Written by Ell
| 06 August 2008
B.J. Scott - #1 – WR – 5-10 – 195 lbs. – Prichard, AL – Vigor
Julio Jones - #8 – WR – 6-4 – 210 lbs. – Foley, AL - Foley
Chris Jackson - #19 – WR – 6-1 – 190 lbs. – McDonough, GA – Henry County
Brad Smelley - #17 – TE – 6-3 – 217 lbs. – Tuscaloosa, AL – American Christian Academy
The top two guys in the class might have received more attention than any 2 other recruits in this class, amplifying the expectations for this group. Add in the fact that Bama lost 3 Wide Receivers who caught more than 1,000 yards in their career, and those expectations jump immediately to the highest possible level.
B.J. Scott played most of his High School career at Quarterback, so there will be an adjustment for him to the Wide Receiver position, almost certainly as the Slot Receiver. He is a special athlete, though. The big argument over the summer was whether or not he would start out at Receiver or at Defensive Back, with the expectation that he could be a starter at either position. This kid is such a freak athlete that he has actually thrown TD passes both right-handed and left-handed. Before
Major Applewhite departed for Texas
B.J. had indicated that the Tide staff was creating the “uno” package for him on offense in an attempt to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
Chance that he plays in 2008: Certain. He still has to work on his ball-catching ability, which is not a surprise given his lack of experience at the Receiver position. But he has the potential be the type of dynamic player that Bama had in
David Palmer and
Freddie Milons. He is a perfect fit for
Jim McElwain’s offense, and should play from day one.
Julio Jones was one of the nation’s top over-all recruits, and according to most the top Wide Receiver in the country. The hype surrounding him started late in his Sophomore year and culminated with one of Foley’s games being broadcast on ESPN and
Julio making his pledge to Alabama live on National Signing Day on ESPN. The hype is for a reason! Until you see him in person you can not grasp how effortless he makes the game of football look. He is big, he is fast, he is strong, and he is athletic.
Chance that he plays in 2008: Certain. I’ve talked about tempering expectations, and I think that is a thing to keep in mind with most of the players in this class. But I would be shocked if Julio did not see substantial playing time against Clemson. He is a very unique athlete who could be Bama’s leading receiver as a Freshman. He still has some things to learn in the mental part of the game, but physically he is already there.
Chris Jackson is the forgotten man in this Wide Receiver class because he has been at Alabama since January. The opportunity to practice with the Tide during Spring Practice gave Chris a big jump on the other incoming players. Just because he wasn’t as highly recruited as the other 2 players at his position, don’t think he isn’t talented. He was the 3A Offensive Player of the year in the state of Georgia and was named All-State by the folks at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Chance that he plays in 2008: Fair. Bama has a lot of talent at the Wide Receiver position, but very little of it is game-tested. With that in mind the competition for playing time at the position will be wide open. Despite the fact that Chris was with the Tide during spring drills, he had not progressed by A-Day to the point of seeing the ball. He is likely the 3rd most talented of the Tide’s incoming receivers, and a redshirt would not surprise me. An early camp ankle injury has set him back a few days, but should not hamper him long.
Brad Smelley signed with Alabama as a Quarterback, but immediately made the move to Tight End. Given the fact that Bama loses 2 TEs after the 2008 season it was imperative that the Tide bring in a TE during this class, and Brad will fill that role. He was a QB in High School, but spent a good deal of time at Wide Receiver when his brother Chris, now at South Carolina, was ACA’s QB. He’s a good athlete with deceptive speed for a guy his size.
Chance that he plays in 2008: Not good. The Tide is deep at TE this year with 2 Senior co-starters.
Jim McElwain loves to use his TEs and Brad is a good fit for the offense, especially when the TE is flexed out into the slot. He’s behind 4 guys on the depth chart right now, including
Chris Underwood who is a similar type player. I expect Brad to redshirt and then really compete for playing time in 2009. It would not shock me to be wrong on this one as he has been the surprise of the camp for me.
