Breaking down five key Alabama/Clemson recruiting battles
Many of the 2017 recruiting battles are in the books with so many top prospects already committed, so there’s no better time to look at some interesting 2018 contests here between Alabama and Clemson. The teams will meet Monday night in the College Football Playoff final.
Here are five prospects who are seriously considering both programs, where things stand and some other schools that could also have a shot.
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The former Florence (S.C.) Wilson five-star defensive end, who’s transferring to IMG Academy, said it’s “95 percent” down to South Carolina and Clemson. But nobody is counting out Alabama yet, and Thomas said at Future 50 that he’s also going to visit Florida State and Ohio State. Thomas is a star in the making who’s been compared to Jadeveon Clowney, Derek Barnett and others. There’s no way the Crimson Tide back off, and with their success on the defensive line, that could be eye-opening to the five-star. The Gamecocks were the team Thomas watched most growing up, but Clemson is right there as well and Thomas seems to be leaning toward returning to his home state for college.
Surtain is the top cornerback in the 2018 class, and he backed his ranking up at the Future 50, dominating the event and looking great in the process. He’s from South Florida with lots of attention from Miami and Florida State, but there’s no question Clemson and Alabama are major contenders as well. Both the Tigers and Crimson Tide have pumped out defensive backs in recent years, so Surtain could definitely be influenced by that as his recruitment continues.
It still feels early in the recruiting process for Henry, and both Alabama and Clemson are most likely among the handful of favorites the five-star defensive end is still seriously considering. Watch out for Ohio State, as Henry said the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan was the best game he saw this season. Georgia, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and others are in the mix, but there’s little doubt that Clemson and Alabama will keep battling it out for the North Carolina product.
Salyer is the top-rated offensive guard in the 2018 class, and Alabama and Clemson are among his favorites with the in-state Georgia Bulldogs in there as well. The Atlanta Pace Academy standout had an absolute dominant performance at the Future 50, so there’s no question the Tigers and Crimson Tide are going to continue to pursue him as hard as any other program. If Georgia misses out, look for Alabama or Clemson to land him down the road.
One of the best-looking prospects at the Future 50 was Cox, who has a top five of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio State. The four-star defensive end seems to have a closer relationship with coaches from the Buckeyes and the Bulldogs so far, but if Alabama and Clemson step it up in the coming months there’s a chance those two powers could emerge. Many other schools could receive visits and Cox sounds like he’s going to wait to make a decision, so the Crimson Tide and Tigers could definitely emerge.
