USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.
Alabama has dominated the college football scene for years now. While Nick Saban’s coaching has undoubtedly been a major factor, you can’t underplay their ability to consistently attract the top high school football prospects from around the country.
The Tide already had the lead in the 2023 recruiting rankings, and they extended that advantage this week by picking up two more significant commitments…
On Monday, Alabama bolstered its front line by earning a commitment from Tyler Legacy (Texas) defensive tackle Jordan Renaud. He is ranked seventh among all defensive linemen in his class and No. 13 overall in the state. Renaud (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) is a violent rusher with a proven ability to get into the backfield. Last season he totaled 61 tackles, including six for a loss. He also had offers from Oklahoma, Auburn and Florida, among others.
Two days later, the Rolling Tide added a weapon on the other side of the ball with Longview (Texas) four-star wide receiver Jalen Hale. Hale (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) has also played basketball and track. Last season he posted 37 catches, 652 yards and nine touchdowns, and he’s already caught four this year in four games. Hale is ranked No. 9 at wide receiver in his class at No. 51 nationally.
Together, these two additions boosted Alabama’s recruiting score to 309.14, a substantial lead over second-place Texas. They now have commitments from 16 of ESPN’s top 300 prospects – the most in the country.