Over the years, the Alabama Crimson Tide have had some of the more talented rosters in college football. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban can be credited for a lot of the recruiting success alongside the other members of the coaching staff. Although there were a lot of recruits that did pan out for the Crimson Tide, there was also a share of recruits that did not pan out under the direction of Saban in Tuscaloosa.
Today, Roll Tide Wire takes a close look at 10 recruits from the state of Alabama that never panned out during the Saban era at Alabama.
Brent Calloway, Running Back
Alabama was expecting big things from Russellville High School four-star recruit Brent Calloway. Calloway was a two-way player for the Golden Tigers. He played both outside linebacker and running back. Calloway chose the Crimson Tide over the Auburn Tigers. He was ranked as the No. 74 overall recruit in the 2011 recruiting class by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Calloway played in 13 games as a freshman. He had 10 carries for 63 yards. During his time in Tuscaloosa, Calloway got arrested twice. In October of 2011, he was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana. In 2013, Calloway was arrested for second-degree robbery and one count of fraudulent use of a credit card. Needless to say, Calloway never played another down for the Crimson Tide following the second incident off the football field.
Tyler Hayes, Linebacker
Alabama had an impressive 2014 recruiting class. One of the recruits that had a lot of buzz surrounding his name was Thomasville High School’s Tyler Hayes. The former four-star recruit was ranked as one of the top prospects in the Yellowhammer state in the 2014 recruiting cycle. Hayes was expected to be a key player on Alabama’s defense. However, that expectation never amounted to much.
In one season at Alabama, Hayes played in 13 games and recorded 14 tackles. Following his freshman season, Hayes transferred to Butler Community College. Following some time there, he then transferred to West Georgia (D2). Things never panned out there, so he proceeded to transfer to Tuskegee University (D2). In one season with the Tigers, Hayes recorded just seven tackles. It is safe to say that Hayes’ college career did not go as many had anticipated that it would go.
B.J. Scott, Defensive Back
One of the top-ranked recruits that Nick Saban signed from the state of Alabama was five-star cornerback B.J. Scott. The native of Mobile, Alabama was ranked as the No. 27 recruit in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
In three seasons at Alabama, Scott recorded nine tackles. In addition, he reeled in two receptions for seven yards in nine games. Following the 2010 season, Scott made the decision to transfer closer to home to play for South Alabama. As a junior in 2011, Scott recorded 48 tackles before suffering a season-ending injury. There was high hopes that Scott would be the next big thing at Alabama, but that hope never came to fruition.
Marvin Shinn, Wide Receiver
Another highly-ranked recruit that came from Mobile was former-four star wide receiver Marvin Shinn. Coming out of high school, Shinn was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. He signed with Alabama and spent two seasons with the program. As a member of the Crimson Tide, Shinn had six receptions for 42 yards. Following the conclusion of his redshirt-freshman season, Shinn elected to transfer to South Alabama.
In two seasons with the Jaguars, Shinn reeled in 26 receptions for 508 yards and one touchdown. The buzz that surrounded Shinn as he headed off to college never amounted to much. Shinn certainly had a disappointing college career.
Dee Liner, Defensive Line
Former four-star recruit and defensive lineman Dee Liner was another prospect that never reached his full potential as a member of the Alabama football program. In two seasons at Alabama, Liner played in just four games and recorded three tackles. Following his sophomore season, Liner transferred to Arkansas State. In three seasons with the Red Wolves, Liner tallied 58 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. Liner had a short-lived, NFL career. The native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama spent some time with the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Ronnie Clark, Running Back
One of the recruits that was expected to play a big role as a part of the Alabama Crimson Tide was former Calera High School running back Ronnie Clark. Clark was ranked as the No. 72 recruit in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. Despite his high ranking, Clark never reached his full potential in Tuscaloosa. In five seasons with the Crimson Tide, Clark played in 13 games. He recorded 40 carries for 174 yards and one touchdown. Clark should be commended, however, for sticking it through for five seasons in Tuscaloosa and graudating with multiple degrees.
Pierce Quick, Offensive Line
One of the top in-state offensive lineman that signed with Alabama during the Saban era was Hewitt-Trussville High School’s Pierce Quick. The former four-star recruit was seen as one of the many prized recruits in Alabama’s 2019 recruiting class. Unfortunately, things did not work out for Quick with the Crimson Tide. Quick spent the first three years of his college career at Alabama. He played in eight games for the Crimson Tide.
Following his third season in Tuscaloosa, Quick transferred to Georgia Tech to play for former Alabama offensive line coach Brent Key. In February of 2023, Quick decided that he would no longer pursue a football career. There were high expectations surrounding Quick, but those expectations were never met.
Ben Davis, Linebacker
The biggest disappointment of the Saban era has to be Alabama legacy and former five-star recruit Ben Davis. The product of Gordo High School (AL) was ranked as the No. 13 overall recruit in the country and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. Davis held over 20 offers but ultimately chose to commit to the Crimson Tide.
In four seasons at Alabama, Davis recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack. Following the conclusion of his senior season, Davis elected to use his COVID year and transferred to play for the Texas Longhorns. In one season at Texas, he recorded 16 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Davis never reached his full potential at either stop. He had one of the more puzzling college careers that I have ever seen.
Markail Benton, Linebacker
Central-Phenix City High School standout and four-star recruit Markail Benton signed with Alabama as a part of the Crimson Tide’s 2017 recruiting class. While expectations were not as high for Benton as other recruits on this list, he was still a key piece of Alabama’s linebacker room. He played sparingly on special teams for the Crimson Tide, but that was about it. In two seasons at Alabama, Benton had 33 tackles.
Following his second season with the Crimson Tide, Benton transferred to Jacksonville State. In three seasons with the Gamecocks, he tallied 195 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. His career in the OVC was much more decorated than his career was in the SEC.
Demouy Kennedy, Linebacker
Former four-star recruit and Theodore High School standout Demouy Kennedy was the top-ranked recruit in the state of Alabama as a part of the 2020 recruiting class. Kennedy was supposed to be the next great linebacker to suit up for the Crimson Tide. However, that was just viewed as an afterthought following Kennedy’s arrival on campus. He was always buried on the depth chart and contributed solely on special teams. In three seasons at Alabama, Kennedy recorded just eight tackles. After his junior season, Kennedy transferred to play for the Colorado Buffaloes. He recorded 13 tackles. As he enters his fifth and final season, it will be interesting to see if Kennedy can finally have the breakout season that Alabama fans expected him to have at some point in Tuscaloosa.
This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Who were 10 in-state recruits that never panned out at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban?
