Alabama Football: Recruiting news two weeks from first Signing Day

Alabama football is expected to fill most of its 2020 signing class during the Early Signing Period starting on Dec. 18. Check out the top remaining targets.

One (and only one) advantage of Alabama football losing the Iron Bowl is extra time for recruiting. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide staff have been active visiting recruits this week. Alabama football also has two more weekends to host recruits in Tuscaloosa prior to the Early Signing Period.

The early period is three days again this year, Dec. 18 – Dec. 20. The great majority of Alabama football verbal commits will sign during the December period. Of the ones waiting until February, there will not be many slots left.

Based on the 247Sports Composite, the Crimson Tide currently has the No. 2 class for 2020, following Clemson and just ahead of LSU. A list of the current 23, Alabama football commits can be seen here.

Again using the player rankings from 247Sports Composite, the remaining top targets for the Crimson Tide are highlighted below. Our list of top targets is filtered to include only the prospects most likely to choose the Alabama Crimson Tide. For example, the top recruit in the nation, Jordan Burch is coveted by the Tide (and every other program) but there is no current indication which school Burch will choose. He is not on our list.

• Darnell Washington, 5-Star, Tight End – It appears the Crimson Tide has a good chance to land Washington. He is rated the No. 10 player in the 2020 class.
• Rakim Jarrett, 5-Star, Wide Receiver – Jarrett is a LSU commit. The Crimson Tide is working hard to flip him. What happens with Joe Brady’s possibilities of leaving LSU will be a factor.
• Kayson Boutte, 4-Star, Wide Reciever – The same situation applies to Boutte as Jarrett. Flipping one of them from LSU would be great. getting both is highly unlikely.
• Jase McClellan, 4-Star, Running Back – Assuming Saban decides another running back is needed, flipping McClellan from the Sooners is a possibility.
• Arian Smith, 4-Star, Wide Receiver – Smith is probably the best chance to add another wideout to the class. Appears to be a recruiting battle between the Tide and Georgia.
• McKinnley Jackson, 4-Star, Defensive Tackle – The Tide has been the assumed leader for Jackson. LSU is making a push. He will not decide until February.
• Javion Cohen, 4-Star, Offensive Lineman – Cohen appears to be a probable flip from Auburn to the Crimson Tide. If so, there will not be room for another offensive lineman.
• Ronald Williams, 3-Star, Cornerback – A JUCO star who is expected to choose the Tide.

Other possibilities for the Tide are 4-Star, RB, Jahmyr Gibbs; 4-Star, TE, J.J. Pegues and 4-Star, DT, Nazir Stackhouse. Gibbs is a Georgia Tech commit and Stackhouse is committed to Georgia.

How many spots does the Tide have to fill? Only Nick Saban knows. The top number for the class is likely to be 28. There could be attrition in the current 23 commits and even a possible grayshirt or two. Nothing more than a guess, but expect the Tide to find room for seven more players.