Alabama Recruiting: It Could Be A Quiet But Still Big Signing Day
By Chris Hale
With the class of 2015 Alabama recruiting class having 26 commits already, it’s shaping up to be a rather quiet National Signing Day for Tide fans.
Quiet is sometimes good and in this case, it definitely is. The Alabama staff already has most everything wrapped up and is already working on the class of 2016. There is still room for excitement though. The Tide’s class will more than likely go down as the number one rated class on all four major recruiting services. The rich will get richer as they say even though for the most part, we will all just get to watch the signatures roll in.
As things stands right now, most analysts believe the Tide can take one more for the class. There have been rumors of possible flips for four-star cornerback Rico McGraw as well as three-star cornerback Montrell Custis. As of now, there is nothing official on either one. That’s not counting one wide receiver that decommitted but looks to be heading back in the fold.
By most accounts, it seems that most analysts believe that four-star wide receiver Daylon Charlot will rejoin the class. Charlot committed to the Tide back in February of last year but decommitted late last year. In-state school LSU gave him some things to think about and more than likely, pressure from family and friends made him want to step back and make sure. Even after the decommittment, the Tide remained the top school for Charlot. He’s fresh off an official visit to Tuscaloosa and it seems the family will support whatever decision he makes.
So who are some of the possibilities that are more likely than others?
One is current Ole Miss commit four-star offensive tackle Drew Richmond. Some believed the Tide could have been surging a bit for Richmond a few weeks ago but now it seems, that could be in a holding pattern with the chance of him remaining with the Rebels. There is a little talk of him waiting until April to sign so that he can get a visit in to Alabama but that’s up in the air. Pretty much a wait and see on this one but it is one to keep an eye on.
Another offensive tackle that could join the class is five-star Chidi Okeke-Valentine. The Tide is in good shape on 247Sports’ crystal ball predictions with 57-percent of the picks but Auburn could be trending here. It should also be noted that AuburnUndercover’s Keith Niebuhr entered a pick for Auburn yesterday. There are a few rumbling for grade concerns as well.
The Tide could also add another wide receiver. Four-star K.J. Hill wide receiver decommitted from the Arkansas Razorbacks shortly after his visit to Alabama this month. Most believe that it was Hill wanting to wait and see on who the Razorbacks hired for an offensive coordinator. Hill also liked the way Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin’s offense operated. There’s also some talk that Hill and recent Alabama departure Altee Tenpenny could end up in Columbus with Urban Meyer.
None of the three above are a lock to pick Alabama by any means. Just the ones that I believe are more likely to join the good guys than some of the other. There is a chance that we just keep what we have which would still be an unreal class.
And as with every year, you can’t rule out one of those patented Coach Nick Saban National Signing Day surprises.