Alabama Football: Recruits should pay close attention to NFL Draft stats

No program provides a pathway to the NFL as proficiently as Alabama football. Compare Tide 5-Star signees to every other program and the gap is staggering.

The recruits considering Alabama football and other schools should pay close attention to NFL Draft history. Being developed by Alabama football pays off for a wide range of players, not just the blue-chippers.

The history of NFL Draft success by Alabama football 5-Star signees is more than impressive. The Crimson Tide to NFL path designed and maintained by Nick Saban has produced such success, no other school comes close.

The odds for a FBS player getting drafted by the NFL are long shots. Even being an elite (5-Star) college prospect does not assure Draft success. Alabama football 5-Stars have more success than elite players from all other schools but they do not all get drafted. Tide 5-Stars who went undrafted recently are Tony Brown and Robert Foster. Going back further, Tyler Love, B.J. Scott, Phillip Sims, Trey DePriest and Eddie Williams are other examples, though only DePriest spent four seasons in Tuscaloosa.

Those long odds make it most important for an elite player to increase his chances in every way possible. Statistics show the best way of increasing chances is through Alabama football. Several months ago, Chris Hummer of 247 Sports compiled some illuminating stats. Many fans saw the main stat shown in the tweet below.

Beyond that stunning stat are other impressive numbers. Comparing Alabama football to the rest of college football is not the best measurement. Hummer also did a comparison of Crimson Tide 5-Stars against top teams with a comparable number of 5-Star signees. Take a look below.

5-Star Signees Drafted in NFL First Round

• Alabama Crimson Tide – 48.3 percent
• Florida Gators – 29.4 percent
• LSU – 21.4 percent
• Georgia Bulldogs – 18.8 percent
• Florida State – 16.7 percent
• Southern Cal – 15.8 percent
• Ohio State – Zero percent

Make no mistake, there are many 3-Star and 4-Star players who become NFL first-rounders. Two Crimson Tide examples are Marcel Dareus and Mark Ingram. But looking at the 5-Star numbers above, it is difficult to understand why elite recruits choose any school other than the University of Alabama.

How do Nick Saban and the Alabama football staff achieve such dominating results? Phil Savage explains why such a gap exists.

"It’s evaluation, then it’s development, and then they play schemes that are easily transferable for the NFL scouts to walk out of that building or off that practice field and see those players doing things that they will be required to do at the NFL level"

Savage’s explanation makes the Alabama football process sound simple. Even if it is not unique, it is clear Nick Saban and his staff are better at it than anyone else. Elite recruits should be paying close attention.

There are many reasons why players choose certain schools. Being lifetime fans, proximity to home and family and new bonds with college coaches are three. For elite recruits, paying attention to Crimson Tide Draft success should be number one.