2010 Recruiting
North Gwinnett OL Austin Shepherd commits to Alabama
By Jeff Hood The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When North Gwinnett junior offensive lineman Austin Shepherd phoned Alabama coach Nick Saban and assistant coach Kirby Smart on Monday to accept a scholarship offer, part of the discussion centered on the Crimson Tide’s definition of commitment.
Saban made it clear to the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Shepherd that his commitment to Alabama includes not visiting any other schools.
“Yeah, that’s one thing coach Saban mentioned,” said Shepherd, who had previously taken visits to Alabama, Auburn, Central Florida, Florida State and UAB. “He just wanted to be certain that I’m committed to their school. “I am 100 percent committed to Alabama and I’m not taking any more visits.” Signing day is nearly a year away. How did Saban and Smart react to the news?
“They said they are really excited about me coming,” Shepherd said. “I just decided I wanted to get it out of the way, and Alabama is the school for me. “The coaching staff at Alabama made the difference. The coaches there are great.” Shepherd said his next visit to Tuscaloosa will be for the Tide’s A-Day spring game on Saturday April 18. He is projected to play guard for Alabama.
North Gwinnett OL JaWuan James counts 26 offers, including Georgia Tech and UGA
By Michael Carvell The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
North Gwinnett’s JaWuan James, who is considered the state’s top 2010 prospect at offensive line, has added offers from LSU, Kentucky and Boise State. He now counts 26 early offers, and Louisville could be next. “I heard some people saying I had narrowed down to six schools but that’s really not the case,” James said. “There are six schools that I’m really focused on, and now it’s five because Oklahoma just got a commitment from an offensive lineman. The five I’m focused the most on are Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and USC. I’m going to re-evaluate and find another school to take the place of Oklahoma.”
Georgia Tech and UGA have both made James a top 2010 recruiting target.