Bama, Auburn land big commits: Who came out ahead?

When two rival schools earn commitments from highly-ranked prospects in the same week (or same day in this case), what do we do? We compare them, of course. Four-star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy committed to Alabama just hours after four-star running back Devan Barrett committed to Auburn on Thursday. Which of these players is more important to the respective program?

RELATED: Jeudy picks Alabama | Barrett to Auburn

What type of player did they land? In Jeudy, Alabama gets a wide receiver with pretty good size and frame that can fill out although he’s not a giant or physically dominant player by any stretch. His best attribute is his ability to make a short catch into a long gain. He’s so effective at catching swing passes, bubble screens or even short slants and making people miss. With his top end speed if he gets into the secondary with a good head of steam, he can outrun most. He also has good hands, gets consistent separation, runs effective routes and isn’t afraid to go over the middle. He has the potential to be a dynamic weapon.

What makes this a big get? Once again Alabama is heading into South Florida and pulling away a dynamic offensive player. Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley of course come to mind and you can bet that the success they had in Tuscaloosa had a great deal to do with this commitment. Not only does it continue to brand the ‘Bama name in a fertile recruiting territory but it hurts SEC foe Florida, a team that has also had success in the southern part of the state. Alabama is loaded at wide receiver when it comes to depth, but Ridley will clearly be leaving after his junior season and Jeudy has the potential to pick up the South Florida tradition.

What type of player did they land? Barrett has good size, but he’s a slasher, a guy who makes people miss at the line of scrimmage with his quick feet and finds the hole quickly with his vision. He takes a lot of inside handoffs, which is perfect for the success Auburn has had running zone-read and his jump cut is very impressive. He has very good top end speed and he can catch the ball as well.

What makes this a big get? It’s not easy going into to Florida and pulling out a top prospect like Barrett and Auburn has been trying to find a consistent identity at running back after the amazing years by Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne in 2013 and 2014 respectively. This will continue to allow them to push into Florida and land key players and it gives them a running back who is suited for what they do best on offense. After disappointing Roc Thomas departed and with every team in the SEC looking to get faster and more versatile, Barrett is a great get.

Auburn. While Jeudy is the higher-ranked prospect at this stage with three rankings cycles left for 2017, it’s bigger for Auburn to land a quick, evasive running back from Florida than it is for ‘Bama to once again steal a potential star wide receiver from South Florida. Some may think I’m crazy and I’m certainly not saying that Barrett will certainly be a better player in college than Jeudy, but the recruiting message is more important for Auburn to send in the Sunshine State than it is for Alabama.