Alabama Football: No signing day drama for Crimson Tide

After inking 28 commitments in the early signing period, the February 1st National Signing Day figures to be pretty quiet for Alabama Football. The Crimson Tide signed the nation’s top 2023 recruiting class by a wide margin, and the vast majority of that class is already enrolled and on campus.

There are still several marquee players that are uncommitted in the 2023 cycle, and those decisions could help to shape the college football landscape over the coming years. Naturally, most are heavily involved with SEC schools to some degree.

5-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor, the no. 19 overall player in the nation, is an absolute freak out of Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington DC. Harbor is a world class sprinter at 6’5” and 230 pounds, and has the versatility to play on either side of the ball on the gridiron.

He is considered an elite prospect as both a pass-catcher and a pass rusher. Harbor is expected to choose between South Carolina and Oregon on Signing Day. Michigan and Maryland have also been in the mix throughout his recruitment, but this is now considered a two-team race.

5-star tight end Duce Robinson is another incredible athlete. The no. 17 player in the country is also the top recruit in the state of Arizona, and the best tight end in the 2023 class. While Alabama football has been involved in Robinson’s recruitment, the clear frontrunners appear to be Georgia and USC. Texas and Oregon round out his final five.

The question surrounding Duce Robinson is not only where he will sign, but also when he will sign. After a recent influx of predictions in favor of Georgia, Robinson’s decision suddenly looks a lot murkier. Recruiting experts are now unsure if he will even sign a letter of intent on National Signing Day.

4-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, the no. 82 overall player and no. 7 quarterback nationally, is back on the market. Rashada infamously requested, and was granted, release from his National Letter of Intent after signing with Florida in the early signing period.

The Rashada drama was the result of a botched NIL agreement in which Rashada was originally promised $13 million. He is easily the highest-ranked quarterback still available, and is expected to choose between TCU and Arizona State.

4-star cornerback Rodrick Pleasant is the 91st-ranked player in the country, and is considered the ninth-best corner in the 2023 cycle. Pleasant is the fourth and final member of the 247Sports Composite Top 100 that is currently uncommitted. He is a West Coast product who will choose between USC, UCLA, Oregon, Cal, and Boston College.

As the 2023 recruiting cycle is winding down to an official close, only a handful of schools have the opportunity to improve their standing in the class rankings.

Nyckoles Harbor and Duce Robinson carry the most weight, and both appear to be choosing between an SEC school and a PAC-12 school. While it would be a surprise, Oregon has the opportunity to make the biggest splash going forward. The Ducks, who already have a top-10 class, have an outside shot at landing Harbor, Robinson, and Rodrick Pleasant.

Georgia has been a tight end factory in recent years. The reigning national champs could certainly improve their second-ranked class by adding Duce Robinson, who would be the Bulldogs’ sixth 5-star in the 2023 class. Still, Georgia would remain several notches behind the historic class of Alabama football.

Alabama Football: A 5-star 2024 target

One commitment that Alabama football fans should keep track of on Signing Day is that of 2024 cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. Although it’s early in the cycle, this is a classic Alabama-Georgia recruiting battle for one of the best juniors in the nation.

Robinson IV is currently ranked as the 13th best player and the top cornerback in his class. At the moment, he is expected to commit to Georgia, but no one will know for certain until his official announcement.

Regardless of who Robinson IV verbally commits to today, this will be a long recruitment that could stretch all the way to December.