Looking back at the top 25 rated recruits from the 2000 – 2018 Alabama football classes reveals some surprises.
College football recruiting is more art than science, even for programs like Alabama football that regularly attract the most well-known recruits. The rating services do a good job at a very difficult task. Measuring talent is hard enough without attaching to it the expectation the talent measured is a precise predictor of future college performance.
Looking back at the top 25 rated Alabama football recruits going back to the 2000 season is more than just an offseason diversion. Reviewing the Alabama football players who made the top 25 and who did not is interesting.
As always, this site uses the 247Sports Composite because it averages the ratings numbers from the top sources.
Top 25 Alabama football recruits 2000 – 2018
- OT – Cyrus Kouandjio, (Hyattsville, MD) Class of 2011
- OG – Andre Smith, (Birmingham, AL) Class of 2006
- WR – Julio Jones, (Foley, AL) Class of 2008
- WDE – Eyabi Anoma, (Baltimore, MD) Class of 2018
- QB – Brodie Croyle, (Rainbow City, AL) Class of 2001
- RB – Najee Harris, (Antioch, CA) Class of 2017
- OT – Alex Leatherwood, (Pensacola, FL) Class of 2017
- OT – Cam Robinson, (West Monroe, LA) Class of 2014
- SDE – Da’Shawn Hand, (Woodbridge, VA) Class of 2014
- CB – Patrick Surtain Jr., (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Class of 2018
- S – Landon Collins, (Geismar, LA) Class of 2012
- RB – Trent Richardson, (Pensacola, FL) Class of 2009
- ILB – Reuben Foster, (Auburn, AL) Class of 2013
- ILB – Ben Davis, (Gordo, AL) Class of 2016
- S – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, (Orlando, FL) Class of 2011
- CB – Tony Brown (Beaumont, TX) Class of 2014
- CB – Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, AL) Class of 2014
- WR – Calvin Ridley (Pompano Beach, FL) Class of 2015
- CB – Dee Milliner (Millbrook, AL) Class of 2010
- ATH – Derrick Henry (Yulee, FL) Class of 2013
- OLB – Rashaan Evans (Auburn, AL) Class of 2014
- OLB – Jonathan Allen (Ashburn, VA) Class of 2013
- OLB – Dylan Moses (Bradenton, FL) Class of 2017
- ATH – Eddie Williams (Panama City Beach, FL) Class of 2012
- ATH – Bo Scarbrough (Bradenton, FL) Class of 2014
Observations and Conclusions
It is too soon to measure the Crimson Tide careers of the 2017 recruits. The 2018 recruits are just getting started. In addition, 2016 recruit Ben Davis, while yet to make an impact, still has time to do so.
Taking the seven 2016, 2017 and 2018 players out of consideration, the remaining 19 Alabama football players, with only one exception, justified their high recruit ranking. The one exception is Eddie Williams. Williams’ reported attack of another University of Alabama student got him five years of criminal probation and an exit from Tuscaloosa.
The other 18 had either good or great Alabama football careers. All the others made it to the NFL. Some are just starting, others already have solid professional careers.
Alabama football does not recruit based on any public, player ratings. Nick Saban and his staff rely on their own evaluation and assessment. Still, the list indicates strong performance by the ratings services. Even more so, it indicates solid player development by the Alabama football staff.
What about other top Tide players?
The complete list compiled by 247Sports has 247 players. Some of them also had stellar Alabama football careers.
No. 164 – Rolando McClain
No. 176 – Barrett Jones
No. 188 – Dalvin Tomlinson
No. 211 – Jalston Fowler
No. 216 – Marcel Dareus
That group of five players proves that rating recruits is not a science.
Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits
We will follow up on the 247Sports data with a breakdown of how many players from the 2018 roster made the 247 recruit list. It is quite a few.