It’s no secret the SEC is recruiting at a high level. The conference is once again leading the Power 5 in ESPN 300 commitments with 116. The next-closest conference is the Big Ten with 53 ESPN 300 commitments.
A big part of the disparity is the fact that Alabama has an unbelievable recruiting class, with 25 ESPN 300 commitments. The majority of the conference is recruiting at a high level, with the top three teams in the class rankings all coming from the SEC, which also has 13 of its 14 teams ranked in the top 50.
Here is a look at what has played out so far on the recruiting trail for every SEC team, with national signing day around the corner (Feb. 6).
1. Alabama
Class rank: 1
Top commit: Five-star OT Evan Neal
Total commits: 28
ESPN 300 commits: 25
Alabama finished No. 6 in the class rankings in 2018, and it seems that maybe Nick Saban took that personally. The Crimson Tide are back on top, and it is essentially impossible for any program to knock them from that No. 1 spot.
Saban and his staff have 25 ESPN 300 commitments in this class, which is two fewer than the entire Big 12 conference has committed. If that’s not impressive enough, 12 of the 25 ESPN 300 commits are ranked in the top 100.
The class has 28 total commitments, and only three fall outside the ESPN 300. One of those three is kicker Will Reichard, who happens to be the No. 1 kicker in the class.
At the top, there are two five-star offensive tackles, Neal and Pierce Quick, signed, and both are massive. Quick is already on campus and was able to participate in bowl practices. Quick and Neal are joined in the class by ESPN 300 offensive linemen Amari Kight, Darrian Dalcourt and Tanner Bowles.
As good as the offensive line haul is, the defensive line recruits are just as highly touted. ESPN 300 defensive tackle Antonio Alfano, the No. 1-ranked tackle in the class, is committed along with fellow tackle D.J. Dale and ESPN 300 defensive ends Justin Eboigbe, Kevin Harris, Byron Young, Braylen Ingraham and King Mwikuta.
The staff is also adding another Tagovailoa at quarterback — Tua‘s younger brother, ESPN 300 quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.
This class is just Alabama restocking the shelves with elite-level talent to keep the roster competitive. It could be the best class Saban has signed since joining the program, which is remarkable given the Tide’s average class rank is 2.4 in his 10 years there.