Najee Harris Update Part 31482375098 - Tua is Smart, Wasn't Supposed to Leak, Doesn't Know Anything

Submitted by EastCoast Esq. on

The saga continues...

 

“I’ll just say Tua is a smart kid and leave it like that,” the source said. As we were talking, the report broke about Tagovailoa saying the two were on the same flight. That’s when things got interesting. “He (Tua) wasn’t supposed to leak that out yet,” the source said. “Tua doesn’t know anything.”

 

https://www.seccountry.com/alabama/tua-tagovailoas-comments-najee-harris-flight-priority-wr-talks-alabama

The source says he wasn't supposed to leak it out "yet," so I'm still pessimistic.

That said, who knows?

MGoBoard

Seth

January 5th, 2017 at 1:33 PM ^

When the hell was that? When I was in high school Drew Henson skiied for Brighton and everyone in our league was trying to get on the chairlift with him to ask if he was leaning toward FSU or Michigan. I remember an article when Woodson was drafted where he recounted the craziness of his recruiting saga, how fans were writing letters to his hometown paper trying to tell him he should play running back at Ohio State (he also got death threats).

I also remember in 2000 when just about everyone on campus knew Charles Rogers, the #1 recruit in the country that year, was visiting Ann Arbor. People were buzzing all weekend about what bar he went to, was he going to make it academically, etc.

Granted the internet has made access to recruiting a whole different ballgame, and social media took it to another level as fans could interact directly with recruits. But the interest is nothing new, and interest in the top overall players in the country has been over the top as long as I've been paying attention, which is about 20 years.

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ijohnb

January 5th, 2017 at 10:21 AM ^

take on Najee Harris is this.  I think he committed to Alabama a while ago, and it never really looked like a "soft" commit.  I think we made a play for him, and put on the full court press.  I think he listened, but has never really publicly waivered from Alabama.  I think when he says he is not "accouncing" his decision, it is because he already has announced his decision, and plan on enrolling in school, as expected, based on his prior established committment.  Unfortunately, I think this is going to be much talk about nothing come next Tuesday, just my gut feeling based on the actions of all involved thus far.

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Mabel Pines

January 5th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^

that everyone says he's so nice and humble. Doesn't sound like the sort of person who would remain committed to a school and dump them at the last hour.

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WestQuad

January 5th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^

These kids aren't PR consultants, but you wonder why he wouldn't just say he's going to bama if he is going to bama.  Confirm his commitment.   Did Saban ask him to troll Michigan because of the satelitte camps?  Does the buzz help anyone?

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ijohnb

January 5th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^

think the best explanation is that he wanted his "five minutes" along with the rest of the recruits who have been discussed and celebrated because of recruiting battles.  This is not to impune his character.  I think it is natural to want a fair share of the spotlight when you are as highly touted as he is.  His early committment defused a lot of chatter that you would have otherwise heard.  Perhaps he wanted the attention a little more than he realized and is going about it this way.  He certainly does not seem "camera shy" or anything like that.  I think this has the effect of a big "announcement" without him really having to say anything.  Pretty smart from a "branding" perspective, actually.

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jmdblue

January 5th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^

He  committed to Alabama, listened to us and had second thoughts, but never "reopened" the process because there's no benefit to do so.  If he sticks with bama the stuck with his verbal.  If he how  with us ( or Cal) he changed his mind.  If he reopens his recruitment gel looks wishy washy. Especially if he does ultimately go with bama.  If we weren't seriously in the running, he would have put an end to this speculation a long time ago.

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LKLIII

January 5th, 2017 at 10:35 AM ^

Still doesn't change the underlying dynamic. If it's true he's doing this all to avoid drama, at this point the easiest way to do that is to spend 60 seconds issuing an unequivocal statement that he's going to Alabama period. Since he hasn't it means that he really DOES like the drama, he's truly undecided, or he's Blue.



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1974

January 5th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^

He seems like a bright person. Accordingly, he has to realize that he's gathering attention. If he's Alabama-bound (which wouldn't surprise me), why not just say "I committed to Alabama and that's where I'll be next week." What's the point of the ambiguity? It would be different if he hadn't already publicly committed to a school.

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M-Dog

January 5th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^

Let's just say that if he does pick Alabama, they are not going too pleased with all his antics while supossedly a commited player to them.

When you get engaged to someone but you keep telling everyone you are stiil looking around, it usually does not work out too well if you indeed get married.

I see some 6:00 AM stairs in his future.

 

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ijohnb

January 5th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^

he is committed to Bama and they know it, how is the possibly doing Alabama a disservice?  They get the #1 recruit in the nation and get to put Harbaugh in his place for all his antics over the last two years with everybody listening.  It would seem like this is all upside for Bama if that is where he is going.

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Blau

January 5th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^

As long as Alabama gets Harris, they're not going to give a shit how they got him or the route he took to commit. He's the consensus top HS RB recruit in the country. Now if he were a fringe 3* star recruit, then yeah I could see some backlash. But once the dotted line is signed, all can be forgiven.

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jalenwestman

January 5th, 2017 at 10:52 AM ^

Agree with you completely. He may have flirted with Michigan at the office a couple times, but Bama is his Bride.

Either Harris has been leading on Michigan's chances or most likely these "Michigan recruiting insiders" have been click baiting the crap out of this.

It has never been 50/50, it may have be 70/30 in favor of bama.

I get that everyone on this blog wishes Harris would come to Michigan, but at some point we need to be over the top thankful we are getting CHUCK!!!

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Mr Miggle

January 5th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^

official visits elsewhere. Just looking at Bama and Michigan, there's Leatherwood, St. Juste and Woods. Samuels has been taking visits and not saying anything. Are people confident he'll end up here? 

There is more than one way to look at the same evidence. If you were a Bama fan with the same inclination for pessimism, you'd take his silence as a bad sign.

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You Only Live Twice

January 5th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^

Same applies to Peppers.  The minute I heard his mom was talking to agents, I made up my mind he was going NFL, and wished the best for him.  Period.  I think if Harris was trying to do anything other than evade negative backlash, (we fanbases be crazy)  he'd be on campus as classes started Wednesday.  I wish him well too.

So if Pep returns or Harris flips, I will be ecstatic and happy to be wrong.

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Seth

January 5th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^

I disagree. His commitment to Alabama was always soft, as evidenced by the fact that his recruitment from there played out exactly like an uncommitted prospect's would. Michigan was always involved but he was visiting OSU etc. He's also very savvy, and knows that committing to Bama early would get a lot of the crootin world off his back as he went through the process.

 

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copacetic

January 5th, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^

Maybe Najee is taking the Tyrion Lannister approach of telling each person a different secret plan, to see which one leaks and find out who he can trust. In Tyrion's case it's who Myrcella would marry, in Najee's case it's which QB he'll fly back to campus and/or be roommates with. Looks like Tua failed the test. 

 

/s

 

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Mr. Elbel

January 5th, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^

either way, this Tua guy looks like an idiot. either he leaked info that wasn't supposed to be leaked yet, or he thought he was leaking info while he was really getting played.

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TSimpson77

January 5th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^

A back about his size just ran for 180 yards vs a top 4 team and a top defense, they have had a 1000 yard rusher every year for how long now and won 4 national titles. He's going to Alabama. If he comes here, I'll eat a lemon or crow or maybe both. 

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Toasted Yosties

January 5th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^

I can't look away until signing day is done, but I'm looking forward to unplugging from the college football world for a few months afterward. I promise I'll do it this year. This year it will happen. It will. It will...

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LSAClassOf2000

January 5th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^

It's hard for me to do that totally between being a mod here and my podcast and a few other things, but it has gotten to a point where coverage of these kids is down to a microscopic level in recruiting's own version of the 24/7 news cycle and it does wear on people, I have noticed. I don't even follow recruiting that closely and I still get leery of the amount of coverage that is available on teenagers basically. 

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