Alabama A&M: Seniors eager to live up to expectations

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -Alabama A&M's 2008 recruiting class was supposed to be the group that would keep the Bulldogs among the Southwestern Athletic Conference's elite.

Under Anthony Jones, A&M won more games (49) than any team in the league from 2002-2007 and when the Bulldogs signed 32 players in 2008, including the likes of Rico Porch, Willie Fuller, Clarence Morris, Markeith Cliatt, Lewis Graham and Trent Johnson, they had what they believed was a banner recruiting class.

Three years later, the class that was slated to keep A&M among the league's elite hasn't had much to celebrate.

The Bulldogs won the Eastern Division title in 2009 and advanced to the SWAC championship game before losing to Prairie View.

"That was our sophomore year and we didn't contribute as much because a lot of us weren't playing a lot, but we had something to do with that," Cliatt said. "This is our last year. This is our time ... our championship year."

Besides that, A&M is 15-20 the last three years with two losing seasons, including last year's 3-8 mark, the worst since the Bulldogs went 3-8 in 1992 under Ray Bonner.

"It was a great class on paper, but we haven't made it happen yet," Porch said. "We haven't lived up to expectations. We don't have a (championship) ring. That's our goal this year."

More startling than the record the last three years is the fact that only 11 members of the 2008 recruiting class remain on the team.

"All the ones that signed did not attend," Jones said.

Couple that with the Bulldogs' 2007 recruiting class in which they signed only six players and only three were eligible provides some insight into A&M's struggles over the last three years.

Porch, Fuller, Cliatt, Morris are seniors on this year's team. Corey Hart and A.J. Walker are Division I transfers, coming from Marshall and Alabama, respectively.



Tony Jackson is a junior college transfer, while Carlos Tolbert and Stephen Andrews are former walk-ons.

Terrell Badie, Jared Bing, Jamaal Johnson-Webb, Kaderius Lacey, Preston Nelson, Torey Smith and Tim Tillman were members of the 2008 signing class, but were redshirted.

"I think we have the nucleus to have a good year," Fuller said. "We may not have the experience, but nobody gave us a chance in 2009 and we made it all the way to the championship game. We did it then. I think we can do it now."

Fuller was encouraged by the Bulldogs' summer participation.

Sixty players stayed this summer and participated in workouts. That's the most during Jones' previous nine years.

"One of the problems we've had since we've been here is team chemistry," said Fuller, a first-team All-SWAC preseason pick. "I think if we get back to having good team chemistry we can get back to our winning ways and that started this summer with 60 people staying. I think that should make a difference this season."

Jones refused to label this class as underachievers. He said he will evaluate them when the season is over.

"This group has done some things, but this class is not done," he said. "For some of them, this is their senior year. Some of them have two years. I'm not going to put a verdict on them and it's not over. They still have time to do some positive things and I'm expecting that. We'll evaluate them when it's over."

Cliatt believes this senior class can still be special.

"We've got this year to right the ship," he said. "This is our last year and we're all in."