A little insight on our new recruits from Alabama....

[defiantdog]

Keith Mixon.... has the opportunity to bump up to a 4* rating this year. He's more of a slot guy and plays against the top competition in Alabama. He's going to be what Trindon Holliday was to LSU for us.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWhR0mrlXRI


Nick Gibson.... The 5A Back of the Year for the state of Alabama. If he can add about 10 - 15 lbs of muscle, he will be the next Vick Ballard.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTqE-zh23OE


Justin Johnson.... His stock is going to go up this year. I think Saban recruits so well outside of Alabama that he sometimes forgets about the hidden gems in his own state. Johnson is big, mean and he can catch. I don't see him transferring to TE because he's going to be difficult for DB's to handle. Put it this way, not one DB attempted to bump him at the line of scrimmage this year.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EreqQVd2bcI

[CadaverDawg]

Thanks for this post. Wow, Mixon looks like a human joystick with some of those cuts. He has tremendous speed.

[BulldogDX55]

Thanks for this post. Wow, Mixon looks like a human joystick with some of those cuts. He has tremendous speed.

Seriously. Moves like that almost allow me to forget that I don't get to play NCAA 15.

[BeardoMSU]

Good stuff, man. Thanks for posting.

[defiantdog]

I really don't know how Mixon is a mid 3*.... it's gotta be his size. He's extremely under rated. He apparently has some respect from other players on his team.... Daron Payne announced us in his top 3 tonight along with Alabama and Auburn. Craziness.... http://247sports.com/Player/Daron-Payne-32071

[Todd4State]

I really don't know how Mixon is a mid 3*.... it's gotta be his size. He's extremely under rated. He apparently has some respect from other players on his team.... Daron Payne announced us in his top 3 tonight along with Alabama and Auburn. Craziness.... http://247sports.com/Player/Daron-Payne-32071

Probably because the recruiting services haven't seen him or something like that, or like you said his size.

[Dawg61]

Love Gibson and Johnson's potential and really love Johnson's size but watching their videos and then watching Mixon almost isn't fair to them. Mixon is FILTHY NASTY!!! Man he looks awesome!! Wish he could suit up this year. He is going to rack up a shit ton of touchdowns at MSU by the time he graduates.

[BeardoMSU]

Love Gibson and Johnson's potential and really love Johnson's size but watching their videos and then watching Mixon almost isn't fair to them. Mixon is FILTHY NASTY!!! Man he looks awesome!! Wish he could suit up this year. He is going to rack up a shit ton of touchdowns at MSU by the time he graduates.

Agreed. The dude is nasty. Regardless of stars attached next to these kids' names, most of their offer lists are pretty impressive. To me, that's more telling than anything.

[woozman]

Thanks for this post. Wow, Mixon looks like a human joystick with some of those cuts. He has tremendous speed.

No kidding - his highlights are amazing and he can absolutely fly.

[smootness]

Thanks for posting this! It's crazy how much legitimate talent we're getting from AL this year. We're definitely lucky that Bama and Auburn recruit so well nationally. Kendell Jones and Smitherman are both extremely underrated to me and both have a chance to end up as 4-stars.

What's crazy to me, and I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, is how many RBs and slot guys we have committed. Gray, Dear, Thomas, Mixon, Gibson, Murphy, Thomas...add Myers, Jones, Johnson, Green, and potentially Spivey at WR, and it just seems like too many. The crazy thing is, I like every single one of those guys.

[MetEdDawg]

Thanks for posting this! It's crazy how much legitimate talent we're getting from AL this year. We're definitely lucky that Bama and Auburn recruit so well nationally. Kendell Jones and Smitherman are both extremely underrated to me and both have a chance to end up as 4-stars.

What's crazy to me, and I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, is how many RBs and slot guys we have committed. Gray, Dear, Thomas, Mixon, Gibson, Murphy, Thomas...add Myers, Jones, Johnson, Green, and potentially Spivey at WR, and it just seems like too many. The crazy thing is, I like every single one of those guys.

I've been waiting for us to do this for a long time. Alabama has a lot of talent. That's why Troy has been able to do so well in recent years. They are getting guys in the 20-40 range in Alabama that are solid players and do well with them. Now we are creeping in and getting guys in the 10-20 range that get overlooked by Bama and Auburn and making a solid, well rounded class with them. I think you will see a big push by in state schools to fill their classes out with a few of our guys so it's important for us to have a solid season and keep these Alabama guys together.

[codeDawg]

I wouldn't bump Johnson either. That dude bumps back!

[smootness]

Yeah, agreed. I think a lot of people are going to end up coming after Kendell Jones especially. But as of now, I'm not extremely worried. It seems like this group of guys is building a pretty strong bond together, so that should be good enough to hold onto just about everybody. The longer it goes, and the more they develop a relationship with their future teammates, the harder it is to back away in the end.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Thanks for posting this! It's crazy how much legitimate talent we're getting from AL this year. We're definitely lucky that Bama and Auburn recruit so well nationally. Kendell Jones and Smitherman are both extremely underrated to me and both have a chance to end up as 4-stars.

What's crazy to me, and I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, is how many RBs and slot guys we have committed. Gray, Dear, Thomas, Mixon, Gibson, Murphy, Thomas...add Myers, Jones, Johnson, Green, and potentially Spivey at WR, and it just seems like too many. The crazy thing is, I like every single one of those guys.

Don't be surprised if those 4 rb's are really 2. I think Mixon & Gibson stay at rb. It wouldn't shock me if Murphy ends up at lb. Another reason why we aren't pushing for certain lb's. Thomas is a sign & place guy but he's too talented not to stash away & pickup in 2yrs. Slot wr you have Dear, Gray, & Thomas. Gray will be a sophomore, Dear will play as a true freshman, & Thomas (who was the most impressive kid on the field last night) will rs & get bigger & stronger. Johnson, Spivey, & Jones are outside wr's. Green is a TE 100% & Myers is a db 100% spent. He spent all his time at CB last night & has said that's what he wants to play.

[Political Hack]

Gibson reminds me more if Dicenzo than Ballard. He could play multiple spots while still be listed at RB. I see him as a RB/Slot/ST guy.

Murphy is a RB.

[Political Hack]

Mixon is Sproles. He doesn't carry the ball on the left side yet, but they'll fix that. Kid is fun to watch. Can start and stop on a dime.

[FISHDAWG]

Thanks for posting this! It's crazy how much legitimate talent we're getting from AL this year. We're definitely lucky that Bama and Auburn recruit so well nationally. Kendell Jones and Smitherman are both extremely underrated to me and both have a chance to end up as 4-stars.

What's crazy to me, and I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, is how many RBs and slot guys we have committed. Gray, Dear, Thomas, Mixon, Gibson, Murphy, Thomas...add Myers, Jones, Johnson, Green, and potentially Spivey at WR, and it just seems like too many. The crazy thing is, I like every single one of those guys.

thing is -with that kind of talent competing for the same positions, whoever emerges as the starter is going to be verrryyy good !

[hailmari]

I can see Murphy becoming a leaner version of what we were expecting to make Artimus Samuel. Instead of doing it from the TE spot, he'll do it from RB.
He's a big, meaty kid. He'll be throwing some licks for us, fo sho..

[PMDawg]

Gibson bounces everything to the outside, even if there's a hole in the middle. That's a habit that will take the coaches awhile to break. But he has good power, speed, and moves so I'm sure he'll be fine after a RS year.

[defiantdog]

Between Mixon and Deddrick Thomas.... we're going to be breaking some ankles. Supposedly, Thomas was the only back Lewis couldn't get on 1 on 1 drills at BDC.


http://www.hudl.com/v/1tCZD

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Between Mixon and Deddrick Thomas.... we're going to be breaking some ankles. Supposedly, Thomas was the only back Lewis couldn't get on 1 on 1 drills at BDC.


http://www.hudl.com/v/1tCZD

That was Mixon who gave Leo fits. He put a move on him in the 1 on 1 in the hole drill that had everyone going crazy. Deddrick Thomas was the most impressive kid on the field last night tho.