Alabama Football: Top recruits in the nation coming to the Iron Bowl

Alabama football will host over 50 recruits for the Iron Bowl, including some of the top 5-Star players nationally in the 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes.

As always, Alabama football chases the top recruits across the nation. As fans rating stars are our best indicators of the quality of recruits. Nick Saban and his staff are not focused on those rating ‘stars’ and the player rankings associated with them. For that reason, we are not including player rankings in this post.

We could list Nolan Smith as the No. 1 rated player in the 2019 class, per the 247Sports Composite, along with numerous other Top 50 players visiting Tuscaloosa. Access to Nick Saban’s Big Board for recruits would be of considerably more interest. Since it is heavily guarded and beyond the access of even the most ‘inside-insiders’, we are choosing instead to designate the players by star rankings alone. A good reminder for keeping recruit rankings and star ratings in perspective is Great Tide players who were 3-Star recruits.

Alabama football currently has the top 2019 class. However it finishes, it will be loaded with potentially great, immensely talented players. Most recruiting experts predict when the last few remaining slots are filled, Alabama football will have one of the best recruiting classes ever.

2019 Class Official Visitors – Uncommitted

• Trey Sanders, 5-star RB, Bradenton, FL – Sanders is a strong lean to the Tide and will announce in December.
• Evan Neal, 5-star OT, Bradenton, FL – Neal is a strong lean to the Tide. He will sign in December and enroll early.
• Noa Pola-Gates, 4-star CB, Gilbert, AZ  – The Tide is in a strong position for Pola-Gates who currently does not plan on announcing his decision until January.
• Ty Robinson, 4-star SDE, Gilbert, AZ – Alabama football is battling west coast teams for Robinson, notably USC and Oregon. He also recently visited Nebraska.

2019 Class Official Visitors – Committed to other schools

• Christian Harris, 4-star ILB, Baton Rouge, LA – Texas A&M commit
• Nolan Smith, 5-star WDE, Bradenton, FL Georgia commit

2019 Class Unofficial Visitors – Uncommitted

• Ishmael Sopsher, 5-star DT, Amite, LA
• Nakobe Dean, 5-star ILB, Horn Lake, MS
• Clay Webb, 5-star OL, Oxford, AL
• Darnell Wright, 5-Star OL, Huntington, WV
• Marcus Banks, 4-star CB, Houston, TX

2019 Class Unofficial Visitors – Committed to other schools

• Trezmen Marshall, 4-star ILB, Homerville, GA – Georgia commit
• George Pickens, 4-star WR, Hoover, AL – Auburn commit

2020 5-Star Targets

• McKinnley Jackson, 5-star DT, Lucedale, MS
• Chris Braswell, 5-star WDE, Baltimore, MD
• Myles Murphy, 5-star SDE, Powder Springs, GA

Will Alabama football close anyone this weekend?

Many of the top names have media dates scheduled for later high-profile announcements. In the excitement of a big Crimson Tide victory, a player or two might pull the trigger early. The weekend can be a huge success with no new commitments announced. Plus, there will be other big weekends for official visits before the December Early Signing Period. Informed Alabama football, recruiting insiders believe the Tide has a few top players on hold because of so few open slots.

The 2018 Iron Bowl is likely to be a recruiting boost for the Alabama Crimson Tide. And just the opposite for the Auburn Tigers.