4-Star OL Ross Pierschbacher Switches Commitment from Iowa to Alabama

Alabama's 2014 recruiting class just got stronger after 4-star offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher jilted the Iowa Hawkeyes and committed to the Crimson Tide instead.

Pierschbacher broke the news via a press release that read (h/t AL.com's Matt Scalici):

"

After considering many different options and things important to me, my family, and my future career, I am excited to announce that I have decided to play my collegiate career for Coach Saban and The University of Alabama.

This has been a very humbling experience and I would like to thank everyone that has helped me along the way.

"

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Pierschbacher is the 59th-best player in the country and fifth-best offensive lineman. He's also the best player in the state of Iowa.

Pierschbacher joins what is already a stacked recruiting class for Alabama. It's the rich getting richer.

With the addition of the 6'4", 290-pound offensive lineman, the Crimson Tide have distanced themselves in the rankings for 2014's class of recruits. Alabama remains first in the country in 247's team rankings, and the offensive lineman is the 11th 4-star recruit Nick Saban has brought to Tuscaloosa.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Saban is continuing to reload. The Tide had the top class in 2013, 2012 and 2011.

The news is much less rosy for Kirk Ferentz. It's never good to lose an in-state prospect, especially one as good as Pierschbacher. He could have turned Iowa's recruiting class around. The Hawkeyes rank 60th in the country for 2014 and have lost what would have been their first 4-star prospect of the class.

ESPN.com's Jared Shanker thought Ferentz and Iowa did everything they could have to lure Pierschbacher to Iowa City.

There's still plenty of time for the Hawkeyes to get back on the trail and bring in some top players.