Alabama’s Nick Saban rolls into Georgia for 2010 prospects
Nick and Blake shake on it (Photo submitted by Sims family)
Alabama’s Nick Saban dampened UGA’s national championship hopes last year. Now Saban is returning to the state to inflict more damage.
Gainesville QB Blake Sims is the latest 2010 prospect to pledge to Alabama. Sims picked the Crimson Tide over UGA, Michigan, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others.
Alabama has as many commitments from the state as Georgia Tech (3), and more than UGA (1). The other Tuscaloosa-bound prospects are North Gwinnett OL Austin Shephard and Westside-Macon WR Ronald Carswell.
The big questions are these: Now that Saban is scoring big early in Georgia, will he be able to finish as strong as he started with recruiting? And will he be able to hold on to the commitments he has? So far, so good.
UGA touched base with Sims this week, asking if he wanted to take another look at the Bulldogs. “[Assistant John Jancek] wanted me to come down there, so they could roll out the red carpet like Alabama did for me last weekend,” Sims said. “I told him thanks for the invitation, and I appreciated it. It was hard to turn down Georgia. I grew up a Georgia fan. I’ve been good friends with [Mark Richt] since my freshman year.”
“But I’ve already picked my school, and I’m going to keep my word because [Saban] gave me his word.”
Saban closed the deal with Sims at a dizzying pace. It was the stuff of recruiting legends. Last Wednesday, Sims said West Virginia, Michigan and UGA were his top three choices. Thursday, Alabama offered out of the blue. Friday, Sims talked to Saban for the first time in his life. Saturday, Sims visited Alabama for the first time. Within a few hours, Saban had Sims so fired up he was ready to learn words to the school fight song.
“Coach Saban showed me love, lots of love,” Sims said. “He let me know I was very important to the future of Alabama football. I was head over heels about the place. I surprised myself by committing. I just looked up and asked God to help me with my college decision.”
The quick commitment by Sims abruptly ended a long travel itinerary for his family over spring break. They were headed to West Virginia the next day, and then Michigan by the end of the week.
However, the recruiting journey has just begun for Sims, along with rest of Alabama’s seven overall commitments. As with all the top prospects, Sims will be pursued by other schools until he signs the scholarship papers in February. He got 11 letters from colleges on Thursday, including hand-written cards from coaches at West Virginia and Michigan.
Nice start by Nick Saban with next year’s recruiting class, especially in Georgia. We’ll see where everything stands in 10 months.
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116 comments Add your comment
Edward Blackwelder
April 11th, 2009
10:22 am
The University of Alabama is doing a better job at everything, so just accept the fact, Georgia. Nick Saban is the Number One coach in America and will continue to be for time to come.
People hate winners so Alabama has alot of enemies. Hell, this is great! We ‘Bama fans have always known that we are the best! Everyone else knows it too but just won’t admit it.
“Cracker” is out of touch with reality. Get real “Cracker”! The NCAA infraction accusations against Alabama do not include selling books. All student-athlete books were returned to the University Supply Store for proper scholarship credit. I have the complete copy of the NCAA report along with the University’s response. It’s almost 100 pages in length. I will be happy to share it with any of you people that know how to read and have the ability to understand facts. This most certainly leaves Cracker out!
Roll Tide! Alabama’s “A Day” game is going to be nationally televised by ESPN. Can any other school say the same for their pre-season game?
At Alabama we know we are good. Too bad the remainder of you people seem to become experts by purchasing a T-shirt from Wal-Mart without every making a single contribution to “your” school. Put you wallet where your mouth is and do something beneficial for your school. Don’t be a Cracker and go off “half-cocked” without the benefit of facts.
heeldawg
April 11th, 2009
8:00 am
Guys, Jeez….
Good luck to the Sims kid. He’ll probably be an All-SEC DB at Bama. That’s football. Allen Bailey was told he’d be a DE at UGA, Miami said they’d let him play LB, and now he’s a DE at Miami. Most of these kids are bedazzled by the whole recruiting experience and get fired up about a particular school and the promises they are made. They’ll make decisions based on emotion and excitement without really thinking the whole decision-making process through (Orson Charles was an exception). I know–my son’s being recruited right now (although for Ivy League and 1-AA schools, not the big boys). These kids generally don’t fully understand that once you get to a school–ANY school–the coaches have the right to use you where the team needs you. That’s what being a teammate is all about. Sims will learn that at Bama (or wherever else he ends up) soon enough. The key thing is that he should take advantage of the free education and make the most of it. Very few people make it to the NFL, but that college degree could be the doorway to a lot of great things for Mr. Sims.
Just the facts, ma’am….Richt is 2-3 vs Saban. No domination there. And I don’t think Bama’s the odds-on favorite to win the SEC this year. That would be the Florida Gators, the defending national champs who return everyone on defense. Two years from now, who knows? Richt has beaten Bama more than Bama has beaten him. Richt has won two SEC titles since he’s been in Athens, which is two more than Bama since he’s been there. And for the Bama fans who use the “our starting left tackle was out in the Sugar Bowl” excuse as the reason you guys got whipped in the Sugar Bowl (and I’ll agree,that was a factor, but not the only factor), try losing TWO starting left tackles in one season. Or try losing 19 players (10 starters) with season-ending injuries in one season. That’s what happened to Georgia last year, and they still went 10-3 and won a bowl game. Had that happened to the Tide, you guys would have had another 6-6 year.
I’d put a check on the ego thing a bit, Tide fans. One 12-2 season doesn’t mean that Bear Bryant’s been resurrected. Last time I checked, he was still dead. Remember, you’re just one year removed from losing to Louisiana-Monroe.
The Last Laugh
April 11th, 2009
5:59 am
Chuck UGA “Crackerisanidiot: UGA has NEVER been caught “cheating.”
Here is a link directly to the NCAA database list for MAJOR infractions by ALL programs . Please note that the University of Georgia’s tally of major infractions stand at SIX . I’ll let you scroll on down the page to see where Bama is listed but I will readily admit that this is the ONE area Georgia has a record that actually tops Bama on the all time list LOL
https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/PDF/miSearch?miSearchSubmit=Most%20Infractions%20Report
Laughing Roll Tide
April 11th, 2009
5:43 am
Watching Dawg fans show their TRUE colors in the off season is ALMOST as good as watching their faces as their football team got stomped by the Tide in Athens during their “fan fashion show” .
The young man wants a chance to play for a program that can REALLY compete for national championships instead of spending his entire college career and then the rest of his life talking about what could have been but never was …. .
Deep down Dawg fans KNOW the truth on where both programs REALLY stand both historically and in the present . It obviously drives them so nuts they are even willing to turn on young men for a personal decision like a pack of rabid “dawgs” . The only “satisfaction” they can count on is tallied in the comment section of the AJC . It is highly unlikely to EVER come from a National Championship and they know it . Too funny
Welcome to the Crimson Nation Mr. Sims
Cracker
April 11th, 2009
1:01 am
program…
Cracker
April 11th, 2009
1:01 am
Bama will go on probation and Saban will move on to Notre Dame or some other has been proram… both precidents have been set….
Trey
April 11th, 2009
12:20 am
Some of you talk like you know what Saban told Sims. Why don’t we look at what Sims himself said about committing to Bama. He didn’t go because he was promises the QB job. He’s open to playing DB. Quit crying. So he chose Alabama. Kids go out of state all the time. Wish him the best and grow up. Or would his failure at Alabama bring enjoyment to your otherwise dismal life?
On the other hand, I have to say “Haney” is a class act. You represent UGA well (I’m being serious…read his comment).
What Sims had to say:
http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2009/04/athlete_blake_sims_becomes_ala.html
Bama John in Miami
April 11th, 2009
12:14 am
Chuck, you must be joking or a gtech fan in disguise.
Chuck Uga
April 10th, 2009
11:37 pm
Crackerisanidiot: UGA has NEVER been caught “cheating.” The Jan Kemp fiasco, the Harrick fiasco, the moronic South Florida/Bell Glade fiasco, none of this was cheating. Cheating is PAYING players which Bama has been cited for at least TWICE. Academic issues for making classes/tests (in Phys Ed) easy or for tutoring kids through special studies isn’t “cheating.” If it was, every school in the SEC is cheating! That includes Alabama.
Chuck Uga
April 10th, 2009
11:30 pm
ArrowJ, your Mommy is calling you to bed. You are either age 12 or you are an idiot.