Alabama Football: 2023 5-Star commits to Nick Saban

The Alabama Football list of 2023 verbal commits got a major boost Sunday night. 5-Star, Tony Mitchell committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Based on the 247Sports Composite, Mitchell is the No. 2 cornerback in the 2023 class and the No. 15 rated player overall. Nick Saban has now gained commitments from the No. 2 and the No. 3 (Jahlil Hurley) cornerbacks in the nation and is considered to have a great chance to add No. 1, Cormani McClain.

Mitchell was pursued by top programs across the nation. Major competition from inside the SEC came from Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee. Like several Crimson Tide players in recent seasons, Mitchell plays high school ball for Thompson in Alabaster, just outside Birmingham.

As reported by 247 Sports, Mitchell could not pass on an opportunity to be developed for the NFL by the college coaches who do that best.

"The player development and opportunity to win a National Championship every year made it an easy decision for me. The best players go play at Alabama and they produce first rounders every year."

Mitchell has good size at 6’2″ and 180 pounds, with an ability to add another 20 pounds. He is also versatile and can play any of the cornerback positions, along with playing safety.

Alabama Football Top Class

On Sunday we wrote about how the Alabama Crimson Tide already has the top class, based on average player ratings. Before adding Mitchell, the Crimson Tide had the No. 32 ranked class, but was No. 1 in average player rating at 94.60.

With the addition of Tony Mitchell, the team ranking for the Crimson Tide moved up to No. 21. The average player rating increased to 95.24. The next highest, average player rating is currently held by Ohio State at 94.15. Closest to the Crimson Tide in the SEC is Georgia at 93.03.

Recruits make their commitments known in many ways, often with as much drama as possible. On Sunday, Tony Mitchell traveled from Alabaster to Tuscaloosa, in order to tell Nick Saban first, and in person.

Saban and Pete Golding were very involved in recruiting Mitchell. In addition, major credit goes to Freddie Roach and Travaris Robinson. Mitchell is expected to enroll early.

The Crimson Tide, 2023 class now has seven verbal commits.

Technically, Auburn was considered a finalist for Tony Mitchell. Almost no Crimson Tide fan who closely follows recruiting thought the Tigers were a serious contender.