Alabama recruit Atchison said meeting with Florida is doubtful

Douglass linebacker Jonathan Atchison said that it is doubtful he will meet with Florida assistant coach Charlie Strong. "He hasn't called, so I doubt it is going to happen," the 6-foot-3, 212-pound member of the AJC's The Georgia 150 said late Sunday. However, if Strong shows up at Douglass on Monday, which was the original plan, then Atchison said he would likely hear what Florida had to say. Atchison recently switched his commitment to Alabama from Auburn after the resignation of Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. Atchison made the change after having a lengthy conversation with Alabama coach Nick Saban. "I spoke with [Saban], and my mom and I felt it was the right thing to do for me," he said. He has an official visit scheduled to Alabama on Jan. 16. Atchison, who had committed to Auburn in August, is the 22nd best linebacker in the nation, according to Rivals.com.

UGA making late charge for Alabama-bound WR Michael Bowman?

Georgia may be making a late run at Ridgeland's Michael Bowman, who is arguably the state's top wide receiver and committed to Alabama. And Bowman said he is willing to listen to the Bulldogs. "Georgia was my first love, and I will make up my mind at the end," Bowman told the AJC on Friday night. "I'm still committed to Alabama. But I have to consider all my options ... anything could happen." With the Crimson Tide going over final preparations in Atlanta for the SEC Championship, UGA assistant Stacey Searels stopped by Ridgeland on Friday to pick up film on Bowman and ask if he was interested in the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Bowman said Searels seemed excited that he indeed still interested. Bowman was told that UGA would call next week after reviewing his film to talk more about a scholarship offer. Bowman had a sensational senior season, catching 30 passes for 1,006 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last summer, he won MVP honors at the prospect camps at both UGA and Alabama.

Alabama OL recruit breaks down the SEC championship

Brookwood's Kellen Williams hoped to be at Saturday's huge SEC championship game between Alabama and Florida. He and his family scoured the Internet as soon as tickets became available. The 6-4, 300-pound Williams is a top Alabama recruit, but like many people, he'll be on the outside looking in when action kicks off in the Georgia Dome. "They were real pricey, about $1,000 a piece," he said. "We're just going to keep it easy. We didn't want to spend that much money before the holidays." Williams said he sat down with his family during Thanksgiving and decided the cost was just too much. Instead they'll meet up with a family friend who owns a recreational vehicle with a large flat panel television. They'll gather somewhere around CNN Center and watch the game with other 'Bama tailgaters. Williams, a bright, articulate kid, offered his pre-game analysis. "I think our defense is a strong point on our team," he said. "We've got to take Tim Tebow out of the game. Our zone blitz can shut down the short passing game and we can't get beat deep. I'm hearing [Percy] Harvin is hurt, but he's not going to miss the game for the world. Obviously, we've got to shut him down. If we can do that, we'll be fine. We just can't turn the ball over."

Westlake's Chance Warmack knows all about Alabama fans

Although he has been committed to Alabama and Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban for months, don't think that Westlake offensive lineman Chance Warmack will have a prime seat at Saturday's SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. NCAA rules will prevent that. "I think there is a rule against being able to give tickets to a game that is not a home game," Warmack said this week. "So I'll probably just watch it at home. That's what I did with the Clemson game at the beginning of the season." But Warmack was at the Iron Bowl last week to witness the Tide's 36-0 domination of Auburn. "It was crazy. I guess that's the best word to be able to describe the atmosphere and how the fans were," Warmack said. "Just crazy." The experience made him even more anxious to get to Tuscaloosa, which he will do in January so that he can participate in spring drills. Still Warmack said Alabama's fanatical fan base won't impact his play next season. "I've always just tried to tune out the fans," he said. "I just focus on what I have to do on the field."

Alabama, Auburn battle over Worth County DE

Meshack Williams, the Worth County defensive end who made 23 sacks in 10 games this season, is headed to a junior college, but that doesn't keep SEC schools from trying to get a commitment from him. That will give them the inside track on signing him again in two years. Auburn assistant coach Hugh Nall visited Williams on Friday, and coaches from South Carolina and Alabama have called in the past two weeks to offer official visits, according to Worth County coach Harris Rainbow. Williams will visit those three schools. He has been to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to see the Alabama-Mississippi State game. "What they're telling him is don't commit to a junior college yet; commit to us, then we want to place you,' '' Rainbow said."This is a kid who will play on Sundays.'' Rainbow said he began tracking Williams' sack totals on film because the numbers are almost unbelievable. Williams is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He's a defensive tackle in high school but probably will play linebacker in college due to his speed, which is 4.55 seconds over 40 yards. ''I've never had anyone to compare him to," Rainbow said. "You watch film, and the other team has to change what they do because of where he's at on the field. There's probably only 20 players in the state like that.''