Alabama Football: Tide commits ratings go up but LSU holds top class

Alabama football has 16 verbal commits for the 2020 signing class and is currently ranked as the No. 2 class in the nations, trailing LSU.

For most of 2019, Alabama football has led all FBS schools in verbal commit, team rankings. When the Crimson Tide has not been No. 1, Clemson has had the top class. Recently, LSU shot up to the current No. 1 class. The rise by the Tigers makes some Alabama football fans ask if Will Wade is handling recruiting for Coach O.

Going back to the 2011 signing class the Alabama Crimson Tide has finished No. 1 every season except for the 2018 class. The Crimson Tide is currently No. 2 in the 2020 signing class. The LSU lead is slight. The Alabama Crimson Tide actually has more verbal commits than the Bengal Tigers. The current Crimson Tide class has 16 commits, compared to 14 for and only 12 for Clemson.

The reason the Tide trails LSU (slightly) is due to the average player rankings. For Alabama football, the average player ranking is 92.31. For LSU, the average is 93.84. Clemson is even higher with an average of 95.25.

The Alabama football staff cares nothing for the player rankings provided by the recruiting media. At points in their high school careers, neither Quinnen Williams nor Marcel Dareus were highly rated recruits. The performance of recruits at Crimson Tide camps matters more than anything. For that reason, Alabama football fans should never assume a 3-Star recruit means the player lacks the potential to be a college star.

A highly rated 4-Star recruit, believed by many to be near the top of the Tide’s Big Board, chose LSU over the Tide. Credible insiders say he did not have a green light to commit to the Tide. His offer was contingent on a strong camp performance this June. It will be interesting to see if attends a Tide camp.

The Tide’s 16, 2020 commits include five players rated outside the nation’s Top 250 players. In the latest 247Sports Composite, some of those lesser valued players received rating boosts.

• Traeshon Holden – 6’3″ and 195 pounds – 4-Star; Baltimore, MD; No. 45 Wide Receiver and moved from No. 272 Player Overall to No. 244.
• De’Rickey Wright – 6’3″ and 220 pounds – 3-Star; Atalla, AL; No. 25 Athlete and moved from No. 392 Player Overall to No. 372. Wright rating reflects an unknown over his college position. He is expected to play safety or linebacker for the Crimson Tide.
• Seth McLaughlin – 6’4″ and 270 pounds – 3-Star; Buford, GA; No. 90 Offensive Tackle and moved from No. 932 Player Overall to No. 593.

The rest of the Alabama football 2020 verbal Commits

• Chris Braswell – 6′, 220 pounds –  5-Star, St. Frances Academy, Baltimore, MD; No. 1 Weakside Defensive End and No. 12 Player Overall
• Drew Sanders – 6’5″, 222 pounds – 4-Star, Denton, TX; No. 3 Athlete and No. 34 Player Overall. Sanders is expected to play outside linebacker for the Crimson Tide.
• Jayson Jones – 6’6″; 340 pounds – 4-Star, Calera, AL; No. 9 Defensive Tackle and No. 88 Player Overall
• Malachi Moore – 5’11” and 171 pounds – 4-Star, Trussville, AL; No. 8 Cornerback and No. 114 Player Overall
• Brian Branch – 6′; 182 pounds – 4-Star, Tyrone GA; No. 8 Safety and No. 152 Player Overall
• Roydell Williams – 5’10” and 202 pounds – 4-Star; Hueytown, AL; No. 13 Running Back and No. 160 Player Overall
• Javon Baker – 6′ and 180 pounds – 4-Star; Powder Springs, GA; No. 31 Wide Receiver and No. 162 Player Overall
• Jackson Bratton – 6’3″ and 225 pounds – 4-Star; Muscle Shoals. AL; No. 5 Inside Linebacker and No. 180 Player Overall
• Javier Morton – 6′ and 175 pounds – 4-Star, Stone Mountain, GA; No. 16 Safety and No. 196 Player Overall
• Dazalin Worsham – 6′ and 169 pounds – 4-Star; Trussville, AL; No. 38 Wide Receiver and No. 212 Player Overall
• Jah-Marian Latham – 6’3″ and 280 pounds – 4-Star; Reform, AL; No. 26 Defensive Tackle and No. 281 Player Overall
• Caden Clark – 6’4′ and 246 pounds – 4-Star; Akron, OH; No. 13 Tight End and No. 460 Player Overall
• Jahquez Robinson – 6’1″ and 174 pounds – 3-Star; Jacksonville, FL; No. 46 Cornerback and No. 666 Player Overall

June is typically a big month for new commits with players attending Alabama Crimson Tide summer camps.

What player jumps on board next? We can only guess but when we know something definitive, you will find it here.