Reggie Ragland Signs with Alabama: Bold Predictions for the 5-Star LB

The Alabama Crimson Tide has a fantastic recruiting class this season and it's only getting better. They may have missed out on defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, but they did land a 5-star linebacker in Reggie Ragland.

Ragland is a big linebacker at 6'4", 245 pounds and is very athletic. He has great speed, can make plays from sideline to sideline and is a very physical player. He seems to be a perfect fit for this Alabama defense.

Now that we know he is committed to the Crimson Tide family, it's time to give a few predictions for this year's top linebacker.

Here are a few.

He'll Start Right Away

As you watch the video, you can see just how talented this kid is.

He's extremely quick off the snap and gets in the backfield in a hurry. He makes plays and will destroy the player with the football. He's one of the most talented players in this year's class and will make an immediate impact on this defense.

The Crimson Tide are very thin at the linebacker position with the losses of Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower. Sophomore Trey DePriest will have a great chance to takeover at middle linebacker, but I believe that Ragland is just too talented to keep on the bench and will be given every opportunity to be on the field right away.  

He'll Lead the Team in Sacks

Alabama did a great job of pressuring the quarterback last season as they finished the year with 30 sacks, which was good for fourth in the SEC and tied for 29th in the country. A total of 15 players had at least a half a sack, but seven of those players are no longer on the roster. That includes the top two sack leaders last season in Courtney Upshaw and Nick Gentry.

This defense is going through a makeover and with Ragland's play-making ability and speed on the defensive side of the ball; he can definitely be a difference maker. Expect him to make plays and pick up the slack as this defense tries to get comfortable with so many new pieces in place.

He'll Lead the Team in Tackles

This is a bold prediction article after all.

Ragland will lead the team in tackles, pretty much for the same reasons he'll pick up a bunch of sacks. He's athletic, fast, and a physical player that's attracted to the football. This may seem like an impossible task for a freshman to actually accomplish, but when you consider that four of the top five leading tacklers from a year ago are gone, it becomes a realistic possibility.

If Ragland ends up starting like I predicted he will, he's set to have a huge freshman year and will be a key piece to the success of the Crimson Tide next season.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]