2024 5*+ WR Ryan Williams (Recommitted To Bama)

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

4 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

This feels like "damned if you do, damned if you don't."  This fanbase has (rightly) railed on the Potato Famine for not even recruiting guys like Ryan Williams, Quinshon Judkins, Perry Thompson, Cam Coleman and others, then when the new staff comes in and fights tooth and nail for the biggest prospects out there no matter who they're committed to (flipping several), we're going to criticize the effort?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Staff needs to go all in. Most of the class will sign in Dec. I doubt we will be recruiting many other than Williams to sign in Feb

[tinman1 488]

With a talent like Ryan Williams you do what you need to do to flip him.  It may be a lost cause but you NEVER give up until he actually signs with bama.  We're dealing with 17 and 18 year old kids who could change their mind at any time.

[au701948 1,005]

51 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

This feels like "damned if you do, damned if you don't."  This fanbase has (rightly) railed on the Potato Famine for not even recruiting guys like Ryan Williams, Quinshon Judkins, Perry Thompson, Cam Coleman and others, then when the new staff comes in and fights tooth and nail for the biggest prospects out there no matter who they're committed to (flipping several), we're going to criticize the effort?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

No argument with you guys here. Surely not a criticism either, just an opinion. 

Edited December 11, 2023 by au701948

[Viper 3,132]

1 hour ago, au701948 said:

I hope AU spends its time and money on more positive endeavors. Things like insuring we keep our current class together until signed next week and upgrading our other specific areas of need.

I’ve seen this dog and pony show before with maybe at least one Bama recruit every year. It’s not worth the anguish for the minimal amount of return.

Work hard on our good guys. JMO

This is not the reigning Mr. Montana fball. It’s the reigning Mr. AL fball…as a freaking Sophomore, which is unprecedented.

If our coaches followed your advice, we would be wondering what the hell is wrong with our coaches not recruiting the best recruit in our own state.

I recall Cadillac was Mr. AL fball and was committed to Tennessee his Senior season. I guess we should have given up on him too. Not worth the anguish for the minimal amount of return, esp given AU played TN twice in 2004, the latter for the SEC Championship.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Viper

[au701948 1,005]

14 minutes ago, Viper said:

This is not the reigning Mr. Montana fball. It’s the reigning Mr. AL fball…as a freaking Sophomore, which might be unprecedented.

If our coaches followed your advice, we would be wondering what the hell is wrong with our coaches not recruiting the best recruit in our own state.

I recall Cadillac was Mr. AL fball and was committed to Tennessee his Senior season. I guess we should have given up on him too. Not worth the anguish for the minimal amount of return, esp given AU played TN twice in 2004, the latter for the SEC Championship.

Viper, it was not advice. I stated it was my opinion. Just an opinion like everyone else is doing at times.
I am quite sure that neither you nor I are in a position to give Coach Freeze advice.

Edited December 11, 2023 by au701948

[Viper 3,132]

1 minute ago, au701948 said:

Viper, it was not advice. I stated it was my opinion. 

Ok. If our coaches followed your opinion…

As someone stated above, he is signing in February, which means even more time and resources can be dedicated to recruiting him, while not disturbing the time and resources on our December signees that you are concerned with.

[Viper 3,132]

@tbone4jc So you disagree in recruiting Williams.

What is with this loser mentality some of you have?

[auburnatl1 5,007]

27 minutes ago, Viper said:

@tbone4jc So you disagree in recruiting Williams.

What is with this loser mentality some of you have?

Chf was at his game Fri.  Hes obviously not giving up. But I do think we need to nail the higher probability targets first and lock down what we have. Then go big or go home with Ryan in Jan.

Crap does that make me a loser too?

[gman87 398]

7 hours ago, Mikey said:

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but I still can't understand Harsin! How can any head coach ignore such talent that's right on his doorstep?

If I were basing it just off that statement I would say because he is an idiot, but fact is, he pocketed 17 million dollars by not recruiting.

At that point he's just a shyster.

[e808 3,028]

3 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Chf was at his game Fri.  Hes obviously not giving up. But I do think we need to nail the higher probability targets first and lock down what we have. Then go big or go home with Ryan in Jan.

Crap does that make me a loser too?

IMO there are enough people on staff to multitask. Cam Coleman should be the biggest example of just letting it play out 

[tinman1 488]

31 minutes ago, Viper said:

@tbone4jc So you disagree in recruiting Williams.

What is with this loser mentality some of you have?

Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's I felt the same as many on this board.  "If you don't want to come to AU when you get the offer then screw you."  But no more.  This is a new day.  Kids get so much adoration and attention not only from their classmates and teammates, but from the media as well.  Imagine being an 18 year old star athlete and having the media, opposing fan bases, and the general public in your hometown and in most of the state waiting with deep anticipation wondering where the hell you're going to play football in college.  It's really mind blowing and almost sickening, but IT IS WHAT IT IS! 

[AUpreacherman22 3,888]

29 minutes ago, gman87 said:

If I were basing it just off that statement I would say because he is an idiot, but fact is, he pocketed 17 million dollars by not recruiting.

At that point he's just a shyster.

True.  He’s not quite as good as Jimbo at not coaching.   But he’s pretty good at it.  

[Viper 3,132]

26 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Chf was at his game Fri.  Hes obviously not giving up. But I do think we need to nail the higher probability targets first and lock down what we have. Then go big or go home with Ryan in Jan.

Crap does that make me a loser too?

The loser mentality is for those that never try.

Freeze is veteran enough to time manage by now and can fish in multiple ponds at once. Just because he may be focusing on a single recruit during a 3-hr timespan on a single night doesn’t mean his entire staff is too. 

Again, this is an in-state recruit. The top dog. You not only are recruiting the top dog for your program, if you succeed, you are taking the top in-state dog away from your arch rival.

Long shot? Absolutely. But it’s worth it, win or lose due to him signing in Feb.

[ellitor 33,114]

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

I think he's all bammer. By waiting until February he can make the competition waste time and money by continuing to pursue him. I don't think he's a dishonest kid but that's something Saban would do if he felt confident with Williams's commitment.

Maybe Saban would but I don't think RW would be a pawn in that given his dad played at AU & RW has genuine interest in AU.

[ellitor 33,114]

5 hours ago, au701948 said:

I hope AU spends its time and money on more positive endeavors. Things like insuring we keep our current class together until signed next week and upgrading our other specific areas of need.

I’ve seen this dog and pony show before with maybe at least one Bama recruit every year. It’s not worth the anguish for the minimal amount of return.

Work hard on our good guys. JMO

Can't give up on recruiting a talent like RW when your team is at no worse than right in the thick of it in his recruitment which we are.

[Auburn93 557]

6 hours ago, au701948 said:

I hope AU spends its time and money on more positive endeavors. Things like insuring we keep our current class together until signed next week and upgrading our other specific areas of need.

I’ve seen this dog and pony show before with maybe at least one Bama recruit every year. It’s not worth the anguish for the minimal amount of return.

Work hard on our good guys. JMO

This guy is committed to Alabama though. He is not leaning to Auburn in the press reports. This is so different from those other guys. Those other guys said to reporters they were interested in Auburn. 

[ellitor 33,114]

6 minutes ago, Auburn93 said:

Those other guys said to reporters they were interested in Auburn. 

RW has said that many times the past few months. Also it ain't everything but he did go to more AU games than Bama games FWIW.

[LPTiger 5,173]

36 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Can't give up on recruiting a talent like RW when your team is at no worse than right in the thick of it in his recruitment which we are.

100%.  Several on our side feel it is better than in the thick of it.   If we get left at the alter in front of 1,000s of friends and family, this one is worth the embarrassment.  

[tigeraddikt 1,617]

4 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

100%.  Several on our side feel it is better than in the thick of it.   If we get left at the alter in front of 1,000s of friends and family, this one is worth the embarrassment.  

This totally. CHF is a formidable master recruiter and every bit of Nick Saban’s match in face-to-face meetings. Whereas NS obviously has the “but we always have a good QB and O-Line and recent history of elite WR play and we make millionaires…” in his back pocket, CHF has a smooth, connecting/relationship-building genuineness to his personality that just makes guys comfortable. I’m hoping that by the end of January, CHF will have fostered a deep enough connection with RW and his family that seeing CNS and his titanium hip stiffly fall into his Ferrari will be more pathetic than cool. 

[LPTiger 5,173]

2 hours ago, tigeraddikt said:

I’m hoping that by the end of January, CHF will have fostered a deep enough connection with RW and his family that seeing CNS and his titanium hip stiffly fall into his Ferrari will be more pathetic than cool. 

In the clip I saw, he didn't even rev the engine.  I bet he hasn't had it up to 4,000 rpms or even thought about trying it in "race" mode.   That poor racing machine hates its life.  

[tbone4jc 2,241]

8 hours ago, Viper said:

@tbone4jc So you disagree in recruiting Williams.

What is with this loser mentality some of you have?

Slow down fella. The facepalm emoji is in regards to you quoting a part of the previous post and trying to create a narrative that isn’t there. Your asinine and irrational response to my response really is uncalled for

[BoogingBarner 32]

10 hours ago, au701948 said:

Viper, it was not advice. I stated it was my opinion. Just an opinion like everyone else is doing at times.
I am quite sure that neither you nor I are in a position to give Coach Freeze advice.

You know you can't have your own opinion around here. What do you think this is, a message board? /s

[BoogingBarner 32]

2 hours ago, LPTiger said:

In the clip I saw, he didn't even rev the engine.  I bet he hasn't had it up to 4,000 rpms or even thought about trying it in "race" mode.   That poor racing machine hates its life.  

As long as that Ferrari doesn't end up in the hands of anyone in the Georgia Bulldogs football program then we're all safe. 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

Just watched an interview with Williams. It didn't  sound like he was all that solid to Bama, to me. Still committed, yes. But didn't sound like it's a done deal yet. And it was with  Bama On3 reporter

Edited December 12, 2023 by NWALA Tiger

[AEAugirl 9,633]

If Williams was 1000% solid to Bama he’d sign in December.  But that’s not what he is doing. 

And don’t let the Bama fans tell you he “can’t” sign early, because he can….any PSA with a scholarship offer CAN sign in the early period, regardless of graduation status.  They are convoluting early signing day with early enrollment to excuse away why Williams is waiting until February.  

We may not get him but Bama fans are going to need Prozac to get through the next couple of months in that kid’s recruitment.