Caint lurnem nuthin...

[DKW 86 7,439]

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/ks....xml&coll=2

Seems to me if my last foray into Memphis had cost me 21 schollies and a national reputation as cheater U I would just look elsewhere for the good recruiting. Or maybe Saban is just too arrogant to see the light? Maybe he just doesnt care if Bama gets put back on probation as long as it wasnt him that got caught.

New Memphis recruiting era may start at UA

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

It's no joke, but stop me if you've heard this one before.

There's this high school football player. A big name. A big kid. A big lineman who's one of the top college prospects in Memphis in the Class of 2008.

A lot of schools want the kid.

One of those schools is Alabama.

As far as we know, there is no further resemblance between an offensive lineman named Barrett Jones and a defensive lineman named Albert Means.

Jones is a significant recruit for a lot of schools for a lot of reasons. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 270, though he just turned 17 years old. He's the No.17 offensive tackle prospect among rising seniors, according to Rivals.com.

His grade-point average at Evangelical Christian School is above 4.0. He's already scored a 30 on his ACT.

Jones could become the kind of left tackle who gets famous in college and gets rich in the NFL. Even though he keeps telling his coach he wants to play tight end.

"When he grows into that frame," said Evangelical Christian coach Jim Heinz, "he's gonna make somebody an outstanding football player."

Jones is a significant recruit for Alabama for reasons that go beyond stats and numbers. He could be the first Memphis player Alabama's signed since Means in 2000.

That'll go down as the worst recruiting decision in Alabama history. The NCAA found that booster Logan Young paid high school coach Lynn Lang to steer Means to Alabama. The NCAA knee-capped Alabama as a result.

As part of its self-imposed sanctions, Alabama stopped recruiting eight Memphis high schools - not including Evangelical Christian - from December, 2000 to December, 2001.

A lot's happened since. Young died. The five-year probation ended. Three new Alabama head coaches came and went.

The latest arrival, Nick Saban, has gone to Memphis with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to evaluate Jones. They're not the only ones. Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and Hugh Nall have made the trip. So have Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer and Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey and a parade of other head coaches and assistants from Miami to Stanford.

Alabama has a booster in Memphis who may give the Crimson Tide an edge on those other schools. This booster, though, can give Jones all the money he wants, without using a shady middle man, without breaking NCAA rules.

Rex Jones played basketball for the Crimson Tide in the early'80s. Rex Jones, who also works at Evangelical Christian as the director of advancement, is the father of Barrett Jones.

Does that mean the young man is destined to play his college ball in Tuscaloosa? His high school coach said it ain't necessarily so.

"I do not think, because his dad went there, that Alabama's a cinch," Heinz said. "Alabama's a school that interests Barrett. But he's also talked highly of Auburn and Florida and others."

Jones took an unofficial visit to Florida last weekend. He's in Tuscaloosa now with a younger brother, Harrison, for Alabama's latest football camp.

And Jones has another in-state connection. Dr. James Andrews did surgery on his shoulder after a torn labrum cut short his junior season.

Heinz said his star player is now fully recovered and totally healthy.

Let's hope the same can be said for Memphis recruiting. Kevin Scarbinsky's column appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Write him at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.

[quietfan 233]

Maybe they figure with Logan Young gone, nobody will be watching 'em or care.

I think Memphis is too big of a talent pool to give up permanently, but they better realize that they'll be under a microscope there for a long time.

[Tigermike 3,047]

Yeah and all the parents know the $$$$$ has been good in the past.

[Lurking Tiger 62]

We don't want a kid with a bum labia anyway.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Somebody's going to die in Memphis before the night is over.