re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Christian Barmore is heavily considering signing Wednesday, according to a pair of coaches at the school. He was going to wait until February to sign, but now the word from his school is he will make his announcement Wednesday.

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Eyabi Anoma, one of Alabama’s top overall targets in the 2018 class, was scheduled to sign with his school of choice on Friday, but he will no longer announce then.

Anoma, a 5-star defensive end from St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), will now sign on Wednesday, which was first reported by 247Sports and confirmed by SEC Country. The reason for moving his decision up is because St. Frances has a game in Arizona on Saturday. The team leaves Thursday.

Either way, I don’t think this changes much for Alabama.  I fully expect the Tide to land his signature. There hasn’t been a moment since this summer where any source I’ve talked to near the Alabama program has felt worried about losing him to another program. Coming off this most recent official visit solidified the team’s chances at landing one of the nation’s best players.

His coach broke down why Anoma is so interested in Alabama.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Russell said. “Alabama does a great job of getting guys to the NFL and putting their players in position to succeed. Coach Saban runs a great program. You have the academic support in place. All of the little things are taken care of in that program. Eyabi is also super competitive and hates losing. Alabama is that type of team. They don’t lose much. He thrives in those types of environments. I think that’s why he’s very attracted to what they offer.”

If Anoma does end up committing to the Tide, what kind of player would Alabama be getting?

“He’s a total freak, athletically,” Russell said. “He’s 6-foot-5 1/2, 235 pounds and can absolutely fly. He runs tremendously. He has a natural motor. Obviously, no one knew he was like that when he came here. He’s relentless on the field and he trains that way. He has a deep passion for succeeding and not failing. Those things fuel him. He learned how to play the game last year. He’s one of the best players I’ve seen in high school.”

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