2015 4* LB Darrell Williams commits to AU!

[ellitor 33,093]

Is he pulling a Dee Liner?

No. Dee had things set up to flip on NSD. The AU staff snuffed that plot out and pulled his offer. Williams on the other hand seems real with both schools to this point. Last I saw I still have not seen Williams having a committable Bama offer.

[imaolgatiger 523]

If he's looking, I hope we're looking.

[CameronCrazy 1,062]

This is why elite LB's should not be considered a luxury until we have signed a full LB class and/or the guys on the field start performing. We should continue to be pushing HARD for Roquan Smith & Jeffrey Holland.

[ellitor 33,093]

This is why elite LB's should not be considered a luxury until we have signed a full LB class and/or the guys on the field start performing. We should continue to be pushing HARD for Roquan Smith & Jeffrey Holland.

We were pushing w/ Ro but he dropped AU because we already had to many LB and Star commits for his taste.

[Randman5000 4,229]

This is why elite LB's should not be considered a luxury until we have signed a full LB class and/or the guys on the field start performing. We should continue to be pushing HARD for Roquan Smith & Jeffrey Holland.

We were pushing w/ Ro but he dropped AU because we already had to many LB and Star commits for his taste.

Ronan? Roho? Roquan…ah yes now I remember. Yeah whatever happened to that guy. He seemed like a perfect fit.

[war eagle6 0]

If he's a bama fan growing up, he WILL be a turd if they offer

[Mikey 16,604]

My thinking is we may not be casting a big enough net. For several years now we've had trouble signing enough top-level LB prospects. It seems we start off with about six guys and are lucky to end up with one or two of the original targets. Maybe if we start with 20 we'd get the three or four that we need to start rebuilding there?

There is no way to have a top level defense without top level linebackers. The "disappointment rate" at the position is somewhere north of 50% and that's not just here, it's everywhere. Just why we've had so many guys flip or end up not signing with us is a mystery, but the position has been snake-bit. We need to sign numbers of top level LB prospects until we've got some all-SEC and all-America type players on the field.

[CameronCrazy 1,062]

My thinking is we may not be casting a big enough net. For several years now we've had trouble signing enough top-level LB prospects. It seems we start off with about six guys and are lucky to end up with one or two of the original targets. Maybe if we start with 20 we'd get the three or four that we need to start rebuilding there?

There is no way to have a top level defense without top level linebackers. The "disappointment rate" at the position is somewhere north of 50% and that's not just here, it's everywhere. Just why we've had so many guys flip or end up not signing with us is a mystery, but the position has been snake-bit. We need to sign numbers of top level LB prospects until we've got some all-SEC and all-America type players on the field.

I completely agree, Mikey! I know it's only September, but my biggest concern is that there are no new names popping up in our recruiting circles. Especially on defense! Are we just going to wait for Williams to flip or wait & hope that we get Holland? Is all our eggs in these 2 guy's baskets? Some may call me paranoid, but an Auburn fan need only look to the last 2 years to see what I'm talking about. Why aren't we hearing anything about the other LB's across the southeast and country? What about Ricky DeBerry? What about Adonis Thomas? What about Justin Hilliard? What about Malik Jefferson?

All we hear about is you have to start early in building relationships with these recruits.... Are we just waiting for someone to flip before we start recruiting someone else? You would think that we would at least be getting visits from some other LB's?

[war eagle6 0]

Hire Takeo Spikes as linebackers coach and all problems will be solved

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

Spikes is awesome

[douggwilliams 61]

My thinking is we may not be casting a big enough net. For several years now we've had trouble signing enough top-level LB prospects. It seems we start off with about six guys and are lucky to end up with one or two of the original targets. Maybe if we start with 20 we'd get the three or four that we need to start rebuilding there?

There is no way to have a top level defense without top level linebackers. The "disappointment rate" at the position is somewhere north of 50% and that's not just here, it's everywhere. Just why we've had so many guys flip or end up not signing with us is a mystery, but the position has been snake-bit. We need to sign numbers of top level LB prospects until we've got some all-SEC and all-America type players on the field.

Thats dead on. How many LBs has Au had that were 3 stars or less? A ton. i think this staff is on top of it, but we have to recruit a true LB every year. We should recruit as many as possible. AU name has clout again. We can cast a large net. We can now pull that off.

[JFDTiger80 790]

Spikes is awesome

Not sure what Spikes is doing these days. He lives in ATL though. I get his twitters. He is very much in tune with sports still. He is still csary to look at. His neck is very much like Braden Smith's, probably bigger.

[Never2Yield 1,005]

Hire Takeo Spikes as linebackers coach and all problems will be solved

I would love to see him back at Auburn coaching the linebackers!

[war eagle6 0]

Hire Takeo Spikes as linebackers coach and all problems will be solved

I would love to see him back at Auburn coaching the linebackers!

That makes 2of us! A dream come true, and I promise u there won't be no whiffed tackles being made by our linebackers either. They wll be physical as all get out

[Dixie1860 27]

In other news, DW has decided that he really is maybe 3/4 committed. It is premium info and I can't say much more. Here is my response from the thread. I didn't quote he article anywhere. None of it is new info, but I am over him.

I understand all that, I do. I think he is a good kid, and has all the tools to be as good as he wants to be. These responses would fall under the "Aw shucks" category though. He committed, and when he did I can assure you he didn't tell Gus he was 70%!! I bet he does appreciate it if the coaches have been telling him he could take visits. He isn't fawning over "the process" though, he is acting giddy over Bama. He attends Hoover HS, and has been to enough Bama games to know the deal. He is also well aware that AU hasn't signed many Hoover kids and would like to have a presence there. Many a kid has played AU in an effort to get the very attention that he wants me to believe he is surprised over. He is not the type of talent though that is worth swallowing pride over. If he were, maybe I see it different.

I was responding to a "he is just having fun, enjoying the process" comment.

I also added, "Don't pee on my head, am tell me it's raining!"

[JFDTiger80 790]

In other news, DW has decided that he really is maybe 3/4 committed. It is premium info and I can't say much more. Here is my response from the thread. I didn't quote he article anywhere. None of it is new info, but I am over him.

I understand all that, I do. I think he is a good kid, and has all the tools to be as good as he wants to be. These responses would fall under the "Aw shucks" category though. He committed, and when he did I can assure you he didn't tell Gus he was 70%!! I bet he does appreciate it if the coaches have been telling him he could take visits. He isn't fawning over "the process" though, he is acting giddy over Bama. He attends Hoover HS, and has been to enough Bama games to know the deal. He is also well aware that AU hasn't signed many Hoover kids and would like to have a presence there. Many a kid has played AU in an effort to get the very attention that he wants me to believe he is surprised over. He is not the type of talent though that is worth swallowing pride over. If he were, maybe I see it different.

I was responding to a "he is just having fun, enjoying the process" comment.

I also added, "Don't pee on my head, am tell me it's raining!"

Thanks for posting Dixie. I appreciate it. I am not happy about it, considering it does not look like we have other LBs that are leaning our way right not. It is disappointing considering all of the positive press AU is receiving on a national basis.

[RunInRed 16,409]

Recently, Auburn assistants Ellis Johnson and Rodney Garner have been persistent about keeping Williams committed.

"They just try to keep me, keep it like a family type thing and keep building the relationship," Williams says.

Alabama counters with offensive line coach Mario Cristobal, who has been very active recruiting the four-star linebacker. He told AL.com in August that Alabama was recruiting him the hardest out of any of his top schools. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound linebacker visited Alabama last weekend with Hoover teammates Christian Bell and Bradrick Shaw.

"It was pretty good," he says about the visit. "I'm just trying to go with the flow right now. I'm still committed to Auburn, but have an open mind about it. I'm not really swaying to Alabama either way."

Williams has become one of the most interesting recruiting storylines in the state. Only three of the 15 A-List players are uncommitted, and Williams is one of the few committed players seriously considering another school. He acknowledged Friday that the recruiting process gets stressful, but that he tries his best to separate recruiting from what he's trying to accomplish during his last year at Hoover.

Says Williams: "I don't want it to get in way with our team and everything I have to focus on right now."

Against Oak Mountain, Williams had a quiet night with three tackles, but didn't have many opportunities for more. Hoover's defensive line clogged up the middle against Oak Mountain's inside rush heavy offense in a 35-0 win. The Hoover defense dominated from the start and had two goalline stands against Oak Mountain.

"We know what kind of defense mindset (we have) at Hoover (and) we know what standard we have to hold," he says. "We had to get back to that. We tried to keep that goose egg on the board like we did last week."

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/09/auburn_fighting_to_fend_off_al.html

[NoALtiger 3,863]

LOL at this kid and his thought process. He's not coming off well for sure.

[bikeriderga 134]

Hate to say it and hope I am wrong but if it were signing day today, think he would fax loi to crybaby Sabear.

However, if we win in Tuscalooser and win the SEC again, might be a different story. As long as Bammer is seen as the team to beat, they will be able to pull recruits. When that perception changes, that will no longer be the case.

[JFDTiger80 790]

I wish we were currently loaded at LB with commits so we could show this kid the road. We are the current number 5 team in the country, LBs should be lined up to AU for us.

[ellitor 33,093]

if it were signing day today, think he would fax loi to crybaby Sabear.

That requires an offer he can commit to with Bama which he does not have at this time so if NSD were today he would ink with Auburn. Things can always change, especially with Bama, but it does not look like Bama will have room to take him down the line. I know WDEWDE thinks DW flips to Bama and that's well worth knowing and being aware of. It's also worth noting that at this time the AU staff likes it's chances of signing DW FWIW.

[AURandy56 148]

if it were signing day today, think he would fax loi to crybaby Sabear.

That requires an offer he can commit to with Bama which he does not have at this time so if NSD were today he would ink with Auburn. Things can always change, especially with Bama, but it does not look like Bama will have room to take him down the line. I know WDEWDE thinks DW flips to Bama and that's well worth knowing and being aware of. It's also worth noting that at this time the AU staff likes it's chances of signing DW FWIW.

From what I saw on Rivals, he does have a Bama offer.

[bg5 536]

So if he doesn't have an offer from bama are they recruiting him or is he recruiting them?

[bikeriderga 134]

So if he doesn't have an offer from bama are they recruiting him or is he recruiting them?

He grew up a Bammer fan. Since they have started showing him interest, it may be somewhat mutual.

Hope I am dead wrong he is a good player and we need him. He also has a much better chance for early playing time at AU.

[im4au 44]

I feel sorry for recruits that get used as pawns in a game they really don't understand. I watched Darius Philon seek out and talk to Gus after the Arky game and wondered what that young man must be thinking.