Alabama Football: Daily Recruiting Update Dec. 14

Check out the Bama Hammer Alabama football ‘Daily Recruiting Update’ for Dec. 14, 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. For the benefit of our Bama Hammer readers, a daily update will be offered through the Early Signing Period.

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.

The time is on us sudden changes from top recruits. Flips, target adjustments and surprises, good and bad are on the horizon.

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. Currently, the most probable defection of the current verbal commits is Christian Williams. Williams will not sign early and plans on continuing to take visits. The old Saban rule is “you shop, we shop” and Williams may lose his slot while he toys with LSU and others.

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 there are some shifts in the projections of final decisions.

5-Star, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux – announcement on Dec. 15. Thib is hard to predict but top recruiting experts believe he will announce for the Tide on Saturday. We think those experts are correct.
5-Star, ILB Nakobe Dean – announcement Dec. 19. Tide and LSU battle with Tide lead. UGA may have made it a three-team battle. Ole Miss has not given up but is not on equal footing. Best guess today is Nakobe Dean to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 19.
5-Star, RB Trey Sanders – announcement on Dec. 19. Sanders is another hard to predict recruit. Suddenly it is looking like Georgia leads with the Crimson Tide and Texas close. Too soon and too close to predict.
5-Star, OL Evan Neal – announcement on Dec. 19. The Tide leads with UGA pushing hard.
5-Star, DT Ishmael Sopsher – no decision until February. The more we learn about his brother, Rodney’s situation we think LSU trying to package both is not a risk to the Crimson Tide. There is a long way to go yet.
4-Star, DB Jordan Battle – Looking more like Jordan will flip from Ohio State and sign early. Flip announcement could happen Friday.
4-Star, DB Nola Pola-Gates – announcement planned for January. The Tide leads but probably only room for either Battle or Pola-Gates.
5-Star, OL Darnell Wright – no decision until February. Tennessee probably leads.
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.
4-Star, DE Khris Bogle – announcement in January. Bogle is a take for Alabama football whatever Thibodeaux does. He might be convinced to move up his January announce date.

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. Zipperer, however, is rumored to be considering Maryland. 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.

Stay tuned Alabama football fans. It’s about to get crazy and Bama Hammer will work hard to keep you apprised.