Alabama Notes: Askew plans offseason travel
The talent level in Alabama seems to increase with each passing year. The state, long known for its college football success, continues to make a name for itself as a recruiting hotbed, and for good reason. These days, there’s no shortage of college-bound prospects littered throughout the area. Below are news and notes on the recruitments of a handful of Yellowhammer State players.
-- The next two visits for Rivals100 athlete Malcolm Askew (2017) will be to Clemson and Auburn respectively. Askew will tour Clemson on Jan. 30 and hit Auburn on Feb. 20. Asked to name some of the programs that stand out to him at this juncture, Askew names a few while managing to keep things vague.
“I'm just taking every thing in right now because so many are coming after me, but I'd say Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Ole Miss and many more,” Askew said.
Askew will graduate high school a semester early and join the school of his choice in time for spring practice in 2017.
-- Alabama native, Will Ignont (2017) will play next season at Florida’s IMG academy, but that hasn’t affected his recruitment as things stand now. According to the four-star linebacker, Alabama, Michigan, UCLA, LSU, Florida, and Auburn currently sit atop his list of scholarship offers. Ignont says he plans to visit each of his favorite schools this summer, but will wait until the fall to take an official visit to UCLA.
-- Class-of-2017 wide receiver Nico Collins says Clemson, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, Miami and Michigan currently lead his recruitment. The four-star prospect will visit Clemson on Jan 30 and also has plans to tour Michigan and Miami this offseason. Collins, who attends Pinson (Ala.) Clay High School, may see his recruitment change drastically as he takes visits and more offers roll in, but the schools at the top of his list all promise to be heavily involved until the final stretch.
-- Four-star wide receiver Velus Jones of Sarland, Ala., once seen as a sure thing to break his commitment to USC and land at Oklahoma, is still a member of the Trojans’ 2016 class and may stay that way permanently. A recent visit to USC seems to have fortified Jones’ once-wavering commitment. Oklahoma is still in play to a small extent, sure, but Jones seems likely to sign with the Trojans.
-- Jake Bentley’s tentative offseason visit schedule aligns with his list of current favorites. On Thursday, the four-star quarterback said that he will intends to tour South Carolina and Stanford this offseason. Bentley also re-stated that the Cardinal and Gamecocks are the current frontrunners in his recruitment.
-- Class-of-2017 linebacker Markail Benton of Phenix City (Ala.) Central intends to visit Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia this spring. South Carolina, Ole Miss, Miami, Florida, Florida State and Clemson fill out the rest of his top 10. Benton has tentative plans to make visits to his entire top ten over the summer if possible.
-- Five-star linebacker Lyndell Wilson is set to announce his choice on Signing Day. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ESPN. Wilson will visit Alabama on the weekend of Jan. 23. The Tide seem like the favorites to land Wilson, but Georgia and Florida remain involved in his recruitment. Florida seems like a distant third as things stand now, but the Gators will get Wilson’s final official visit.
-- Minnesota recently offered athlete DeMarcus Williams of Jackson, Ala. Williams is thought to be mulling a verbal commitment to the Gophers, but other schools are beginning to get involved in his recruitment. Tulane extended an offer on Friday morning, while Memphis and Missouri are also mulling making things official.