While Alabama is still likely to have a Top Five recruiting class this year, it will have a little less luster thanks to a somewhat surprising decision by its highest-rated recruit, the Mobile Press-Register is reporting.
Keenan Allen, the No. 5 player in the nation according to Rivals.com, will tell head coach Nick Saban Tuesday that Alabama is no longer under consideration.
Instead, the paper reports, Allen will now choose between Cal and — this is somewhat of a shocker — Penn State. It was thought that, if Allen did not sign with the Tide, he would opt for either Cal or Clemson, so the Nittany Lions’ sudden emergence was not on most people’s radar.
Allen was a virtual lock for the Tide until his half-brother, Zach Maynard, decided to transfer from Buffalo.
It was at that time the whispers began, that Allen wanted to attend school with Maynard and Alabama might lose the wide receiver/defensive back.
Well go enjoy not going to the NC game.
Do what you think is best Keenan. The best school available is not always the best place for a player. The fact is he has a better chance playing at those schools than he does Bama. Saban took a walk on and made him a third round pick and then took a first year starter and made him first team all SEC. Whoever is back there will be ready and productive, regardless of how many stars he has today.
After reading up on Allen and Maynard, I’m thoroughly confused. You want a shot at the pros and a multi-million-dollar future, then you go to the coach most likely to put you there. But if you want to hold hands with your half-brother through college, that’s okay, too. Only now it appears he’s leaving the brother at Clemson and opting for Penn State. Huh? Maybe this guy isn’t a good fit for us at Bama. We need focused players. I have great respect for Coach Paterno. If that’s where the kid winds up, best of luck to them both.
Joe Pa does just fine getting his players to the next level.
2000s First Rounders:
1. Miami: 26
2. Ohio State: 16
3. USC: 15
4. Florida State: 13
4. Texas: 13
6. Georgia: 11
7. Tennessee: 10
8. Florida: 9
8. LSU: 9
8. Penn State: 9
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=938905#1
Actually, it doesn’t matter where you go to school. If you got the goods, the scouts will find you.
Hell, in the case of people like Joe Horn, and Eric Swann, you can either go to a junior college, or no school at all.
But it is true that the big name schools–Alabama, Penn State, USC–usually have the ear of the pro guys. Of course this leads to higher draft positions (some deserved and some not) and more loot.
@Cornerdenizen …
Don’t know that I wholeheartedly agree. Once Chuck Noll opened the door by aggressively scouting podunk schools to find several of the stars on his super Steelers team of the 70s, it was a boost to players at smaller schools. If you’re a natural and self-motivated, yes, you can make it without the big-school credentials. But Nick Saban and some of the other top-name coaches are teachers–they not only have connections, they work to help promising kids elevate their games. That can wind up being the difference between going in the high or low first round, or the first or second round. And those few places can mean millions when it comes to the contract. Business is business.