up late is Tim Smith but right now I need to tell you about eBay Motors ah eBay Motors passion drivve and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die 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recovered two fumbles you may be I I think both fumbles he recovered were during his true freshman season in 2020 yeah that that and I think that was the SEC Championship game in in against Florida one of them was at least I I I just remember might be right I mean I think you might be right I think both both he's he's recovered two in his career and both were during his freshman season but I I but like you that that's probably one of them right there he's made some play yeah he's made some plays but you know has he made enough plays and I think the answer to that is clearly no uh relative to his size relative to what we expected from him he was a five SL fourstar guy coming out of high school um I think we expected a little more frankly but I'm thinking now I mean boy he's been at Bama a long time Jimmy I mean he's he was there for Alabama's last National Championship which sounds weird to say but feels like a long time ago um but he's also been a part of some SEC Champion some other sec I guess he's got three SEC titles right yeah he's been here since 20 21 and 23 three SEC titles One National Title he's one of the few guys on the team that has that national championship ring from 2020 and he's still out out there uh look I'm I'm anticipating a jump from Tim Smith I think I might have said the same thing a year ago but I really expect it now uh he he's been good I I I think we we kind of under rank how good he's been obviously the staff had been pretty happy with him in the sense that each year there's more snaps there's more starts I think seven or eight or nine starts you know a year ago uh so I mean this is a returning starter he has played significant snaps with the ones his entire career starting as a true freshman in 2020 uh but in 20 21 22 and 23 this is a guy that's been out there with the first team uh he's been a good player has he been great not no no not at all but now I think it's his year here's a surprising stat Luke this may shock folks out there let's go all the way back to 2020 and uh it might even be before then going all the way back to rayquan Davis rayquan Davis uh left Alabama uh and was a second round pick in the NFL draft starting with rayquan Davis every single year since Alabama has produced a day two pick in the NFL draft day two is rounds two and three again there hasn't been a first-rounder but there has been a day two pick every year was rayquan then it was Christian barmore then it was Phil mathys then it was Byron young last year it was Justin Abby and I realize Abby did didn't go day two he was a day three pick but he was one of the first Five Guys taken on day three so I mean he was very borderline day two we all know if boy being been healthy and didn't have that thick medical jacket he would have gone a little higher so I'm gonna count him as a day two guy for the purposes of this discussion the point is Alabama has been very consistent putting a senior or draft eligible Junior defensive lineman in day two Tim Smith is that guy this year I think he's going to follow I'm predicting he follows the rayquan Davis Christian barmore matthys young ayby group and becomes a day two guy because of his play in his final season which more than justifies his ranking that I have right here ranking him the 18th best player on the team um again lot of ability lot of experience I love how he came back he could have been drafted last year he could have he could have left and he would have been drafted last year now he probably would have been a sixth round pick or so a year ago but I appreciate that he's come back and wants more than that and and I I I think he sees himself as hey if I come back and everything falls into place I can be a day two guy and I'm I'm predicting that happens uh but I do admit he hasn't played like a day two guy yet uh it's going to take a improved Tim Smith for us to be saying here on our November and December shows hey I'm projecting Tim Smith to go day two uh we're gonna have to see it on the field but I think all the pieces are in place and uh the reports from the news staff are all pretty good cor me if I'm wrong he could even come back no no no he's done now is it okay he's he's one of the few that's well he has a red shirt year he's never red shirted oh okay so if he red shirted this year this year which which means if he got hurt within the first four games I mean if he got hurt within the first four games and lost the rest of the year yeah he could come back but uh boy that'd be incredible he'd be like 38 years old he would be as old as asan Robinson looks that's right so that's right but I think I think you'll be healthy and I think you'll play great and again I'm I'm gonna go ahead right here and say uh no worse than third round as a prediction I'm with you I'm right there with you I feel like he's gonna I really do believe he's gonna have a good year now you know this is obame show so we're but I think we've been relatively honest for the most part that you know if we feel like somebody hadn't shown it and we're like um we're not sure they will then we say that but Tim Smith I just feel like there's too much there for him not to have a breakout there's just too much there there's too much good clay that at this point has been molded remember this also great Point good here's one more point you talk about his recruiting rankings they were all over the place some had him really high ESPN had him like in the 140s yeah okay on Three's industry ranking for him right about 50 okay and and if you're the number 50 player in the draft where are you going end of second early third so and that's that's what we're saying I'm saying it took him five years to get there but I think he may live up ultimately to that recruiting ranking but him living up to his recruiting ranking you know in terms of the industry ranking late second third round pick another guy who uh we expect big things from that actually played against Alabama last year is Keon Sab and he is next on the countdown you know I feel like we need to introduce everybody to Keon Saab here for just a second he's a transfer from Michigan he'll be a sophomore about 61200 he's from New Jersey um last year you know didn't set the world on fire 14 solo tackles but he did have two interceptions um that's you know pretty impressive uh considering he played I guess a freshman last year he seemed to play in every game there were some games where he didn't uh do a lot but one of the games where he didn't do a lot was at Minnesota he had you know all he had an interception but no tackles but he uh they won 52 to1 you know if you look at Michigan's record last year I mean obviously they went undefeated but a lot of here their scores last year so you know they win 30 to3 35 to 7 31 to 6 45 to 7 52 to 10 52 to 7 49 to nothing 41 to to 13 I mean you know they were blowing people out so I'm guessing that you know the the wealth was spread around pretty good I'm not going to pretend that I know everything about Keon Sab right now but I'm guessing that um you know we he probably just didn't have the opportunity to play maybe as much as as he wanted to because I mean they're playing a lot of folks when you're beating the brains everybody's brains out I mean Alabama's done that before Nick Sabin was a little different though Nick Sabin was like I'm gonna beat your brains out and then I'm going to go Negan from The Walking Dead with a baseball bat on top of those brains now Keon Sab is one of the most interesting players on the team first of all for anyone who has expectations my concern when Keon Sab came out of the portal from Michigan signing with Alabama back in January it was right on the heels of Alabama losing Caleb DS to the portal to Ohio State and my concern was after learning about Sab is that Alabama fans would say look Caleb is gone but we replaced him with Keon Sab apples for apples lost a big time safety bring in a big time safety that is not fair to Keon at all that has never been no one's ever in football uh he he was not the prospect that Kaleb was and he was not the true fresh I mean while Caleb was dominating the SEC leading Alabama in tackles with over 90 as a true freshman Keon redshirted as a freshman Keon was lesser of a player in year two at Michigan than Caleb was in his year one at Alabama so that's not fair to Keon he was never brought in as an apples for apples replacement for Caleb now that said is Keon Sab does he have the potential to be a really good safety in the SEC absolutely absolutely he's a top 100 player nationally he's a good kid he's a hard worker as Luke just pointed out on Michigan's National Championship team he was a significant player uh did he start every week with was he their best player no no no but he started five times he had two picks in the national championship game against Washington he had a season High six tackles so he's out there on the field in the most significant game possible for Michigan making six tackles so Keon was a significant player at Michigan was he great was he Caleb nope nope NOP now what's he done at Alabama he arrived in January and uh all the reports on Keon are great as a matter of fact practice number one he was a first team safety at Alabama he held on to First Team role throughout the entirety of spring practices and then on aay was a first team player lined up alongside Malachi Moore at safety uh so Keon Sab and Malachi Moore will be Alabama's starting safety Duo I think they'll be one of the better safety Duos in the country not the best but one of the best one of the best in this SEC and I'm excited about Keon a little different than Malachi Malachi is more of an in thebox physical safety Keon more of a center fielder more of a cover guy more of a rangy guy so together they make a pretty good Duo because Malachi's a guy can play in the Box Keon's a guy who can play back and defend those deep balls and running with receivers so very excited about Keon Sapp just don't just don't compare him to Caleb DS that that's just not not fair to Keon Caleb's GNA be a three andone first round pick at at Ohio State yeah I'm right there with you on that and look there are some folks who believe that and they you know but let's also not discount the fact that Keon sa did win a national championship last year that is positive I mean Caleb DS went to the semi-finals which also and R in SEC which means something but Keon Sab has been in big moments and I think that is very helpful and especially this year with this schedule where Alabama's slate is dotted with a lot of big moment potentially so um I feel like getting this guy is very very important I'm totally in agreement with where you have him on the countown um especially if you're considering like how important each person will be for this slot like I I don't think it's necessarily that he's the 16th best player on the roster but I think he might be the 16th most important I mean he's obviously not gonna be jayen mil he's obviously not gonna be Justice Haynes um but I think that uh somebody like that or or maybe Kaden Proctor something like that but I think that he's going to be very important and he's going to have a bit of a learning curve um the SEC is different than the Big 10 I mean that sounds so like rudimentary but it's true and uh there's actually more passing uh and and much better competition I mentioned he'll he'll face better receivers every week it's not like the big 10 doesn't have good receivers I mean for goodness sake Marvin Harrison Junior they all in one place all of those Ohio State receivers and even Penn State's got dudes and Michigan State's gonna have you know the occasional Keon Coleman who they had as a young player but not like the SEC in the SEC you're facing luberg potentially a first round receiver every week you play a conference game you're playing somebody the other team's best receiver is very possibly or probably a first round pick and that's who you're facing every week as opposed to the Big 10 where some weeks you face those guys and you certainly do with Ohio State which which needless to say has an SEC type roster you know dare I say he may be facing better wide receivers at Alabama's practice than he did for the most part in the Big 10 well yeah when you play Indiana Minnesota Northwestern Iowa uh even Wisconsin ECU Purdue yeah yeah you're you know Ruckers Maryland you're not talking about premium receivers at those places but the SEC there's hardly a week that you don't I mean everybody uh in the SEC uh is going to have at least one one guy that's going to be very difficult uh to cover so I I I think Keon's be fine as you said Luke I I wouldn't sit here and tell anybody that Keon sabot is the 16th best player on this team but considering the size of the role he's going to play I think he's the 16th most important player for sure and uh he's he's a guy that's gonna be out there every single snap uh he will be when Alabama's defense is on the field and the game is undecided Keon Sav will be on the field and he'll be a big part of Alabama's success this this new scheme under Kane wck really highlights safeties I've been told that by multiple people close to to uh Kane that uh safeties are a big part of things with him everything sort of funneled to safeties they need to be dependable tacklers and I think Keon's one of those guys yeah now uh SEC media days get started today LSU and Old Miss or probably the two highlights and that's wonderful um we will probably be talking a little bit about reaction from things that lane kin says maybe some stuff Brian Kelly says uh and and so it's going to be a lot of fun this week it's going to be a busy week I mean four days a Sab story Sab Sabin was denied already been a Sabin story he was denied entry at the immediate days because he he didn't have credentials or a lanyard sabin's not used to just being one of the media crew right he's used to being the head coach at Alabama didn't know or wasn't told that uh he needed media credentials or a lanyard to enter the media entrance so he was held up and told probably the president of ESPN was alerted that Nick sabum was mad and then and then they fired everybody took care of that but it is kind of funny like Nick Sab not with the coaches with the media and hey I one thing I didn't expect this morning on SEC network when the SEC media days coverage began minute number one Nick sabum was front and center with uh Laura rutage and Ben Benjamin Watson they'd be fools not to do it they'd be fools not to do it he's gonna be interviewing Brian Kelly shortly that's going to be another fun thing to watch Nick Sabin doing the question asking instead of the question answering at Brian Kelly can can maybe ask something back like hey have you uh did your guys ever pull all the Notre Dame players out of their cleats from the 2012 game um all right that's GNA do it for this episode we'll be back tomorrow with more until then roll TI everybody roll TI

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