Alabama Football: Crimson Tide may have only two slots open NSD

National Signing Day will be mostly drama-free for Alabama football. The Crimson Tide may have as few as two open slots.

Alabama football may not be able to sign all its remaining top targets on National Signing Day (NSD.) The Crimson Tide has two problems in making numbers work. The 2020 signing class may be able to accommodate 28 scholarships, but it is possible the class limit might only be 27.

The bigger numbers problem for the Alabama football staff is the 85 scholarship limit. That problem will not be resolved quickly. The best-case scenario appears as seven or eight more returning, scholarship players will need to transfer. The latest transfer news came from Nigel Knott who announced he has entered the transfer portal. Knott was already not taking up a scholarship slot in the playing roster because he had been declared medically ineligible.

If the 2020 class only has room for 27 players, NSD might be just one guy. The one guy the Tide staff wants most is 4-Star, DT, McKinnley Jackson. LSU, Texas A&M and even Auburn have not given up on Jackson. Alabama football, recruiting insiders say Jackson to the Tide looks good but is not a done deal. Nick Saban will make a final push with an in-home visit this week. Pete Golding and Freddie Roach are working hard. A final decision is not expected to be announced until NSD.

With 22 signed players, plus an expected 23rd to make it official on NSD (Damieon George), the Tide has four or five open slots. If enough academic progress has been achieved by NSD, two of the open slots will go to 4-Star, WR, Javon Baker and 4-Star, DT, Jamil Burroughs. That would leave two or three open slots. McKinnley Jackson hopefully takes one. A second could possibly go to CB, Ennis Rakestraw or DE, Alfred Collins.

With a week to go, there could be changes, but other names appear just longshots. One more guy might be added at some point. Graduate transfer, tight end, Carl Tucker doesn’t have to sign anything on NSD. He does not intend to enroll in a new school until summer. There are rumors he has told the staff he will transfer from North Carolina to Alabama.

So, don’t look for much fanfare on NSD. Though pulling in McKinnley Jackson would be a big deal. So would the Tide staff becoming confident Javon Baker and Jamil Burroughs will qualify academically.

Wednesday the final ranking for the 247Sports Composite will be released. There has been buzz of Tide signee, Will Anderson gaining a fifth star.