Alabama Football: Daily Recruiting Update Dec. 13

Check out the Bama Hammer Alabama football ‘Daily Recruiting Update’ for Dec. 13, as we count down to the Early Signing period on Dec. 19.

Alabama football recruiting is of so much interest to Crimson Tide fans it is almost like another season. At Bama Hammer, we follow it carefully as well. For the benefit of our readers, a daily update will be offered through the Early Signing Period.

Understand we do not claim any inside scoops. We do not communicate with recruits. We do carefully follow what a dozen or so good sources believe is happening on any given day. None of those sources (and certainly not us) are soothsayers and none have a direct line to Nick Saban’s Big Board. But we offer carefully considered best guesses.

Where the Crimson Tide, 2019 recruiting class stands today is 24 verbal commits. The magic number for the 2019 class is 28. That is 25 new commits plus three slots carried over from last season. Does the Crimson Tide have only four open slots? We don’t think so.

We guess two (maybe as many as four) of the current 24 verbal commits will flip to other schools. So 22 verbal commits leaves room for six more players. Another guess is a couple of future grayshirts will mean the working number of open slots is eight more players. Through Dec. 18, we are providing a daily list of ten players for those eight slots. Outside the primary list is a small group of contingency players.

Alabama Football Remaining Top 10 Recruits

There are no changes in our Top 10 list from yesterday but notes have been added for several players.

1. 5-Star, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux – announcement on Dec. 15. The Tide might lead but Thib is hard to predict.
2. 5-Star, ILB Nakobe Dean – announcement Dec. 19. Tide and LSU battle with Tide lead. UGA is trying hard to make it a three-team battle. Ole Miss has not given up but is not on equal footing.
3. 5-Star, RB Trey Sanders – announcement on Dec. 19. Tide leads but UGA pushing. Sanders is another hard to predict recruit.
4. 5-Star, OL Evan Neal – announcement on Dec. 19. The Tide leads with UGA pushing hard.
5. 5-Star, DT Ishmael Sopsher – no decision until February. The Tide leads but LSU will try to broker a package, making room for his brother. Unlike other schools, Alabama football is not expected to guarantee a spot for Rodney Sopsher.
6. 4-Star, DB Jordan Battle – another flip, this time from Ohio State
7. 4-Star, DB Nola Pola-Gates – announcement planned for January. The Tide leads but probably only room for either Battle or Pola-Gates.
8. 5-Star, OL Darnell Wright – no decision until February. Tennessee probably leads.
9. 4-Star, LB Henry To’oto’o – To’oto’o recruitment has been pretty quiet but Alabama football appears in a strong position to lure him away from the Pac 12. Tennessee is also in the hunt. Even potentially pulling in Nakobe Dean, the Alabama football staff wants to add To’oto’o. He is not an early enrollee and currently is not scheduled to sign in the Early Period.
10. 4-Star, DE Khris Bogle – announcement in January. Bogle would come close to making up for a miss on Thibodeaux.

If Sanders does not choose the Tide, 4-Star, RB Deondrick Glass is a good option. Glass will not commit elsewhere until Sanders makes a decision. if there is room, the Alabama football staff would like to add another tight end, 4-Star, Keon Zipperer. If Battle and Pola-Gates fall through, 4-Star, CB Marcus Banks is a strong option.

Beyond our lists are other top players that would also be Crimson Tide priorities if there were available slots. There are some top players who are willing to wait and see if a slot comes open.

All the star ratings in this post come from the 247Sports Composite.

The eventual, resolution of signing class numbers is one step to a final roster of 85 scholarship players. The 85 number is sometimes hard to reach. On Wednesday, the final 85-man roster became one slot closer when Richie Petitbon announced he will transfer for his final season.