Alabama Football: Checking in on the 2013 Recruiting Class

While most Crimson Tide fans are anxiously awaiting next weekend’s A-Day spring game, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have still been pounding the pavement on the recruiting trail trying to fill out their 2013 signing class. 

Currently, Alabama’s class is rated sixth nationally by 247 Sports, with seven of their nine commits being ranked in their latest edition of the top 247—and a staggering six of them in the top 100.   

That is impressive considering that another huge recruiting weekend is right around the corner for April 14th’s A-Day game. 

Last week, Alabama secured a commitment from Lindale (Ga.) Pepperell offensive lineman Andy Dodd, who became the ninth pledge for the upcoming class.  

Dodd is a 6’4”, 325-pound tackle prospect who chose the Crimson Tide over offers from LSU, Miami, Florida State and Georgia Tech, amongst others.  

He is also the third offensive lineman secured by Saban, as well as the third product from the Peach State to pledge for the Crimson Tide.  

Meanwhile, Alabama’s search for a quarterback continues after one of the top signal-callers in the country—Washington native Max Browne—committed to USC earlier this week.  

Considered by outlets such as Rivals to be the nation’s top prep quarterback, Browne had plans on visiting Tuscaloosa before committing.

Alabama may turn its attention to another West Coast quarterback—Salt Lake City product Cooper Bateman—who visited the Capstone late last week and apparently liked what he heard from the Crimson Tide coaching staff. 

"The depth chart (at Alabama), it's tough to beat that," Bateman told BamaOnline’s Charles Power. "I feel like I could come in early and do things earlier in my career." 

Another impressive aspect of this class to date is the wave of interest from top prospects across the nation.   

Several stars from out-of-state are claiming heavy interest in Alabama—including a pair of defensive ends from Louisiana in Tim Williams and Kendell Beckwith—with the latter reported to have been on campus earlier this week by BamaOnline.   

Alabama may have lost the commitment of Miami corner Artie Burns, but Saban is aggressively pursuing another pair of Sunshine State defensive backs. 

Vernon Hargreaves III of Tampa and MacKensie Alexander of Immokalee are the top two corners in the nation, according to 247 Sports, and both have Alabama in their top five choices—as does the the third-ranked corner, Kendall Fuller of Olney (MD) Good Counsel. 

Considering what lies ahead on the recruiting front, Alabama is in position to make a push towards claiming the top class in the nation for the second consecutive season.  

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