Recruiting Rundown: Alabama vs the Field

The Crimson Tide still leads by a significant margin, but that gap may close soon

More than almost any other areas in the college football landscape, the Alabama Crimson Tide has a strong presence in recruiting. Fans would have to go back to 2018 to see the last time Alabama's recruiting class was ranked lower than second by the various services. 

Even that class contained the likes of Patrick Surtain II, Jaylen Waddle, both of last season's starting corners (Jayln Armour-Davis and Josh Jobe), Slade Bolden, and three more who are starters on this year's team (Cameron Latu, Jaylen Moody and Emil Ekiyor Jr.).

So far, the Crimson Tide looks to continue that streak, as Alabama is currently No. 1 the nation for the Class of 2023. The gap becomes even wider when it narrows to the SEC: Georgia and LSU are a somewhat close second and third, but the rest of the league falls off a cliff after that. 

Nick Saban's recruiting reign looks likely to continue, especially this year as there are several big names yet to come off the board, and Alabama is in the running for all of them to varying degrees. 

That said, the distance Alabama has put between itself and its competition may shorten sooner than later, primarily due to the team the Crimson Tide defeated last Saturday.

The Alabama vs. Texas recruiting battle was discussed in a previous Recruiting Rundown, but the Longhorns gave the Crimson Tide everything it could handle on the field, and looking at Texas' recruiting class things aren't likely to get any easier. 

Moreover, when Texas officially becomes a part of the SEC, two of Alabama's biggest threats will be close proximity, the other being the reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

Outside of those three, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Clemson and Miami are building strong programs (Notre Dame would be included, but how will the recent upset at Marshall affect the Irish?), leading to more parity in college football. 

Alabama is a titan in recruiting, but with the recent trend, it leads to question whether to take the Crimson Tide, or the rest of the field to have a better recruiting class.

Players to Watch

• Four-star defensive lineman Jordan Renaud (Tyler, TX) is announcing his decision on Monday between Alabama and Oklahoma
• Four-star wide receiver Jalen Hale (Longview, TX) will announce his decision on Wednesday, between Alabama and Texas (go figure)