NCAA Football

Four-star athlete Eddie Jackson is taking his talents to Alabama, according to ESPN's Greg Ostendorf.  

Eddie Jackson has come a long way. The four-star athlete was an unknown until late in the recruiting cycle. On Wednesday, he gave a verbal commitment to the University of Alabama, the reigning national champions. 

'I like how the program is run,' Jackson said. 'It’s just everything that they stand for. I can be that guy from Fort Lauderdale, the first guy to come up there and have a chance, a chance to go up there and play...'

...'They want me to play defensive back,' Jackson said. 'Coach Saban told me there’s a good opportunity for me to start my freshman year, come in and play early. That really sounded good. I’m just ready to go in there and compete.' 

Jackson is part of a great crop of athletes in this year's recruiting class. Despite playing wide receiver in high school, he has the versatility to move to a defensive position, likely safety or defensive back, if needed. 

Standing at 6'2", 175 pounds (via 247Sports.com), Jackson is right where you would expect a player coming out of high school to be physically. He is in terrific shape, but also has plenty of room to add more bulk to his rather slight frame. 

The biggest issue that his new team will face as he adjusts to college is trying to make sure that he can stay at wide receiver. Despite being able to play in the secondary, his value lies in his ability to make plays with the ball. 

It is rare to find a receiver who enters college with great hands and the ability to fight through traffic to get the ball. Jackson will struggle with that for the time being, until he gets stronger and can handle more physical defensive backs in college. But when he gets there physically, he has star potential. 

A big advantage that Jackson possesses right now is his speed, particularly off the line. He creates separation from defenders instantaneously by moving away from the line of scrimmage like he has been shot out of a cannon. 

You also have to be able to make defenders miss, which Jackson does with great ease. He can anticipate where a tackler is going to go, then shift his body away from them on a dime to create space. 

Whether Jackson is able to use that speed and elusiveness to start right away, or is forced to redshirt for a year to add more bulk to his body, remains to be seen. He has the potential to be a dynamic, impactful wide receiver at the college level sooner rather than later. 

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Urban Meyer's coaching led a flawed Buckeyes team to an undefeated season in his first year as head coach, and now his recruiting skills are setting this program up to get even stronger. 

With 23 commitments, 247Sports has the Buckeyes' 2013 recruiting class ranked fifth in the nation. While that is a lofty ranking, it gets even better for the Buckeyes on other sites.  

ESPN (behind the Insider pay wall) has the Buckeyes' class ranked fourth in the nation. Ohio State's 2013 class is held with even more regard in Scout.com's national rankings where they are ranked second.

This class is stacked, and it includes 10 players rated in ESPN's top 150 recruits and another five in their top 300. Most importantly, the majority of these guys—14 according to Scout—are on the defensive side of the ball. 

The Buckeyes' defense desperately needs game-changers on defense. They are losing seven starters from last year's squad, and that unit left something to be desired to begin with. 

Ohio State was 32nd in scoring defense and 36th in yards allowed.

So now Meyer put his recruiting prowess to work on bringing in the kind of athletes that helped him showcase his groundbreaking offense on defense. 

This class is going to make an instant impact—especially in the secondary. Three of ESPN's top 10 cornerbacks are committed to Ohio State: Eli Apple (3),Gareon Conley (7) and Cam Burrows (9).

Meanwhile, their offense is set. The Buckeyes are returning nine starters on that side of the ball and that includes Heisman hopeful quarterback Braxton Miller. 

Also, with offense, does it even really matter? As long as Meyer is there, he will allow whatever athletes he has to shine. 

Ohio State went undefeated last year, and it is going to be a more complete team next year. Urban Meyer is building a powerhouse. 

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After Laremy Tunsil's official visit to Ole Miss over the weekend, it appears Alabama and Georgia have serious competition for the 5-star offensive tackle.

Tom Lugenbill of ESPN talked about Tunsil's visit with the Rebels on Monday, stating that the Florida native "came away feeling great about Ole Miss." ESPN also noted Tunsil feels "as confused as ever on who he will pick."

Tunsil, the No. 3 overall recruit and No. 1 offensive lineman, according to 247Sports.com, has the height (6'6"), frame and length to hold his own in the SEC. His physical ability, combined with his exceptional footwork and quick hands, could make him a lockdown left tackle at the next level. It goes without saying that he would be a huge get for the program that lands him.

Alabama already has two 4-star offensive linemen in offensive tackle Leon Brown and guard Grant Hill to add to what has been a dominant line, but Tunsil would complete the picture. Combined with sophomore running back T.J. Yeldon and top 2013 recruit Derrick Henry, it's scary to think what the running game would look like when Tunsil gets his feet wet.

But not only is Georgia heavy competition for the Crimson Tide, but what Hugh Freeze has been able to do this recruiting season after only one year with the Rebels has been remarkable. Ole Miss had the No. 41 recruiting class of 2012 (via 247Sports.com), but the program's class ranks No. 13 this year.

Freeze's ability to entice recruits such as defensive tackle Lavon Hooks, defensive end Elijah Daniel and receiver Laquon Treadwell to join the program shows that he's doing something right. No. 1 overall recruit Robert Nkemdiche also appears to be leaning toward the Rebels, per Al.com. In that regard, it wasn't exactly a surprise that Tunsil came away impressed after his official visit at Ole Miss.

What you have is a rising program in the SEC, both on and off the field. Alabama shouldn't be worried about the Rebels challenging them for the SEC title in the near future, but Freeze's impact at Ole Miss does make recruiting a bit more challenging for the Crimson Tide.

What are your thoughts?

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When you have two recruits in the 2014 class and you lose one of them within a few months, it's only natural for there to be commotion.

That appears to be the case after 3-star offensive tackle Denzel Ward decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday, using Twitter (of course) to spread the word.

Ward tweeted on Tuesday:

I am no longer a commit to the University of Michigan, I really appreciare the love from there but I just want to make the best decision.

While Ward is "only" a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports.com, his size as a junior has raised eyebrows throughout the nation (6'8", 295 pounds). He has the measurements to eat up opposing defensive linemen in the coming years and he still has another year of high school to work on his technique.

But, let's be real, the 2013 recruiting season is not even finished yet and there is still plenty of time for Michigan to build up an impressive 2014 class. The recruiting process has received so much publicity and national attention throughout the years that it can be easy to rush to judgement when a high-profile recruit decommits and changes course, but the Wolverines should be fine moving forward.

For one, Michigan has the No. 3 recruiting class of 2013 (via 247Sports.com). That includes five 4-star offensive linemen and one of the best running back recruits in the nation in Derrick Green, who committed on Saturday. Green's downhill running style fits perfectly into what Brady Hoke is trying to do, by the way.

Combined with an emerging quarterback in Devin Gardner, big things are expected out of the Wolverines in the 2013 campaign. 

A successful season, of course, opens up the recruiting trail for the Wolverines headed into next year. It's important to note that Michigan played below expectations in 2012, yet still find themselves with a top-five recruiting class in 2013. Imagine what happens if they play like they did in the 2011 season. They'll have recruits lining up at the door.

In the end, Michigan may actually find itself with a surplus of offensive linemen in 2014. Ward figures to be a distant memory.

What are your thoughts?

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