Alabama Junior Day Recap: Tide Land at No. 1 on Star Athlete's Top Choices

Alabama is in the early stages of pursuing its sixth straight top-ranked recruiting class and stayed busy Saturday by hosting several standout recruits for a junior day event. 

Nick Saban and company made quite an impression on campus visitors, including coveted Maryland playmaker Trevon Diggs. Rated fifth nationally among "athletes" and 86th overall in 247Sports' composite rankings, he left Tuscaloosa with a new team atop his collegiate leaderboard.

"[Saban and and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin] are incredible people," Diggs told Ahmed Ghafir of 247Sports. "They're so easy to talk to I think they're extremely smart, so I can definitely see myself playing there. I feel comfortable with them."

He named Alabama as his new favorite, per Ghafir.

"After going there and seeing what they have to offer, I can see myself there. They're the perfect fit," Diggs added. 

He caught 78 passes for 1,008 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2014.

His brother, Stefon, starred at Maryland, and the Terps have made him a top priority. Penn State also appeared to be in a strong position with the versatile 6'0", 183-pound prospect.

Now both Big Ten teams are staring up at Alabama. 

The junior day guest list was heavy on linemen, including 4-star Maryland offensive tackle Devery Hamilton. The 6'6'", 270-pound blocker traveled south from a region the Crimson Tide have recruited heavily in recent cycles:

Saban secured a signature from Washington, D.C., offensive lineman Richie Petitbon in February and hopes to bring in another blocker from the city. Dominant offensive tackle Jauan Williams was in town for junior day:

"

Me and coach saban pic.twitter.com/sOLP33m0gZ

— Jauan D. Williams (@Jauan_Jwill) March 1, 2015"

Louisiana defensive tackle Briston Guidry, a 4-star recruit, added an offer from Alabama during his visit. The 6'2", 290-pound Louisiana native previously pledged to Mississippi State and holds expansive interest from SEC programs:

"

#RollTide  just got an offer  pic.twitter.com/b9QMYqgvrp

— Briston guidry (@briston_96) February 28, 2015"

Alabama also extended several in-person offers to targets who spent time on campus. 

The list features 4-star Mississippi offensive tackle Scott Lashley, lauded Illinois kicker Tucker McCann (check out this video of his 60-yard field goal), Atlanta cornerback William Poole and highly regarded 2017 in-state offensive lineman Austin Troxell.

Alabama's latest junior day may not have resulted in a public commitment, but the Crimson Tide continue to make progress with some of the country's premier talent in the 2016 and 2017 classes.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.