Alabama Football Recruiting: Update on top defensive prospects
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football is nine weeks away from the new NCAA early signing period. Check the latest info on more than 20 top defensive prospects.
Based upon 247Sports 2018 Team Rankings, Alabama football is No. 23 in the FBS. Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Miami and Oregon currently have the top five 2018 recruiting classes.
The Crimson Tide has 11 verbally committed players. Check out the UA Commit List. Of the 11, seven are 4-Star players and four are 3-Star players.
Can Alabama football reload with another top class in 2018? Will it be a No.1 class? A top five class? Alabama football fans need not be overly concerned. Due to last season’s blueshirt and grayshirt decisions, Alabama cannot sign 25 players in 2018. The number will likely be 22, maybe 23. Reduced open slots make becoming the No. 1 class very difficult.
Even with the numbers limitation, Alabama football will be a top ten class, maybe a top five class in 2018. The Tide is in play for a big number of the top prospects in the nation. Some of those prospects are verbally committed elsewhere. Flips happen in every recruiting cycle. Alabama football will probably gain some and lose some.
Possible flips among Alabama football commits
- Quay Walker – OLB- 4-Star; No. 6 OLB; No. 127 Overall. Walker is being heavily pursued by Georgia and Florida State. and continues to take visits, including Auburn just a few weeks ago.
- Vernon Jackson – ATH – 3-Star, No. 17 ATH; No. 329 Overall. The Texas player has visited Baylor and Texas A&M in recent weeks and may be hard to pull out of his home state.
Potential flips from other schools will be listed in the position group breakdown that follows. Our position breakdown will start with the highest need; cornerback.