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
Ben
April 10th, 2009
11:21 am
Good for anybody that can get a college education for no money down. You can probably pencil in 2 SEC Championships and a good shot at the National Title. Bama has become as relevant as Georgia to young kids in Atlanta. Hell… they were winning 35-0 in Athens when UGA was ranked 1 or 2.
UGA has plenty to hang its hat on. Joe Cox, Durham, and another season of coulda woulda shouldas
RTR
78 DAWG
April 10th, 2009
11:05 am
crybamy stinks, just like the gayturds and the nats. your degrees are worthless and you got no class!
Got 12?
April 10th, 2009
10:55 am
We, Bama fans, have very unrealistic expectations of our football program. We expect to win the NC every year. That’s why Richt’s win-lose record at UGA means absolutely nothing to us. In our eyes, you win it all or you’ve won nothing. Objectively, Richt has done an excellent job and, yes, most programs would kill for that type of success. Bama is not one of those programs.
Joseph Earl Hebert
April 10th, 2009
10:53 am
You know I usually don’t get involved with these discussions, but today is different. I guess I’m just fed up with all this damn ‘Bama bashing. Let’s set the record straight. You can say what you want. Mr. Saban is a helluva coach. This from somebody who seen him turn that LSU program around into what it is today. A national power. Alabama Football has been through hell these last couple of years or so. It has been one thing after another. Some of it was in our control and some of it wasn’t. People were still kicking us even when we were down. It was hard times for any a proud ‘Bama fan, but you know what? We endured. Nobody broke our spirit. We were bred for those hard times. Cause thats what the “Bear” taught us. The way I see it. Is that you other 11 SEC schools should be happy we’re back on top. It is better for the conference. It’s better for the sport. After all wasn’t it Alabama who carried the torch for this conference for many a year? Hell. Alabama put the SEC on the map. So yes. We should be happy for our latest success. I know I am, but you won’t hear me brag about it. Cause I’ve grown to except winning and I sure in the hell have learned to except defeat as well lately. I’m damn proud of all those boys who went through what they did. I’m damn proud of our team. I’m damn proud of our school. I’m damn proud of our athletic program. I’m damn proud of our traditions. There’s no where, but up for us at the University of Alabama. So all y’all haters just continue to do what you do best. Hate. Cause if I’ve learned one thing. It’s people are going to hate you for whatever you do. Good or bad. So when the dust has settled. Stand up. Keep your dignity and show some respect. God bless. Roll Tide.
‘Bama fan since 1974.
DP
April 10th, 2009
10:43 am
The Truth, you need to change your name. Sims wasn’t promised early playing time. He was told he would be given a shot at QB if that is his preference, but Sims said himself that he would be OK if he ended up playing DB because Saban is a great DB coach.
SEC fan
April 10th, 2009
10:43 am
Lots of different approaches to gaining commitments from these kids. Texas, (and several others) clearly goes for the gettum buzzed up and emotional and get the quick commit while they are all excited. Works lots of times with these kids. Then they are treated as part of “the family” and shamed into honoring their decision if they even consider changing their minds. The kids generally feel pretty good about their decision as they aren’t mature enough to know what happened. Other programs go for anything but high pressure and many kids respect that. Those commits, when they are made, generally are 100% as they are decisions from the heart. You can usually look at the big schools and figure out how they approach the process. Both approaches have good and bad points. Just depends on where the coaches’ principles are. Even the fans know which schools are the high pressure recruiters. Watch the defensive blogs follow this posting.
Steve Superior
April 10th, 2009
10:39 am
Save your breath Belle, Do you think BILLY JACK there is going to show some class? Can’t show it, can’t find it, wouldn’t know it if he saw it.
bamabelle
April 10th, 2009
10:39 am
Maybe he just didn’t want to go to Georgia. Like I said you need to accept his decision and move on. Not every kid is DYING to play for Saint Richt and the Bulldogs.
JT
April 10th, 2009
10:33 am
I genuinely hope it works out for this kid. While it is hard to go wrong with a free ride to Bama or any SEC school for that matter, it sounds like this kid got some poor advice from his family and coaches — if the details described in this blog are correct. Let’s recap. Supposedly, this kid grew up a Georgia fan and as of last Wednesday, “West Virginia, Michigan and UGA were his top three choices.” On Thursday, “Alabama offered out of the blue.” On Friday, “Sims talked to Saban for the first time in his life.” On Saturday, “Sims visited Alabama for the first time.” So, over the course of 4 days, you decide to drop your top 3 choices, without taking official visits. You meet someone for the first time in your life and visit a school for the first time in you life — as school that was not in your top 3 — and you decide to commit on the spot. Again, it is hard to go wrong with Alabama. However, it would seem as though this kid would have some adults in his life who would have calmed him down and encourage him to relax and not make an emotional decision about where he is going to spend the next 4-5 years.
bamabelle
April 10th, 2009
10:19 am
Show some class Georgia fans, so the kid didn’t want to go to your school big deal. That happens all the time in recruiting. What I don’t understand and don’t like is why fans of certain schools including Alabama puts down a kid if he doesn’t choose to go to your school. Sounds like to me if UGA would have rolled out the red carpet early on, this kid would be a Bulldog. Respect his decision and move on.