Alabama Is Recruiting for Future Championships

With all the hoopla surrounding the national championship game, its easy to forget that recruiting is hot and heavy all over the nation.

While certainly the big show has distracted the staff from this most vicious of games you can bet its not far from Nick Saban's “borg like” mind.

Unlike Saban's first few years at Alabama, recruiting is no longer a fire drill. Most if not all of the starters for 2010 are in Pasadena this week.

This fact may scare some recruits away who want an easy path to early playing time. But the richness in current talent allows Saban to pick and choose the best athletes available instead of just plugging holes.

While most positions at Alabama are well stocked, there are two notable exceptions, defensive back and kickers.

Assuming Kareem Jackson turns pro as expected, seven experienced defensive backs will play their final game in Pasadena as well as the place kicker and punter. That's a massive loss of experience.

Because of this exodus and because of some recruiting misses last year, Alabama has been loading up on the defensive backs. In fact, I've never seen this kind of DB talent in one class.

The star of the class is DeMarcus Milliner from Millbrook, AL. Milliner is currently ranked the second best corner in the nation. His performance in the recent All Star game did nothing to dispute that.

Milliner is on track to finish early and be on campus for spring practice. Of all the freshman next year on paper, he has the best chance of starting.

Milliner's toughest competition might come from recently committed John Fulton from South Carolina. He is ranked as the fourth best in the nation and is also planning to enroll early this spring.

Keenan Allen is ranked No. 1 at safety in the nation and has verbally committed to the Tide, but, he is likely to make the move to wide receiver.

Allen's move might open the door for Jarrick Williams from Eight Mile, AL. He is ranked the seventh best safety in the nation.

There are other signees at defensive back and they will all get their chance to compete,  but Deion Belue brings to mind the recruitment of Javier Arenas four years ago. Like Arenas, Belue was lost in the crowd until Alabama came along and suddenly, after getting an offer, his ranking started to climb.

Belue will likely get his first shot at playing time as a kick returner. Hopefully he will follow Arenas to cornerback stardom as well.

Alabama graduates both kickers, so place kicker Cade Foster, from Southlake Texas, will certainly get his shot to replace Lee Tiffin. Thomasvill's Jay Williams is a punter who at 6' 4”, 220lbs, might be able to actually do some damage on coverage.

Alabama has a number of defensive ends in this class who will likely all redshirt. North Carolina's Alfy Hill is the star, but Adrian Hubbard is a late bloomer that is starting to look like a diamond in the rough.

Currently Alabama has no linebackers committed who are expected to qualify. The staff is still hot and heavy after Linebacker CJ Mosley from Theadore, AL, who is still uncommitted, and possibly others as well.

Offensively the staff wants to sign at least one quarterback in every class. This years slinger is Phillip Sims from Chesapeake, Virgina. Sims is an elite talent, easily rating out as one of the top quarterbacks in high school this year. Sims also plans to be on campus this spring. This could put him squarely in the middle of the battle for the No. 2 quarterback for 2010.

Alabama has compiled another bumper class of wide receivers. Thanks to the current depth, most will redshirt but, with all three current starters being Juniors in 2010, with one a likely early casualty to the NFL, the opportunity for playing time is coming soon enough.

Tight End Brian Vogler from Columbus Georgia has probably noticed the amazing year Colin Peek has had and will do everything he can to convince the staff that he should take his place.

Alabama has signed a pair of offensive guards in Austin Shepherd from Suwanee, Georgia and Chad Lindsay from Woodland, Texas. Alabama is reportedly also after another big tackle.

All the lineman will most likely redshirt. Its extremely rare for an offensive lineman to do well in the SEC without at least one year of college level strength training.

At running back, Alabama has Jalston Fowler. At 6' 0”, 245 lbs, and with speed and power, Fowler has a size and speed combination not currently on the roster. Even with the Heisman trophy winner and a gaggle of amazing backups Fowler could still find his way on the field. God help them if they use him to cover kicks.

Opelika's Corey Grant is a very talented running back in his own right but he is likely going to be a slot receiver at Alabama. He might get a shot at kick returner as well.

Finally, Alabama has one of those guys termed “Athlete.” Blake Sims, out of Gainsville, Georgia, played quarterback in high school and may yet get a shot at the position at Alabama. By all reports when this guy gets the ball in his hands he is wicked dangerous. Sims could end up at receiver, wildcat, or defensive back. He too might get a shot to return kicks.

Alabama will have another top class and like last year, most who play will do so on special teams. But you never know which player is going to show up and contribute right out of the box. It's not knowing, that makes the recruiting game such an irresistible draw.