Alabama Football: Big campus weekend with a bevy of 5-Star recruits
By Ronald Evans
The first 2018 Alabama football Champions Cookout is bringing a bevy of 5-Star recruits to Tuscaloosa this weekend.
The array of future college football talent attending the Alabama football Champions Cookout is astounding. Players from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 classes will take part in the elite, invitation-only event.
Actual attendees will not be fully known until they arrive, but the list of who is expected to attend is filled with elite players. A couple of top targets may not arrive until Saturday but the weekend list could end up including 10 5-Star recruits. Another 30 or so 4-Star recruits are also expected.
Including the current 2019 and 2020 verbal commits, Alabama football will have close to 80 recruits in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Obviously, the Crimson Tide will not land every top target, either this weekend or later. That is a given for all teams but Nick Saban has another problem. He will not be able to make room for many top players.
There could be as many as ten 4-Star players who are being told they cannot commit at this time. Not all insider information conveys a complete story. We will pass along one current situation where we believe a top 50, 4-Star recruit was told to wait. The waiting carried no guarantee of a future open slot. The player chose to commit elsewhere.
The player’s name is not included because we do not have direct information on the situation. Not taking an anticipated commit is not uncommon for the Crimson Tide and other top teams. It just does not often happen with a Top 50 player.
We believe there is an unprecedented number of top players in the 2019 class who want to join Alabama football.
With close to 80 players visiting this weekend, let’s focus on the 2019 5-Stars and top 4-Stars. and a few 2020 5-Stars.
Probable and possible 5-Star visitors
Not including many current, 2019 verbal commits who will also attend.
2019 Class
- Clay Webb
- Faatui Tuitele
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Ishmael Sopsher
- Trey Sanders
- Nakobe Dean (Saturday only)
2020 Class
- Savell Smalls
- Zachary Evans
- Justin Flowe
- Arik Gilbert
Probable 4-Star visitors
2019 Class
- Noa Pola-Gates
- Kalen DeLoach
- Devonta Lee
- Jeffery Carter
- Jalani Williams
- Maninoa Tufono
- Jaylen McCullough
- Rian Davis
- Isaiah Hazel
- George Pickens
- Jaren Handy
Pickens and Handy are Auburn verbal commits, still being actively recruited by the Crimson Tide.
There are at least another dozen, top 2019 prospects, who could not make it to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Guys like Darnell Wright, Daxton Hill, Nick Cross and others will continue to be top prospects.
It is too early to make specific predictions but the 2019 Alabama football signing class is going to be very special. A few more verbal commits could happen this weekend.