Alabama Football Recruiting: National Title Will Lead to Top 2013 Class for Tide

There are no breaks in the world of college football. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his staff barely had time to celebrate the program's third national title in four years before getting back on the recruiting trial to solidify the 2013 class.

Alabama is caught up in a close battle with several other elite programs for the top class with national signing day less than a month away. Winning the national championship gives the Crimson Tide an edge, which should lead to the nation's top group of incoming stars.

As it stands now, Alabama holds a slight edge over Ohio State, USC, Florida and national title counterpart Notre Dame, according to 247 Sports. It's an extremely close race, however, which means the Tide must finish strong to secure the No. 1 spot.

The Tide already have an impressive group of players lined up to help build the dynasty. Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard, Robert Foster and Jonathan Allen are the 5-star recruits among the 20 prospects listed as either enrollees or hard commits.

Regardless of what happens between now and national signing day on Feb. 6, the Tide are in good shape. The talent pool will be reloaded with another group of potential studs. However, Saban and Co. will have to exert their dominance to out-duel those other big-name programs.

Winning the national title makes their job a whole lot easier. Players destined for Alabama, Ohio State or USC are usually aiming for a long football career, and playing in the biggest college football game of the season is a nice way to get exposure.

Furthermore, Alabama's extended run atop college football means they are going to get more attention from week to week than any other team in the nation. Monday night's victory guarantees that will be true for at least another year.

When Saban or one of his assistants is talking to a recruit, being able to point to their recent success is a major advantage. That goes for players getting drafted early, as well.

They can tell the story of players like Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, Trent Richardson and Mark Barron. They all became superstars at Alabama, which led to them getting selected inside the top 10 of the NFL draft. It's impossible to deny the power of titles.

So when talented prospects like Laremy Tunsil, Montravius Adams, Tony Conner and Vonn Bell—undecided players high on Alabama's wish list—are sitting down to make their final decision, the Tide's title spree should be at the forefront of their mind.

Winning championships doesn't guarantee a program will land the top recruiting class, but it increases the odds exponentially. Alabama is proving that once again as it gears up for another run in 2013.