Tomorrow’s All-American: Crimson Tide Recruiting

This summer Nike held a tournament in Oregon consisting of the very best high school prospects in the nation. The event consisted of one-on-one play, seven-on-seven tournaments and a combine specially geared towards measuring strength, speed and agility. The event is one of a kind and was admission by invitation only.

When the event was over and the results were released, top grades were given to receivers, running backs and defensive backs. Only one linebacker graded out in the top group: Dillon Lee of Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Buford has won four straight state championships and is currently poised to win its fifth. Buford has also produced some of the very best college players to come from the Peach State over the years, with several currently on NFL rosters. Dillon Lee’s coach has mentored several NFL players over the years and claims that Lee is the best of the bunch.

Lee committed to the Crimson Tide in May, putting an end to a fierce recruiting battle between the Tide and FSU. At 6′ 3″ and over 230 pounds, Lee is one of the best outside linebackers you will ever see. He has surprising speed, unrivaled lateral movement and the killer instincts all the great players possess.

Lee is a ball hawk on defense, and is talented enough to play on the offensive side as well. He has several touchdowns this year from the tight end position, as well as being the undisputed leader of a Buford defense stacked with DI talent. Dillon has the speed necessary to cover receivers and the strength to stuff the toughest running backs. It is rare to find a player as versatile as Lee is for his size, and he will be a key addition to the Tide defense. He is a smart young man who is all set to enroll early in Tuscaloosa at the end of December.

This year, Alabama could lose up to five linebackers including Dont’e Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Nico Johnson and Jerrell Harris. Graduating early to come in and get started in January is one reason I believe Lee makes an immediate impact as a freshman. Lee reminds me more of Rolando McClain than any other prospect in the country. Not only is he a student of the game, he prides himself on perfection and being the best. This is another quiet kid who plays very loud, has rare instincts and is athletically superior to other kids his size. Remember the name Dillon Lee; we will be hearing it a lot in the years to come.

Moving to the offensive side of the ball, we take a look at one of the best athletes in the state of Alabama. Justin Thomas is a senior quarterback for Prattville High School in Alabama. Standing a modest 5′ 10″ tall and about 180 pounds, Thomas is simply fun to watch. He committed to the Tide in November 2010 over offers from Auburn, LSU and Arkansas among others.

Thomas was actually recruited as a quarterback, but is graded as an Athlete with the scouting services. He’s one of the fastest players in the 2012 recruiting class, clocking in at a blazing 4.30 40-yard dash. Watch this kid play one quarter and it’s easy to see why the Tide wanted to keep this dynamic player in the state.

Thomas could play slot receiver, return specialist, cornerback and run the wildcat package Bama has. Many of the message board faithful have Justin ending up at cornerback or slot receiver, but the Tide coaches have promised him every opportunity to compete for the quarterback position. They will stick to their word, but he knows it’s a long shot; all he asks for is a chance. He stated many times if he gets a fair shot at quarterback and it doesn’t work, he will do whatever the coaches feel will benefit the team the most.

He could likely go to a program that runs a spread/option attack and wind up staying at quarterback, but his allegiance is to the Crimson Tide and he has dreamed of wearing Crimson since childhood. I can’t think of any player Thomas compares to other than current QB/RB Blake Sims, with his versatile skill set. He is not quite as big as Sims but is probably faster and more elusive. I can’t wait to see what he brings to this team and where he winds up playing because the possibilities are endless; he’s that special of a player.