Alabama Football: Bye week update on 2019 recruiting prospects

Less than two months from the Early Signing Period, Alabama football works to fill its remaining eight to ten slots in the 2019 class.

After recent de-commits to Georgia, Alabama football has the No. 1, 2019 signing class. On Oct. 23, 4-Star, defensive end, Braylen Ingraham will choose between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Miami. Alabama football is the heavy favorite. UPDATE: Braylen Ingraham verbally committed to the Tide, bring the 2019 signing class to 22 commits.

Bringing Ingraham onboard will not end the Tide’s d-line recruiting. A spot will be held until February for Ishmael Sopsher. The Tide needs numbers on the defensive front so another spot beyond Ingraham and Sopsher will likely be available despite tight numbers.

Speaking of numbers, Alabama football has 22 verbal commits. The projected count for 2019 signees is 28. Most recruiting insiders believe the Tide will have room for around eight or nine more signees. Here is the current list of 2019 verbal commits.

The BIG recruiting push before the December Early Signing Period will be Iron Bowl weekend. After that, the early enrollees for 2019 will not have much time to make decisions.

The other big names, Alabama football is prepared to wait on are three  5-Stars, Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE), Evan Neal (OL) and Nakobe Dean (ILB). The Tide will not have to wait too long on these three. Thibodeaux, the No. 1, 2019 recruit in the nation will announce on Dec. 15. The impossible to predict Dean plans to be an early enrollee. Neal is an early enrollee as well.

Two more top targets may decide in the next couple of months. Alabama football is the heavy favorite to gain another 5-Star in RB, Trey Sanders. The Tide is also believed to lead for 4-Star LB, Henry To’oto’o.

5-Star OL, Clay Webb and 4-Star CB, Noa Pola-Gates are believed to have spots available as well. Webb was once considered a Tide lock but Georgia and Clemson have made big plays for him. Pola-Gates will visit Iron Bowl weekend and has a decision scheduled on Jan. 19. Numbers could become so tight he cannot afford to wait for a January decision.

Alabama football is trying to flip several current commits. 5-Star, Nolan Smith (UGA) is one. The other main ones are 5-Star CB, Akeem Dent (FSU), 4-Star WR, George Pickens (AU), Nathan Pickering, 4-Star DL (Mississippi State) and 4-Star DL, Jaren Handy (AU).

The Crimson Tide Big Board has several other names of top targets. The problem is not having enough room to bring all the top players to the Tide. Alabama football is highly impressed with 4-Star APB, Wandale Robinson. Some recruiting experts describe Robinson as a bigger Jaylen Waddle. Unfortunately, the Tide may not have room for him.

All of the player ratings in this post are compliments of the 247Sports Composite. The final 2019 player ratings may see one or two of the current Tide commits bumped from 4-Star to 5-Star status.