Alabama Football: Grading Nick Saban's 2012 Recruiting Class

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a familiar signing day refrain for Alabama coach Nick Saban, one we’ll probably hear again next Wednesday when Saban and the Crimson Tide haul in what should be another No. 1 class.

Recruiting rankings don’t matter, he says, at least on national signing day before anybody plays their first college snap.

“I really do think the most accurate way to be able to rank any recruiting class would be three years down the road,” he said nearly a year ago. “Because I think the challenge for all these young men that got recruited today, wherever they're going, is to be able to stay focused on what they need to do to improve as players and do the things that they need to do to become very effective college football players.”

Three years ago, Alabama’s 2012 class was rated No. 1 and had the highest average rating per player.

So where are they now? Which players panned out and which ones didn’t? Which still have something left to prove? Now that we have Saban’s blessing, let’s re-grade that class.

These grades correspond to expectations. A 3-star who becomes a superstar obviously gets a higher grade than a 5-star who turns into a solid contributor. These aren’t final grades, either. Some players could be due for expanded roles in the future, which could bump them up eventually but haven’t proven it yet.

We’ll take a quick look at each player, sorted by their grade.

All recruiting information comes from 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

A's

Associated Press

Landon Collins: 5-star safety from Geismar, Louisiana

Collins became the next in a long line of elite defensive backs Saban has developed. He was a special teams star his first two seasons and started every game at safety in 2014, making several big plays to lead Alabama to an SEC title and a college football playoff berth. Collins is expected to be a first-round draft pick.

Amari Cooper: 4-star wide receiver from Miami, Florida

Cooper emerged on the scene halfway through his freshman year, filling in for an injured DeAndrew White and the rest is history. By the time his junior year ended, he had broken just about every Alabama receiving record in the books. He, too, should be a first-round selection in the NFL draft.

T.J. Yeldon: 5-star running back from Daphne, Alabama

Yeldon was as steady as they get in college at running back, just narrowly missing out on a third straight 1,000-yard rushing season in 2014. He played significant snaps all three years in school and carried on the running back tradition Saban developed at Alabama. He was the third junior to declare for the NFL draft from this class.

B's

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Deion Belue: 4-star JUCO cornerback from Tuscumbia, Alabama

Belue started all but two games at cornerback in his two years on campus, becoming a steady piece in the secondary.

Reggie Ragland: 4-star linebacker from Madison, Alabama

Ragland started his first year at middle linebacker in 2014, notching 93 tackles, second on the team. He announced his return for his senior season, when he is expected to be a key leader on defense.

Cyrus Jones: 4-star athlete from Baltimore, Maryland

Jones played a year at wide receiver before making a full-time switch to cornerback. He started every game at corner in 2014 and will be the only returning every-game starter in the secondary.

Kenyan Drake: 4-star running back from Powder Springs, Georgia

Drake is an explosive back who has shown potential in his split playing time. A broken leg ended a promising 2014, but he should play a major role in the backfield in 2015.

C's

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Ryan Anderson: 4-star outside linebacker from Daphne, Alabama

Anderson got in the defensive rotation this year and notched three sacks off the edge. He should get more playing time in 2015.

Dakota Ball: 3-star defensive tackle from Lindale, Georgia

Ball moved to tight end in the offseason and played in spurts during the season mostly as a blocker in run situations.

Denzel Devall: 4-star inside linebacker from Bastrop, Louisiana

Devall ended up playing outside linebacker, where he has contributed for three years without a lot of production. He has five career sacks and will return as one of the more experienced defenders in 2015.

Adam Griffith: 3-star kicker from Calhoun, Georgia

Griffith was Alabama’s starting kicker in 2014 and hit 12 of 19 as he battled a back injury. He’s most notable, though, for missing the field goal that wound up turning into the Kick Six in 2013.

Brandon Greene: 4-star offensive tackle from Ellenwood, Georgia

Greene played tight end in 2014 and was mostly used as a blocker. He caught a key pass as an eligible tackle in overtime against LSU that surprised nearly everyone watching.

Darren Lake: 3-star defensive tackle from York, Alabama

Lake has turned into a role player on the defensive line, especially in run situations, registering 23 career tackles.

Geno Smith: 4-star cornerback from Atlanta, Georgia

Smith made the switch to safety, playing mostly at Star and Money in Saban’s defense. A DUI before the 2013 season slowed his progress down some. He’s expected to start at free safety in 2015.

Alphonse Taylor: 4-star offensive tackle from Mobile, Alabama

Taylor played guard this year, starting two games in Leon Brown’s place at left guard. He will compete for that same role this offseason.

Dalvin Tomlinson: 4-star defensive tackle from McDonough, Georgia

Tomlinson is another role player on the defensive line, racking up 26 tackles and a sack in two years playing. A knee injury cut short a promising redshirt freshman season.

D's

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Dillon Lee: 4-star outside linebacker from Buford, Georgia

Lee has shown promise as a linebacker but hasn’t gotten his chance to prove himself on the field, while making bad news off of it. He was sent home before the 2013 BCS National Championship for a curfew violation and had a DUI last spring.

Korren Kirven: 4-star defensive tackle from Lynchburg, Virginia

Kirvin has appeared in eight total games on the defensive line in three years, including just three in 2014.

Travell Dixon: 4-star JUCO cornerback from Miami, Florida

Dixon spent spring practice at Alabama but transferred just before the 2012 season began for family reasons.

Kurt Freitag: 3-star tight end from Buford, Georgia

Freitag appeared in two games in 2013, all the game action he has seen in his career. Police found “100 grams of marijuana and almost $5,000 in cash” in his dorm room in a recent search and seizure, per Stephen Dethrage of al.com.

Caleb Gulledge: 3-star offensive tackle from Prattville, Alabama

Gulledge redshirted his freshman season and then was medically disqualified before 2013 fall camp for what Saban called a "chronic medical issue.”

F's

Dave Martin/Associated Press

Eddie Williams: 5-star athlete from Panama City Beach, Florida

Tyler Hayes: 4-star outside linebacker from Thomasville, Alabama

Hayes played sparingly in 2012, while Williams didn’t seen the field at all. But both players were dismissed later in the spring in connection with an on-campus robbery.

To Be Determined

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Chris Black: 4-star wide receiver from Jacksonville, Florida

Black has played sparingly, while biding his time behind receivers like Cooper, Kevin Norwood and DeAndrew White. He will get his shot at regular playing time in 2015.

Alec Morris: 3-star quarterback from Allen, Texas

Morris has appeared in only four games in his career, including only two at quarterback, and has yet to attempt a pass in a game. He will compete for the starting quarterback job this offseason.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats come from cfbstats.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.