Alabama Football: Three new commits as momentum builds

In the oddest Alabama football recruiting cycle ever, the Alabama Crimson Tide class has taken a leap forward. In recent days, Nick Saban has added four key components at positions of need for the Crimson Tide.

The list of verbal commits is expected to grow more in July, with two to five more names added before the Tide begins fall camp. The current total of commits is nine. If the count reaches 14 by the end of July, given a few spots will be held until the December Early Signing Period, additional spots will start to be limited.

With no 25-signee limit in effect, some teams may go well over 25. Nick Saban is expected to hold several spots open for transfers. The 85 scholarship limit has not changed.

The new additions and possible additional commits in July are profiled below. The current group of nine commits is measured by the 247Sports Composite as No. 18 in Team Rankings, and as the No. 4 class in the On3 Consensus. The variation comes from different algorithms, that at the end of the 2023 recruiting cycle should even out.

So far, Texas and Miami appear to be having the most success using NIL deals to attract players. Nick Saban is taking a more constrained approach. Potential signees are made aware of the range of NIL deals that should become available to them, once they join the Crimson Tide. There are no indications Alabama is cutting NIL deals to land recruits.

Saban is taking a risk by embracing NIL, only as it was originally intended to be used. Many schools are using NIL more aggressively to add recruits.

Alabama Football Four Latest Verbal Commits

• Tony Mitchell; 5-Star cornerback and No. 15 player overall per the 247Sports Composite. Mitchell is ranked as the No. 2 CB in the 2023 class.
• Justin Jefferson; highly regarded JUCO linebacker, who with some added weight would be compared to Rashaan Evans.
• Brayson Hubbard; 3-Star high school quarterback and star baseball player, projected as a safety by the Alabama football staff
• Cole Adams; 4-Star wide receiver and a priority target for the Crimson Tide. Adams chose Alabama over Arkansas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M and other top programs.

Potential Alabama Football Commitments in July

• Peter Woods; 5-Star defensive lineman is scheduled to announce on July 8. Currently, the Crimson Tide and Clemson are the leaders to land one of the top players in the 2023 class.
• Dylan Lonergan; 4-Star quarterback is scheduled to announce on July 12. Lonergan may opt for a quicker route to a starting role with another program, but the Crimson Tide is in contention.
• Edric Hall; 4-Star defensive lineman. After seeing Hill in action in Tuscaloosa, he quickly became a priority for the coaching staff. No announcement date has been made public, but soon would not be a surprise.
• Malik Benson; another JUCO standout that 247Sports rates as the top JUCO prospect in the nation. His announcement is scheduled for July 5 and numerous recruiting experts have Benson choosing the Crimson Tide over Georgia, LSU, Oregon and Tennessee.
• Jordan Renaud; 4-Star defensive lineman with no announce date scheduled, but the Texas high school player seems set on the Crimson Tide. The decision could happen sooner than later.

A ‘cloudy orb’, rather than a crystal ball guess is Hall, Benson and Renaud join the 2023 class, with Woods being a 50% probability.