re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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FSU isn't a "big pond". That's a broken football team with an underwhelming headcoach and i knew someone would bring up georgia.

Well georgia's not a big pond either as far as i'm concerned.

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2019 QB Stone Hollenbach

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I really wish my mom would have named me "stone" or "roc" or something cool like that.

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2019 quarterback, Stone Hollenbach, has officially accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Alabama. He broke down his decision with yours truly.

Alabama offered Hollenbach a preferred walk-on opportunity in June. Hollenbach was really excited and couldn’t wait to get back down to Tuscaloosa and discuss his offer. He visited Tuscaloosa on Saturday, during the Tide’s second Champion’s cookout of the Summer and there he was sold on Alabama.

“I went there and coach Gattis was with me the whole time and he kind of sold us on the place,” Hollenbach said. “All the questions I had for him, he answered. I loved everything about it. I always have been a huge Alabama fan. The chance to play for Nick Saban was one I felt I couldn’t let pass me by.”

Hollenbach grew up a huge Alabama fan and remembered going to see the Tide play for the first time when Alabama face Penn State in 2011. He got a chance to visit Tuscaloosa for the first time at a football camp and nothing has seen to match the Alabama atmosphere.

“I been to Penn State, Notre Dame, I visited a lot of schools,” Hollenbach added. “But there is just something about Alabama that I really love. I like everything about it. I knew that if I ever got an opportunity to play there, it would take a lot to get me away from that opportunity.”

Alabama has produced a handful of great NFL talent but they also have made great professionals. Hollenbach believes that this reputation will help him in the future.

“I know just from listening to players that are there now and from the past, that whatever I plan to do after, I will be successful with,” Hollenbach said. “Hopefully I will be lucky enough to continue football after college. I know whatever I decide to do, I’ll be successful. That’s just how coach Saban runs his program. I am just excited right now. I am going to go there and do whatever he asks me because I know this is something I have always wanted.”

Alabama now will have three quarterbacks in their 2019 recruiting class. Hollenbach joins Paul Tyson and Taulia Tagovailoa. With this much competition, a QB battle is destine to happen and Hollenbach is ready to accept that challenge.

“It’s going to be a tremendous challenge,” Hollenbach added. “I know I’m not one of the big 5-Star recruits like some of the guys that are coming in. But all the coaches told me I will have the same opportunity does guys get at practice. It’s going to be a step up and I’m going to have to work harder than I ever did before. That is something that is not new to me. Competition is what football is all about. That was another reason I chose Alabama. They did not promise me anything. They just told me if I came here and work hard and if I’m the best player I’m going to play.”

Hollenbach has shown that he can come up in the big moments. He lead his team to a state championship win as a Junior. He threw for more than 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns during that season.

His great production was due to his mechanics in the pocket. He has a great deep ball and knows how to use the small bit of separation to get his receivers open.

Hollenbach has a dream to be a coach one day and believes Saban will help him get one step closer to that.

“I’d like to become a football coach one day,” Hollenbach said. “I’ve got a great high school coach and I can’t think of a better person to learn from than coach Saban.”

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Stone actually has nice touch. I think he's better than the kid we gave a late scholarship to this past cycle. I'm impressed

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I respect all my homies for pursuing they dream. That’s not for me. Imma SipBoy and gone always remain. My word is all I got.... #HailState

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Pennsylvania receiver Julian Fleming arrived at Penn State’s 7on team camp Saturday morning with the most glowing credentials of any prospect at the talent-laden event. A member of the 2020 recruiting class, Fleming holds a five-star rating from 247Sports and is considered the top pass catcher in the nation for his cycle.

In other words, it figured to be a significant challenge for him to live up to the hype. But after watching several of his games, we’re here to tell you that if anything, this kid outperformed the hype.

Playing for a Southern Columbia team not otherwise rolling in Division I talent — 2019 QB Stone Hollenbach has received a preferred walk-on offer from Alabama and that’s pretty much it — Fleming dominated. He began the day with a long touchdown catch on Southern Columbia’s first play from scrimmage in what would be a 34-7 route of T.C. Williams from Washington, D.C.

At one point, a T.C. Williams DB became so frustrated that he grabbed Fleming by the facemask and dragged him to the ground in the middle of a route. A flag flew in. A few plays later, Fleming snagged another TD.

But his best performance came against DeMatha Red, a team from the Maryland high school powerhouse that featured D-I talent everywhere you looked. That included two four-star Class of 2019 safeties in Nick Cross (whose offer list is crazy) and DeMarcco Hellams (a recent Alabama commit).

Fleming scored three touchdowns (we have footage of two of them above), including a deep bomb down the middle where he blew past Hellams. It was almost comical to watch DeMatha attempt to guard him. When the defense backed off, he went across the middle and showed great hands catching the ball in traffic. When the defense tried to play tight, he went deep, and Hollenbach did an outstanding job of getting the ball to him.

DeMatha was forced into actually double-teaming him — having a corner play press and a safety rotate WAY over to his side of the field. Southern Columbia — which obviously has seen this strategy a few times — ran quick hitters to the other side of the field where it had a numbers advantage. Hollenbach was very good at this. And Fleming did not seem the slightest bit frustrated when he was reduced to the role of a decoy.

As this was all unfolding — with most of the Penn State coaching staff watching, including head man James Franklin — you had to remind yourself of the caliber of opponent Fleming was facing. Even the boisterous DeMatha fans were left shaking their heads at times.

The result was an impressive 24-17 victory for Southern Columbia. It should be noted that the Tigers are coming off a season in which they won the PIAA AA state title, and have captured two such crowns in the last three years. But that is the second smallest classification in the state.

So there may have been questions about the quality of competition Fleming had faced. Well, if there were, there are not anymore.

DeMatha is a Division I football factory. Current Nittany Lions Shane Simmons and Mark Allen both went there. Six DeMatha products were on NFL rosters last season, including former Lion Cameron Wake.

But on Saturday, the Stags had no answers for Fleming. You can see highlights of his performance in the game — and from earlier in the day — in the video above.

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