Alabama Football: 2019 class can be Crimson Tide 5-Star bonanza

Alabama football led the nation in signing 5-Star recruits in the 2013-2017 signing classes. The 2019 class could have the largest group of 5-Star signees in Tide history.

No college football program ever signs as many 5-Star recruits as it hopes – not even the Alabama football recruiting machine engineered by Nick Saban. Most schools miss out on 5-Star recruits in most recruiting cycles. The 247Sports Composite usually rates less than three dozen players as 5-Stars each year.

In the 2017 class, there were 33, 5-Star players. The 33 players signed with 13 FBS programs.  Eight of those programs signed two 5-Stars or less (UCLA, Michigan, Tennessee, LSU, Clemson, USC, Auburn and Iowa.) Stanford and Georgia signed three. FSU brought in four and Ohio State gained five. Alabama football signed six.

The number of 5-Star players varies each season. In the 2013-2017 period, the range was a low of 26 to a high of 37, for a five-year total of 164 players. Alabama football signed 27 of them. Here’s some perspective from Mike Huguenin,

"The other three teams in the CFP (Oklahoma, Clemson and Georgia) have signed a combined 21."

In terms of 5-Stars, Alabama football had an ‘off’ year with the 2018 signing class. The Crimson Tide only signed two 5-Star players, Eyabi Anoma and Patrick Surtain Jr.

Early indications are the 2019 class will be very different. It could surpass the top yields of six, 5-Stars from the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 classes.

Saban does not recruit based on the rating service ‘stars’

Two points are worth remembering. Nick Saban and his Alabama football staffs have their own rating system for players. Often, Saban chooses 4-star and sometimes 3-Star players over 5-Star recruits.

The recruit rating services do a good job. Combine that with the excellent performance by the Tide in developing players and very few 5-Star signees do not become important players. Most become significant contributors. Not counting those who transferred out, there have been very few busts for Tide, 5-Star signees going back to 2009.

Will 2019 bring the Tide a record number of 5-Stars?

It is too soon to know but the prospects for a record number are promising. The Tide has one verbal commitment from 5-Star OL, Pierce Quick. Another six or more could follow.

Here are the best chances for more 5-Star commits.

• Clay Webb – Oxford, AL – Center – No. 12 player overall
• Faatui Tuitele – Honolulu, HI – DT – No. 24 player overall
• Ishmael Sopsher – Amite, LA – DT – No. 4 player overall

Several Alabama football insiders believe Webb and Tuitele are virtual locks if not already silent commits.

The next best chances are:

• Trey Sanders – Bradenton, FL – RB – No. 7 player overall and former Tide verbal commit
• Kayvon Thibodeaux – Westlake Village, CA – DE – No.1 overall player in the nation
• Nakobe Dean – Horn Lake, MS – LB – No. 27 player overall
• Darnell Wright – Huntington, WV – OT – No. 3 player overall

Other possibilities:

• Nolan Smith – Bradenton, FL – DE – No.6 overall player and Georgia commit
• Travon Walker – Thomaston, GA – DT – No. 25 overall player in the nation
• Daxton Hill – Tulsa, OK – DB – No. 13 player overall
• Quavaris Crouch – Charlotte, NS – RB – No. 11 overall player in the nation

Whether it ends up being a record for Alabama football 5-Stars, the Crimson Tide will likely earn the No. 1 class in 2019.

Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits

June will be huge for the Crimson Tide with a month filled with camps and visits. The first of two Champions Cookouts this summer is scheduled for June 22nd.