Saban tours South Fla. in recruiting helicopter
FORT LAUDERDALE — Nick Saban is coming off his sixth national championship — with a team that had a number of contributors hailing from South Florida.
The Alabama football coach is seeking the next crop of budding stars from Broward and Palm Beach counties, showing up by helicopter at the likes of Cardinal Gibbons, St. Thomas Aquinas, American Heritage, Chaminade-Madonna, Deerfield Beach and Palm Beach Central.
On Wednesday afternoon, his helicopter landed at Gibbons’ campus, where he expressed his interest to Chiefs coach Matt DuBuc about four-star junior defensive end Khris Bogle, along with offensive linemen Jamari Williams and Willie Hepburn and nose guard Rashon Crooks — of which Bogle is the only one with a Crimson Tide offer at the moment.
Once done there, after about a 20-minute stay where students were lined up along fences with their phones out to record Saban’s landing, the helicopter was northbound for Deerfield.
Speaking with Deerfield coach Jevon Glenn, Saban inquired about four-star junior outside linebacker Ge’Mon Eaford and sophomore prospects in running Jaylan Knighton and wide receiver McDougle.
This a day after Saban made stops at Chaminade — where he got to check in with Xavier Williams, the Under Armour All-America receiver he already has signed to his 2018 class — St. Thomas, American Heritage and Palm Beach Central. At Central, he talked to coach Tino Ierulli about junior cornerback and FSU commit Akeem Dent, lineman and Miami commit Renato Brown and sophomore wideout Bryan Robinson.
NCAA recruiting rules do not yet permit coaches to have direct interaction with recruits in the graduating class of 2019 or younger. These visits are for the purpose of communicating with coaches about players Saban has interest in.
Saban’s title-winning team this season — his fifth at Alabama to go with one at LSU — had junior receiver Calvin Ridley (Monarch), freshman receiver Jerry Jeudy (Deerfield Beach), safety Daniel Wright (Boyd Anderson) and linebacker VanDarius Cowan (Palm Beach Gardens), who all hail from South Florida.
dfurones@sunsentinel.com back Deajaun