CECIL HURT: Pomp is fine, but UA's recruiting class based on actual class

No one could fault University of Alabama football fans if they felt like closing National Signing Day with a parade, or a fireworks display, or something.

The Crimson Tide succeeded beyond expectations Wednesday, signing a class of 32 players that most level-headed analysts rank as the best in the country. The conclusion to the bonanza received widespread positive publicity. There were eagerly anticipated announcements in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon, placed at the perfect intervals to keep the fans’ adrenaline pumping.

That’s appropriate. Recruiting involves a lot of elements. That includes hype and hoopla and a healthy dose of perception.

But it wasn’t all about that. It was great for Alabama fans that the Crimson Tide closed with a headline-grabbing flourish, but part of the true power of this class is that Wednesday’s announcements were merely the icing. The foundation had already been laid with solid pickups. Some of those players have been committed for months, players like John Michael Boswell and Undra Billingsley and Michael Williams.

Those are excellent players and future leaders. In some areas this week, certain individuals tried to make a distinction between signing “five-star prospects” and “quality-character players,” as if those two concepts are somehow mutually exclusive. It doesn’t always happen, but it is possible for a young man to be both.

Williams’ ceremony in Reform on Wednesday afternoon illustrated the point perfectly.

It was like a step back in time, recruiting-wise, to a simpler era. There was no array of waiting hats. There were no bright lights from ESPN cameras. That’s no disparagement of players like Julio Jones, who did go the high-profile route. It’s a part of the times, and few people can turn down ESPN when it comes calling. (To be perfectly fair, Jones seemed slightly miscast in the prima donna role and relieved when he ended the whole affair with a quick, businesslike announcement.)

Williams’ announcement ceremony consisted of coaches, friends and teammates in the school library. He had a proud mom at his side and a cake, appropriately adorned with crimson and white icing, on a nearby table.

“We wanted to have a big assembly for him in the gym, but he didn’t want all that,” said Pickens County’s retiring coach, Jack Cook. “He’s that kind of kid. The first thing he did today was to thank me and his teammates for this.

“He’ll be that way in college. He’ll be a leader for Alabama. He is a role model here. The kids at kindergarten know who ‘Big Man’ (Williams’ nickname) is.”

Williams is 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds and has enough speed that Cook said he could even play H-back in college if Alabama wants to use him there. (Chances are that he’ll either be a defensive end or a tight end.) He already has the grades and test score for freshman eligibility. If his style was different, he might have attracted all sorts of recruiting attention.

“I didn’t want that,” he said.

“When I was 12 years old and went to my first Alabama game, I knew what I wanted. I always said if I get a chance to go to Alabama, that’s where I am going. I made a commitment to my temmates, a commitment to the weight room, so I could get there.

“When Coach [Joe] Pendry [of the Alabama staff] offered me a scholarship, I was ready.”

That was almost a year ago. Williams said most of the other schools recruiting him dropped off, understanding that it was unlikely that they could sway a life-long Alabama fan who lives 30 miles from Tuscaloosa.

“Georgia Tech was the main one who kept on trying,” he said. “They hung in there pretty good, but I finally told them to stop.”

In one way, Williams isn’t quite the typical Alabama fan. Amid all the excitement over the No. 1 recruiting class ranking, Williams – who is actually a part of the class – isn’t celebrating yet.

“I say let’s get there and prove it on the field,” Williams said. “The rankings are just someone’s opinion. What matters is how you play. Wallace Gilberry is a perfect example. He was like a two-star and he became an All-SEC player. That shows you never know about somebody until you see them on the field.”

At the end of the day — National Signing Day — it’s probably fair to say that Alabama needed both attitudes. It’s been a long decade for Alabama fans, and Wednesday’s chance to celebrate, and anticipate, was cathartic. Sooner or later, though, elation will have to give way to Williams’ pragmatic attitude.

On Wednesday, the focus was squarely on the flashy part of Alabama’s class. What will ultimately determine if this is really Alabama’s “greatest class ever” — an incredibly bold phrase — is that it has both flash and a firm foundation.

Cecil Hurt is sports editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Reach him at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.