Alabama Football: Closing time not kind to the Tide once again

Alabama football will likely finish NSD with the No. 2 class in the nation. Top players were added at key positions. All is good except late closes continue to elude the Crimson Tide.

Right up front, let’s be honest with each other. Alabama football fans cannot fully process why any recruit would ever choose another school. The reasons may be as obvious as immediate playing time, proximity to home and deep, personal connections with other staffs.

Sometimes a recruit is lost not because the Alabama football staff did not do a good job. Some other staff just did a bit better or had certain advantages in their favor. Recruiting and the young men it is focused on can be well described as fickle. Whatever drives the final decision, it is hard for Tide fans to reconcile the Tide losing a recruit. Nothing, however, is gained from over-reaction to disappointment.

Missing on McKinnley Jackson is unfortunate. Just as was the case last year with Nakobe Dean and Henry To’o To’o and the year before with Bobby Brown and Quay Walker. No program gets every player it wants.

Looking at the 2020 class, there are many positives. Alabama football signed four, 5-Star players. The Alabama Crimson Tide gained 10 of the top 76 rated players in the nation. When National Signing Day ends, the Crimson Tide will likely have the No. 2 class in the nation.

Alabama football fans may grouse about losing the Ennis Rakestraw recruiting battle to Missouri. There is nothing wrong with believing that should never happen. Some will even argue losing McKinnley Jackson to Jimbo Fisher is a sign Nick Saban and his staff cannot close. More than a few will blame Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding and again demand he be fired.

Those complaints arise from legitimate concerns. But. fan judgment fueled by incomplete information can lead to faulty conclusions. Crimson Tide fans can be confident Nick Saban sees every recruiting weakness. Other schools having rising buzz among elite players are strong competition to the Tide. LSU and Clemson are reaping the rewards of National Championships. Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Auburn have programs able to attract the interest of elite recruits.

Disappointed Crimson Tide fans can buffer those negative thoughts by knowing the following. Arguably, the 2020 Alabama football signing class got the nation’s best QB; the best linebacker group; the best running back group and the best edge rushers, along with solid defensive line additions. There is very little not to like.

All references to player and team rankings in this post were sourced from the 247Sports Composite.

Do 2020 numbers leave room for later transfer additions? They do, though currently, none appear likely. Much could change between now and June.