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5 takeaways from Alabama’s Early Signing Period haul

David Wasson

By David Wasson

Published:

Ho-hum, another top-2 class for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

That is the major takeaway from the 1st day of the Early Signing Period that began Wednesday nationwide. Other programs have natural ebbs and flows in their recruiting cycles, but not Alabama.

Nick Saban, his coaching staff and the approximately 1.98 million people who seem to work in the Alabama recruiting department compiled a 25-player haul that ranks behind only Clemson’s in the 247Sports.com rankings. The Crimson Tide is the No. 1 team in the SEC, obviously, and pulled in 3 players with 5-star rankings.

Besides “status quo,” what are the 5 main takeaways from Alabama’s 2020 class?

5. Locking down Alabama

As of this writing, 8 of Alabama’s 9 in-state commitments are locked down. Only massive defensive tackle Jayson Jones (6-6, 340) from Calera High has yet to put ink to paper.

The Crimson Tide took in 6 signees in the 2019 class, 2 in the 2018 class, 8 in both the 2017 and 2016 classes, 7 in the 2015 and 2014 classes and 8 in the 2013 class. In fact, only in 2010 did Saban and Alabama do better in the state — pulling in 10 in-state players, including Dee Milliner, C.J. Mosley and Jalston Fowler.

Put plainly, the more high-profile talent Alabama pulls in, the less that goes to Auburn. The Tigers list only 5 players from the state among their 2020 recruiting class.

4. 2 losses = 0 problems

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of Alabama’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Despite the hiccup of a season that saw losses to LSU and Auburn, there was precisely zero wiggling, wavering or general discontent among the recruiting class that Saban and his coaching staff assembled.

Everyone who was committed has either signed on the line that is dotted or is still fully expected to in the coming days. While opposing coaches and recruiting staffs have no doubt flooded mailboxes, email folders and smartphones with missives about how the Crimson Tide was finished, Wednesday’s 1st day of the Early Signing Period is proof that the misinformation campaign failed.

Alabama is not done. Far from it. Wednesday is yet another reincarnation, a reload.

3. No surprises

There are still high school players who prefer to feel their oats during the signing process — stringing a couple of programs along by not deciding their destinations until there are a bunch of microphones and cameras in place.

Saban seems to prefer to shy away from players who like to play such games, instead focusing on players who only like to play football games. The musical hats and elaborate shell game of fan attire — not to mention props like live animals — is not The Alabama Way.

Sure, there are ceremonies and press conferences. Give the kids their day and whatnot. But what there wasn’t this year was a small huddle of assistant coaches huddled around a fax machine waiting to see if Johnny Fivestar woke up this morning and just decided to wear crimson instead of creamsicle orange.

2. Tide, Worldwide

While Saban and the recruiting staff have been successful in locking down the state and warding off false reports of the demise of domination, the Tide’s ‘Crootin’ Death Star also has continued to expand the range of the weaponry beyond the region.

Alabama is bringing in 2 players each from California — 5-star QB Bryce Young and 4-star WR Traeshon Holden —  and Texas — 5-star OLB Drew Sanders and 3-star DT Damieon George. The Tide is also getting 5-star DE Chris Braswell from Maryland and 3-star TE Caden Clark from Ohio.

This is hardly a new phenomenon. Alabama racks up the frequent flier miles scouring and scouting from sea to shining sea for the select few who are offered scholarships. When you’re arguably the most dominant college football program in history, the script-A on your business card gets you in the door to any high school coach in America.

1. 5-stars don’t mind waiting their turn

We mentioned Young, Sanders and Braswell in the No. 2 takeaway, as they are the 3 players who have earned 5-star ratings in Alabama’s 2020 class. That’s equal to the 3 who were signed in 2019, and 1 more than the pair who came to Tuscaloosa in 2018.

Young is the heir apparent to Tua Tagovailoa in the Alabama offense. The dual-threat QB completed 915 of 1,311 passes for 13,250 yards and 152 touchdowns for Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif. Young also recorded 1,084 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 262 career carries.

Sanders is a defensive end/linebacker hybrid who has Ryan High School in Denton in the Texas state semifinals. He has recorded 113 solo tackles and 141 total tackles through his junior season.

Braswell is an athletic defensive end who has recorded 25 sacks in two seasons at St. Francis Academy in Baltimore.

David Wasson

An APSE national award-winning writer and page designer, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @TheSharpDW

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