Alabama Football: Can Saban Land Dorial Green-Beckham, Nation's No. 1 Recruit?

When it comes to landing top recruits, Nick Saban is as steady as the sunrise. Each year his classes are among the nation's best. He has reached across the country and brought in talent that Alabama would have never had a chance with just a few years ago.

Now the question is, can he land Dorial Green-Beckham, the nation's No. 1 recruit, a 6'6'' 229-pound receiver from Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Missouri?

There is no college program that wouldn't love to land this prospect. Quite simply, he is everything you'd want a receiver to possess. Track star speed? Check. Basketball player height? Check. Hands of star shortstop? Check. Power of a running back to break tackles? Check. Mental focus of championship golfer? Check. Ability to size up his opposition and force them to play his game like a Texas Hold 'Em champion? Check.

Green-Beckham has caught 181 passes in three seasons for 4,120 yards and 51 touchdowns.

Yes Saban wants him, like every other coach in the country, but Saban was able to pull a trick that no other coach in America could use.

It was fate, a meeting that wasn't planned but one that sticks in the back of Dorial's mind as he's considering his options.

No, not meeting Saban, but meeting Julio Jones.

This March, while on spring break, Dorial was traveling with his high school coach on some visits to Ole Miss and then a quick drive over to Tuscaloosa to meet with Coach Saban.

After what Dorial called a great meeting with Coach Saban, he and his coach were touring the  athletic facility and walked up on Julio Jones, who was relaxing and shooting pool with his friends. While he was talking to Jones, a huge flat screen behind them showing ESPN started talking about Jones and his sure first-round status in the upcoming NFL Draft.

So here was a former No. 1 high school receiver talking to the current No. 1 high school receiver at the same moment that ESPN said that Alabama had been the perfect place for Jones to showcase his wares and land that anticipated first-round draft slot.

Jones explained that as good as he thought he was, he learned much while here and that no school could prepare both his body and mind better for the NFL. He also reminded him it didn't hurt to be on national TV almost every week either.

Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Arkansas and USC are schools he is “considering.”

But the chance encounter with Jones has made the biggest impression on him so far and something that's never far from his mind when he considers schools. Knowing Saban, one must wonder how much chance there was in these two meeting. Maybe that's why Nick Saban is getting known as the recruiting king he is.