Bama finds diamond in the rough with Ivory

TUSCALOOSA | How can a 330-pound football player escape notice?

When his development as a college prospect doesn’t come into bloom until his senior season.

That’s how University of Alabama coach Nick Saban summarized the recruitment of the largest player in the Crimson Tide’s 29-man signing class, Memphis East High defensive lineman Brandon Ivory.

Ivory (6-foot-3, 330 pounds) is ticketed for the nose guard position being vacated by outgoing senior Terrence Cody, a fan favorite who occupied the center of UA’s top-ranked defense — and two blockers — for two seasons at more than 350 pounds.

Ivory, according to Saban, was only recruited by two other schools and was not on the Crimson Tide’s radar last summer, when the list of players who would be offered a scholarship narrowed significantly.

“We found out about Brandon Ivory because some coaches in the area called us this season, and this is one thing that makes it much more difficult ... guys who develop when they are seniors and play very well their senior year can very much get overlooked because seldom do you even go back and look at them,” Saban said. “Going into this season we were almost full — before they ever played their senior year.

“Back in the old days when I was an assistant, you didn’t even offer anyone until they finished playing their senior year. That’s how much it’s accelerated in the last 20 years or so.”

Enough phone calls were made on Ivory’s behalf that Saban and his staff decided to take the rarely-traveled road -- to check back on a senior who was not in the school’s recruiting plans as a junior. In a matter of weeks, Ivory had his offer.

“A coach we know called and said, ‘Man, I played (against) this guy, he’s a big guy, he’s very agile and athletic and we couldn’t block him,’ and this is a pretty good program and a pretty good school,” Saban said. “So we got the film and looked at him and by the time we’re looking at the film, they’re having an all-star game there in West Tennessee. Coaches called from the all-star game and even a player that played in the all-star game, (UA signee) Keiwone Malone, called and said, ‘Do you know about this guy? This guy is a really good player. He’s big, he’s fast, this and that.’ So we looked at the film some more, then I went up and actually watched him practice basketball to see how he moved. I’m thinking, ‘This is too good to be true,’ watching the film and all that.”

Saban pointed out that Cody went largely unrecruited as well when he played his final season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss. Somehow, Ivory was missed by most other schools as well.

“The guy moved around the basketball floor pretty good and dunked it and could touch the rim and all that kind of stuff,” Saban said. “I said a guy that weighed this much and moves that well and plays that well on film, and we have a need for big-bodied people. And our criteria for nose guards is a little bit different maybe that someone else looking at just a defensive lineman. He seemed to fit the criteria and we felt like we had to justify our dietician, some kind of way here, since Cody’s leaving. So we got another one for him.”

Alabama’s returning nose guards include Josh Chapman and Kerry Murphy

Leading by example

As an early enrollee, and one of the nation’s most heralded quarterback recruits, Phillip Sims might already be looked at as a potential leader for Alabama’s 2010 signing class. He’s OK with that, but the freshman said Wednesday that he’s not the vocal type.

“I’m a leader because of the position I play, but I’m more of a quiet leader. I’m a guy who likes to go around and have a lot of fun,” Sims said. “I guess because of the position I play guys just automatically follow you. I guess I’ve become accustomed to it -- it doesn’t really bother me. But I’m not one of those guys who will go around and jump in everyone’s face. That’s not my style. If you want to follow me, come along. If you don’t, I’m cool with it. I’m going to get my job done anyway.”

This spring, Sims will join three other scholarship quarterbacks on the Alabama roster -- Greg McElroy, A.J. McCarron and Star Jackson.

Negative recruiting

Although it remains unclear which rivals schools said exactly what, and to which of Alabama’s recruits, Saban had his fill this winter of ideas being placed in the heads of his recruiting targets. With more than a little sarcasm, the UA coach made that clear Wednesday on the subject of negative recruiting.

“I’m amazed at what other schools know about our team, because I know nothing about their team. And they know more about our team than I know about our team,” Saban said. “They get the depth chart out and they know how good a player they are -- guys who haven’t even played before. Haven’t been on the field, haven’t lettered, haven’t done anything.

“It’s amazing to me, and I’m talking about convincing -- an expert. We don’t do that, we do not negative recruit in what we do. We have a product to sell, we try to sell it in a positive way.”

Savage helping Eagles

Alabama radio voice Phil Savage has been retained by the Philadelphia Eagles as a player personnel consultant for the 2010 NFL draft. Savage’s role will focus on draft prospects in the Southeast.

Jim Carabin, general manager of Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, said Savage will be available for the broadcast of the A-Day Game in April.

“This is a great opportunity for me to get back in the NFL,” Savage told the Eagles’ Web site. “I’m really excited about the role the Eagles have afforded me and I’m ready to help Howie (Roseman, Eagles’ general manager) and the rest of their scouting staff in the best way I possibly can.”

Reach Chase Goodbread at chase.goodbread@tuscaloosanews.com, or at 205-722-0196.