Tag: alabama recruiting

College football recruiting watchlist: USA TODAY Sports college wires weigh in on Class of 2023

USA TODAY Sports college wire editors share their thoughts about the most exciting prospect from some of the top Power Five programs in the country.

The Class of 2023 left the football recruiting world—and college fan bases—entranced for well over a year and a half, with high-profile names like Arch Manning creating significant buzz about their possible college landing spots.

The hype didn’t fall short on the field in 2022, either, as the top-tier crop  delivered consistently, adding to the excitement about one of the better classes in recent high school football history.

And now that the signing-period commotion is in the rearview, we know where the ’23 talents are headed to begin their college football careers, which introduces the other side of the recruiting tunnel.

To better grasp that part of the equation, we’ve turned to the USA TODAY Sports college wire writers who will be following the top recruits at Power Five schools in the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC, and beyond in 2023.

Our question was simple: Who are you most excited to watch from the Class of 2023?

Here’s what they had to say…

LSU offers No. 1 EDGE in 2025 recruiting class

Zion Grady is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound, five-star edge rusher.

In the shadows of Troy University’s Veterans Memorial Stadium lies Charles Henderson High School, a 5A school that produces great talent year in and year out. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his staff think they have found a gem there.

[autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound, five-star edge rusher who is rated as the No. 1 EDGE in the 2025 recruiting class. He’s from Troy, Alabama, where he plays for Charles Henderson High School. The Charles Henderson Trojans finished the 2022 season 12-2 with a loss to Ramsay in the Class 5A state championship game.

There are no Crystal Ball projections at this time but Auburn is a 38% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Grady has an incredible mixture of size and speed that allows him to make most offensive tackles look like they are standing in cement.

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It’s not time to panic over Alabama’s 2024 recruiting cycle

Alabama currently ranks No. 5 in the SEC for the 2024 recruiting cycle, but there’s plenty of time to makeup ground.

According to ESPN, Alabama currently ranks No. 5 in the SEC for the 2024 recruiting cycle. During Nick Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide finished with the No. 1 overall recruiting class eight times, with 2023 being the most recent.

The four programs ahead of Alabama are Georgia, Florida, LSU and South Carolina.

So, should Crimson Tide fans be worried? Not at all. Hitting the panic button right now would be a clear overreaction, according to ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren.

“The coaches have gotten off to a slower start in the past, and quite frankly, a lot of the slower starts can be contributed to the fact that higher-ranked players sometimes wait longer to decide,” writes VanHaaren. “The staff is still in on ESPN 300 offensive lineman Casey Poe, ESPN 300 running back Daniel Hill, five-star receiver Micah Hudson and plenty of others. Nine of the top 16 recruits and 15 of the top 30 prospects are still uncommitted.”

VanHaaren continues to explain that while the Tide currently sits at No. 5, the coaching staff is still applying pressure to many high-profile prospects and has plenty of time to make some noise before the 2025 cycle gets underway.

The pressure to put together a top-tier class is on, but if there’s one program in the nation to do it, a Saban-led staff is it.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football recruiting as the 2024 cycle continues.

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4-star Alabama defensive lineman William Sanders sets decision date

The Tigers will hope they can beat out Nick Saban for a prospect in his own backyard.

We’re coming down the home stretch in the recruiting process for four-star Brookwood, Alabama, defensive lineman [autotag]William Sanders[/autotag].

Sanders is down to three finalists — LSU, Alabama and Mississippi State — and he’s set to make his decision on July 21. Sanders ranks as the No. 21 player in Alabama and the No. 397 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite.

The Tigers likely have a lot of ground to make up here. The Crimson Tide are the heavy favorite for the in-state prospect, and they’ve received a pair of Crystal Ball projections from 247Sports while also sitting at 54% on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The Tigers will hope they can beat out Nick Saban for a prospect in his own backyard. LSU’s 2024 class currently sits at 18 commits and ranks No. 13 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

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LSU offers 2024 4-star offensive lineman, Alabama lean

LSU’s recruiting staff has ventured into Nick Saban’s backyard in search of a talented offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class.

LSU’s recruiting staff has ventured into Nick Saban’s backyard in search of a talented offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class. They found a four-star lineman in Brookwood, Alabama.

[autotag]William Sanders[/autotag] is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound, four-star offensive lineman from Brookwood, Alabama, where he plays for Brookwood High School. The Brookwood Panthers finished the 2022 season 4-6 and failed to make the 6A state playoffs.

Sanders is currently crystal-balled to Alabama, and the Crimson Tide are a 54% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Sanders plays at left guard for the Panthers and he is a wrecking ball. He is the guy that pulls on counter plays and he lays out any linebackers that get in his way.

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The top 10 college football recruiting classes of all time

Alabama makes up six of the top 10 recruiting classes of all time. See which teams make up the rest and the star players that were a part of these classes.

Part of what makes college football so special is the recruiting process. Some programs are much better at it than others.

While many might argue the transfer portal and name, image and likeness policies have turned college football recruiting into somewhat of an NFL-style free agency, it doesn’t take away from the fact a program still has to earn a player’s commitment.

When looking at the top-10 recruiting classes of all time, it’s hard to ignore the Crimson Tide’s presence. Alabama makes up six of the 10 total spots. Four programs fill in the rest.

Ratings courtesy of 247Sports.

LSU offers 3-star cornerback from Birmingham, Alabama

LSU’s recruiting staff is working on finding talented defensive backs from the 2025 recruiting class.

LSU’s recruiting staff is working on finding talented defensive backs from the 2025 recruiting class. They recently offered a 3-star cornerback from Birmingham, Alabama.

[autotag]Timothy Merritt[/autotag] is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound, three-star cornerback from Birmingham, Alabama, where he plays for Parker High School. The Parker Thundering Herd finished the 2022 season 7-5 with a loss to Muscle Shoals in the second round of the AHSAA 6A state playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Merritt and there is no clear favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Merritt has great size and does a great job undercutting routes to intercept passes.

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LSU fighting hard to stay in the race for 4-star Alabama EDGE commitment

The Tigers are doing everything they can to flip a blue-chip Mobile prospect from the Crimson Tide.

Four-star edge rusher [autotag]Sterling Dixon[/autotag] remains locked into his commitment with Alabama, but LSU may have gained some ground after hosting the Mobile prospect over the weekend.

Dixon told On3’s Billy Embody that the Tigers “threw the kitchen sink” at him over the weekend. He said he’s especially impressed with the way the Tigers used [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] as a true freshman, and per his meetings with defensive coordinator Matt House, LSU apparently has similar plans for him.

Though initially recruited to play the edge, Dixon said the Tigers now want him to play inside linebacker, where it seems Perkins is also likely to move this year.

In addition to his meeting with House, he also reportedly spoke to coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] for about 30 minutes as well as with running backs coach and top recruiter [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag].

Dixon reiterated that he’s fully pledged to Alabama, but the Tigers are making things difficult for 247Sports’ No. 188 player in the nation.

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LSU offers 2026 linebacker from Mobile, Alabama

LSU’s recruiting staff found a “Tank” in Mobile, Alabama.

LSU is looking for talented linebackers for their 2026 recruiting class. They took a trip to south Alabama and ran into a kid that St. Paul’s Episcopal calls “Tank.”

[autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound linebacker from Mobile, Alabama… The St. Paul’s Saints finished the 2022 season 7-6 with a loss to Theodore in the third round of the AHSAA 6A state playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Jones, but Alabama is a 34% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Jones is a large guy who is a menace at outside linebacker for St. Paul’s.

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LSU hosting elite 5-star receiver for weekend visit

The Tigers will hope to make a strong impression on the Alabama commit.

LSU is hosting the annual OL/DL camp on Friday in what will be its first camp of the summer.

The Tigers will be hosting a trio of official visitors for that event, but they will also have some unofficial visitors on campus. Among the latter group is one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class, five-star receiver [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag].

An Alabama commit, Williams’ visit was reported by On3’s Shea Dixon (subscription required). The 6-foot, 155-pound Saraland, Alabama, prospect ranks as the top receiver and No. 4 player nationally, per On3

He picked up an offer from the Tigers last month, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] will hope to make an impression on a player currently committed to a division rival.

The Tide remains the heavy favorite per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine at 97.8%.

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