Most of the University of Alabama’s 2020 signing class is done, with 22 signatures collected on Wednesday and many of them at the premium positions of pass rushers, quarterback and running backs.
The work is far from done.
“We do have room to continue to recruit several other players. We’re actually excited about that, as well,” UA coach Nick Saban said.
The advent of the early signing period in college football, this being the third, has created an interesting recruiting window for schools between the early signing period and the February one, this year starting on Feb. 5. Most schools have done most of the heavy lifting — Power 5 schools currently average 18.1 signees per team, according to the 247 Sports Composite — giving schools several weeks to put all their effort into a trimmed list of priorities, Alabama included.
Quarterback and running back are unlikely to be positions UA recruits between now and Feb. 5. The late flip of four-star Jase McClellan from Oklahoma to UA gives Alabama three running backs in the 2020 class — alongside Roydell Williams and Kyle Edwards —and it typically doesn’t take more than that. UA has signed three or fewer running backs in each of its last four recruiting classes before this one, which has three.
UA’s early signing group only included two offensive lineman — four-star Javion Cohen from Phenix City, Alabama, and three-star Seth McLaughlin from Buford, Georgia — but UA could add to that with current commit Damieon George signing in February. It could also turn current commit Jayson Jones of Calera, listed as a defensive lineman on 247 Sports, into an offensive lineman.
UA could also bolster its defensive tackle position with Jamil Burroughs, a four-star from Powder Springs, Georgia, signing in February. He flipped his commitment from Georgia to Alabama during the regular season.
The final UA commit that did not sign Wednesday was wide receiver Javon Baker, a high school teammate of Burroughs’.
“Wide receiver, always try to recruit one year in advance not knowing for sure the future of that position in some ways,” Saban said.
Also on the offensive side of the ball, Saban said UA could add another tight end in addition to three-star signee Caden Clark. Darnell Washington is the top prize, a five-star from Las Vegas who will announce his commitment during the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 2.
UA will also be in the race for McKinnley Jackson, a four-star defensive lineman from Lucedale, Mississippi, whose recruitment is quite the battle for many SEC schools.
UA’s early signing period group is enough to fill the team’s primary needs of the recruiting class, and now it hits the road to find even more depth.
Reach Brett Hudson at 205-722-0196 or bhudson@tuscaloosanews.com or via Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
