ANDREW BONE: Tide's home schedule draws top recruits

Southeastern Conference play begins this week when the Crimson Tide hosts Arkansas, with top prospects expected to begin traveling to the Capstone for league games.

Alabama has a great home SEC schedule with Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU visiting Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama's commitments for the classes of 2010 and 2011 will try to arrange their schedules to make the home games in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama's physical play and running style has attracted one of Georgia's best. Storm Johnson, Scout.com three-star running back from Buford High School, reports Alabama as one of the schools recruiting him the hardest.

'The Alabama coaches call when they say they will and really want me,' Johnson informed Scout.com. 'It's cool because they'll call me and know my stats and stuff before I can even tell them. That means they are keeping up with what I'm doing. They've really impressed me a lot this season.'

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound back rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2008 season. He helped lead Buford to its second consecutive Class AA state championship. He is also being recruited by Kentucky, Florida State, Penn State, Clemson and Ohio State.

Johnavon Fulton, Scout.com four-star cornerback from Manning, S.C, was scheduled to take an official visit to Georgia two weekends ago when the Bulldogs hosted South Carolina. Fulton made it an unofficial visit and plans to return later in the year to Athens, Ga., for an official visit with teammate and Georgia commitment Dexter Morant, Scout.com three-star defensive end.

Fulton has an official visit scheduled to Alabama on Oct. 17 when the Tide hosts South Carolina. Alabama was considered the leader for Fulton earlier in the recruiting process, but South Carolina seemed to have moved ahead after a visit to the in-state program. Fulton now claims differently.

'I am still looking at Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and LSU,' Fulton reported to Scout.com. 'I don't have a leader right now.'

The Gamecocks are still considered the team to beat for the nation's No. 5-rated cornerback by Scout.com, but the visit to Tuscaloosa next month could certainly swing the momentum in the Tide's favor.

'I love Alabama,' Fulton said in an earlier interview. 'I get along real well with Coach (Kirby) Smart, Coach (Burton) Burns and Coach (Nick) Saban. I have made friends with Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. They are real cool. Mark Ingram said if he came from Michigan I could come from South Carolina.'

Blake Sims, Scout.com four-star safety and Tide commitment from Gainesville (Ga.) High School, took an unofficial visit last Saturday to Tuscaloosa. Sims addressed rumors last week about the possibility that he is reconsidering his decision by saying he will only visit Alabama. He attended the Tide's game against North Texas and was impressed with the offense without wide receiver Jones.

'It was a good game,' said Sims. 'They played a team which wasn't high ranked, but thought it was a good team they had to go out and play. Julio didn't play, but there were some good players that stood out. They let other teams and fans know they can do good without Julio in the game. With him in, it's going to be hard to stop.'

Alabama's top-ranked commitment, Demarcus Milliner, a Scout.com five-star cornerback from Stanhope Elmore High School in Millbrook, had a scare in the second half in last Friday night's game against Shaw High School in Georgia.

'I ended up getting hurt in the game,' said Milliner. 'I was going for a pick and I got a knee in my side. It happened in the third quarter. I was out the rest of the game. I will probably miss a few days of practice. I will be ready for the game this week at Central-Phenix City.'

Other Tide commitments in Tuscaloosa this past weekend included Deion Belue, Scout.com three-star cornerback from Deshler High School in Tuscumbia; Wilson Love, three-star defensive tackle from Mountain Brook High School; Jay Williams, three-star punter from Thomasville High School; and Brandon Lewis, three-star defensive tackle from East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Miss.

Elite in-state underclassmen who were in attendance included Brent Calloway, 2011 Scout.com National 100 outside linebacker and Tide commitment from Russellville High School and Reggie Ragland, 2012 linebacker from Bob Jones High School in Madison. Ragland projects to rank as one of the nation's top recruits.

Other in-state prospects who visited included Dale Trimble, Scout.com three-star cornerback from Gadsden City High School in Gadsden, and Caleb Castille, athlete and Tide legacy from Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham.

Visit TideSports.com and Scout.com for Andrew Bone's recruiting coverage. Reach Amdrew Bone at abone@scout.com.