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Mondays during the college football season, we will check in on former five-stars to see how they are panning out at the next level and beyond. This week, with Alabama’s big win over LSU being the talk of the weekend, it’s time for an all-Tide edition of the checkup.
As a recruit: Harris initially committed to Michigan, but backed off that pledge once things started to go south for then-coach Brady Hoke. After re-exploring his recruiting options, he focused on Kentucky, the hometown favorite, and Alabama and the two teams waged quite the battle for his services. In the end, the Tide won out and Harris committed to the school in January 2015.
What he did this week: Harris hasn’t been needed much this season as the passing game has built such big leads, Harris often spends the second half on the bench. But Saturday he got his most carries of the season, 19, and did the most of his opportunities, rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown. Harris rushed for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2016-17 and will have to see an uptick in his carries to hit that mark again this year. Regardless of his yardage totals, Harris figures to be an early-round NFL Draft pick in 2019.
As a recruit: Jeudy committed to Alabama over Florida, Miami and others during the summer prior to his senior season.
What he did this week: One of college football’s most electric receivers, Jeudy was all over the field in Saturday’s win over LSU. He finished the game with eight catches for 103 yards and is just 120 yards from the 1,000-yard receiving mark on the season. Jeudy is the team’s leading wide receiver and if he were draft eligible, would likely be a first-round pick in the 2019 draft. Unfortunately for the rest of college football, Jeudy will be back for another season of college ball next year.
As a recruit: Moses made national headlines when he picked up his first major offers from Alabama and LSU while still in middle school. The early hype surrounding Moses sped up his recruiting process and he committed to LSU as a high school underclassman. But the more the Louisiana native experienced, the more he started to look at other options. He transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year of high school and committed to Alabama shortly after an official visit to Tuscaloosa in the fall of 2016. He took late visits to Ohio State, Miami and LSU, but elected to stick with Alabama.
What he did this week: A Louisiana native, Moses starred in what might be his only game back in the Bayou as a visiting player. He finished with six total tackles and was around the ball all night and he continues to be one of the Tide’s best playmakers on defense. Most thought Moses was more hype than substance because of his longtime notoriety, but he’s proving that he’s a star and will likely be a high draft pick in 2020.
As a recruit: Wilson always seemed bound for Alabama but a late push from Georgia made things interesting, especially after he officially visited Athens a few weeks before Signing Day. But when it came time to put ink to paper, he elected to stay in-state with The Tide.
What he did this week: Wilson has been the quarterback for the Tide defense each of the last two seasons and on Saturday he was once again making plays, including a leaping interception that helped preserve Alabama’s shutout. 'Mack' finished with four tackles, one of which was for loss, along with that timely pick. Wilson has 34 tackles on the season, good enough for fourth on the team.
As a recruit: Unranked as a high school recruit, Buggs went the JUCO route and ended up as a five-star and the No. 1 player in the 2017 Rivals.com JUCO100. His recruitment came down to LSU, Alabama and Auburn and he committed to the Tide in Dec. 2016.
What he did this week: Buggs was an immediate impact guy for the Tide in 2017, playing key snaps in the team’s run to the national championship and finishing the 2017 season with 51 total tackles. In Saturday's win over LSU, Buggs made the most of his trip to his native Louisiana, recording two tackles and a sack along with a pass deflection. Five-stars at the junior college level can be tough to project, but Buggs is living up to his billing and will be an NFL pick next spring.
