Alabama Football: As dead period ends, few slots for so many top targets

Alabama football has only one recruiting problem with the 2018 class. The Crimson Tide needs room to take more than 30 players.

The summer NCAA Dead Period ends this week and Alabama football is poised to add one or two players. Friday through Sunday will be busy in Tuscaloosa because the Crimson Tide is having a second Champions Cookout.

Coming out of the Dead Period, Alabama football has a big lead in having the top 2019 signing class. The Tide has 20 verbal commitments for the 2019 class. Adding only 4-Star and 5-Star prospects, Alabama football could easily gain 32 (or more) commits.

How many players can really be added?

Teams have multiple ways to sign more than 25 players in a class. The NCAA has reduced some of those over-signing options in recent years. Under current rules, the Tide should be able to add 28 scholarship players.

There has been much chatter about the current 20 becoming a hard number of 18. Attrition often happens when a particular position becomes so stacked with elite players, less-elite players seek more opportunity for playing time elsewhere.

Based upon frequent insider rumors we assume the Tide can and will add 10 new names to the 2019 signing class. With suspected attrition, the final number would hit 28.

Current Top Targets

The players are listed with their overall and position ranking from the 247Sports Composite.

• Kayvon Thibodeaux – 5-Star; No. 1 ranked player – rated as a WDE but expected to play OLB
• Ishmael Sopsher; 5-Star; No. 5 ranked player – No. 1 DT
• Darnell Wright; 5-Star; No. 7 ranked player – No. 2 OT
• Trey Sanders; 5-Star; No. 8 ranked player – No. 1 RB
• Dax Hill; 5-Star; No. 9 ranked player – No. 1 Safety
• Clay Webb; 5-Star; No. 15 ranked player – No. 1 rated Center
• Nakobe Dean; 5-Star; No. 19 ranked player – No. 1 rated ILB

Best guess today is the Crimson Tide will sign Sopsher, Sanders, Hill and Webb. Dax Hill could announce soon. Trey Sanders is planning a decision before his high school season starts.

Darnell Wright and his mother are expected in Tuscaloosa all weekend. Subject to his mom’s blessing, The Tide is in a strong position for Wright.

Look for Thibodeaux to be a USC-UA battle. The Mississippi schools want to believe they can sign Dean but it is probably a UA-UGA battle.

Other Top Targets

• DeMarvin Leal; 4-Star (TAMU commit); No. 53 ranked player – No. 4 DT
• George Pickens; 4-Star (Auburn commit); No. 50 ranked player – No. 8 WR
• Faatui Tuitele; 4-Star; No. 37 ranked player – No. 3 DT
• Akeem Dent; 4-Star (FSU commit); No. 3 ranked player; No. 3 CB
• Evan Neal; 4-Star; No. 39 ranked player; No. 8 OT
• Tyrique Stevenson; 4-Star; No. 78 ranked player; No. 10 CB
• Jeffery Carter; 4-Star; No. 80 ranked player; No. 11 CB
• Siaki Iba; 4-Star; No. 159 ranked player; No. 11 DT
• Henry To’oto’o; 4-Star; No. 34 ranked player; No. 2 OLB
• Kamaar Bell; 3-Star; No. 577; No. 22 OG

Alabama football will accept offers from Leal, Pickens and probably one of the DB’s. If Dax Hill becomes the last DB in the class, it probably means the Tide wants Nakobe Dean and another linebacker. To’oto’o is the top LB in addition to Dean but the Tide is recruiting others as well.

The Tide staff badly wants to add Leal, who would play DE for the Tide. If he cannot be flipped, Tuitele or Iba would get the slot. If Pickens cannot be flipped, the effort will be to sign another big receiver. The Tide’s slot-wr position is already filled with players.

Kamaar Bell is a bit of a sleeper. He has excelled in summer camps and was quite impressive in Tuscaloosa. Finding room for him appears unlikely.

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

There are other players, not listed in this post, who could become priority targets. Some of them could be signed by Alabama football now if there was room.