Alabama Football: 2020 class can be exceptional without more 5-Stars

The Alabama football 2020 signing class can be one of its best ever without adding anymore elite 5-Star players. Check out the 10 recruits needed to close.

Alabama football holds the No. 2, 2020 recruiting class based on the current 20 verbal commits. Clemson leads the nation in recruiting for the 2020 class and the Crimson Tide is closely followed by LSU. Georgia is a distant fourth because the Bulldogs have only 14 commits.

The success of the Clemson Tigers is driven by five, 5-Star verbal commits. Alabama football, LSU and Georgia each have two 5-Stars based on the 247Sports Composite.

As we have said many times, Nick Saban has a rating system having nothing to do with star ratings by 247, Rivals and ESPN. Fans, however, measure the success of a class by the final team ranking and a team with the most 5-Stars usually ends up No. 1. Going back to 2012, only once has a team not having the most 5-Stars finished with the No. 1 class. That was the 2019 class when the Crimson Tide finished No. 1 with three, 5-Stars and Georgia finished No.2 with five, 5-Stars.

Could it happen again with the 2020 class? It is too early to know but it is possible the Crimson Tide could overtake Clemson without another 5-Star. But it does not matter if the Crimson Tide finishes No.1 or No.2 or No. 3 on any rating service list. What matters is Nick Saban gets the most players he wants. Mostly what he wants is to fill specific roster needs.

The Crimson Tide has already attracted recruits to fill most of those roster needs. The current verbal commits include with elite 5-Stars, Top 100 or other solid players the Tide values higher than the rating services.

Below we detail a scenario in which Alabama football ends up with an exceptional class without adding any more 5-Star recruits. Our projection assumes there will be more attrition and based on that attrition there can be as many as 10 more players added to the 2020 class. The list below is based on positions of need, matched by recruits many experts believe the Crimson Tide is in a strong position to land. It includes 11 key prospects even though there will not be room for all of them.

• Joel Williams; 4-Star DB
• Jacquelin Roy; 4-Star DT (who might end up as a 5-Star)
• McKinnley Jackson; 4-Star DT
• Arian Smith; 4-Star WR
• Jordan Banks; 4-Star OLB
• Kristian Story; 4-Star ATH
• Nadab Joseph; JUCO CB
• Xavion Alford; 4-Star Safety

The next group are possible flip targets.

• Kayshon Boutte; 4-Star WR (LSU)
• Justin Rogers; 4-Star OL (Kentucky)
• Bryce Young; 4-Star QB (USC)

The one position of need not included in the above lists is tight end. The Tide’s best chances are two 5-Stars, Arik Gilbert and Darnell Washington.

What about other 5-Stars you ask? Zachary Evans (RB), Justin Flowe (ILB) and Sav’ell Smalls (OLB) would just be gravy added to what will almost assuredly be an exceptional class.