Alabama Football Recruiting: Saban knows when others don’t
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football received its 17th verbal commit for the 2019 class. Keilan Robinson is rated as the No. 346 overall player in the class but Saban knows Robinson is better than that.
It is not as though Alabama football snatched up a player who was a big secret. Keilan Robinson was not well known to Tide fans but he is a 4-Star recruit. Robinson did not have the exposure of most 4-Star prospects. He was not involved in high-profile player camps like many recruits.
Keilan Robinson attended Alabama football Junior Day in February. He so impressed the Alabama football staff, he left with an offer. It was not that the rating services did not like him, they just did not see much of him.
Robinson ended up with over 20 offers, many from top programs – USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Georgia and FSU. Nick Saban’s Big Board for 2019 has two slots for running backs. Giving one of those slots to Keilan Robinson is not an indication the Tide will not sign Trey Sanders.
Alabama football still a strong contender for Trey Sanders
Sanders, the No. RB in the 2019 class, will continue to be a Tide priority. Robinson’s commitment does mean some other, more familiar names, like John Emery and Jerrion Ealy will not have a slot unless Sanders passes on the Tide. Sanders will not be making a decision anytime soon. He did speak on his feelings about Alabama football recently.
"Nick Saban, just trust the process, I believe in that, I believe in everything that Nick Saban says. Every time I go to Alabama I get the same feeling again, there is just something special about Alabama."
Trey Sanders fits the mold of Alabama football power backs – guys like Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry and Najee Harris. Keilan Robinson is different. He is five-foot-nine and 185 pounds now and will probably play at 200 pounds. He can run with power but he is more of a change-of-pace back. Robinson is more like Alvin Kamara, Dee Hart and Josh Jacobs.
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Robinson spoke to 247Sports on what the commitment meant to him.
"It means a lot. I always knew that I am one of the best players in the country, and to have the best college football team in the country offer me a chance to play for their team only proves that."
He sounds like a very confident young man – just the kind of player Nick Saban likes – no matter what the ranking.
Next: 10 Crimson Tide questions for 2018
After the Robinson commit, the Crimson Tide stretched its lead for the 2019 top recruiting class. The next four classes at this point, Texas A&M, LSU, Clemson and Michigan are a long way from catching Nick Saban’s class.