5 Reasons Alabama Won't Finish with 2016 No. 1 Recruiting Class
Hate them or love them, the Alabama Crimson Tide—as long as Nick Saban is around—always will be a topic of discussion when referring to college football recruiting.
Need proof? Just look at the 2015 recruiting class rankings. And the one before that. And the one before that. And the one before that.
And, yes, even the one before that.
The Tide are ranked No. 18 in the 2016 rankings, but there's plenty of time between now and February 2016 to gain ground. That is, assuming they completely gain ground.
All great runs have to eventually come to an end. Is 2016 the year Alabama doesn't finish with the top-ranked class? You almost should expect Alabama to have a top-five class, but how likely is No. 1 again?
Here are five reasons why another team could finish at the top. And no, the idea of Alabama at anything but No. 1 isn't far-fetched.
1. Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes Hungry for More
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The understatement of the year: Winning helps way more than it hurts.
Look at what Ohio State has done on the football field. In the last three seasons under coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes are 38-3, which includes an undefeated record for the 2012 season—a season of bowl ineligibility—and a national championship this past season.
To some, Ohio State is a favorite to repeat, and recruits are taking notice. The Buckeyes had the nation's No. 3 class in 2014, the nation's No. 7 class in 2015 and, even with an early start, they are currently a top-five program for the 2016 class.
Don't be surprised if Ohio State is the team to dethrone Alabama for top recruiting honors in February. Meyer is an outstanding recruiter, and although he lost offensive coordinator Tom Herman to Houston, he still has a strong supporting staff ready to land the nation's best.
2. LSU Looking to Keep Louisiana Talent at Home
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If there's one thing LSU is good at traditionally, it's keeping most of the top in-state players in state.
The state of Louisiana, according to 247Sports, has five 5-star and 16 4-star athletes. Ole Miss beat LSU in a close recruiting battle to land 5-star quarterback Shea Patterson. Alabama grabbed a Louisiana 5-star in Shyheim Carter, but the race appears to be neck and neck between the Tide and LSU.
The Tigers are hoping to flip Carter and land in-state 5-stars in offensive tackle Willie Allen and defensive tackles Edwin Alexander and Rashard Lawrence. If that happens, along with the multiple opportunities for landing 4-star talent, the Tigers and Les Miles could be celebrating the top spot.
You can bet that recruits will have Nov. 7 marked on their calendars. LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama.
3. No Jameis? No Problem for Florida State
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The idea of Florida State losing steam after losing Jameis Winston to the NFL is way premature. In fact, it may even be considered preposterous.
Reason being: The Seminoles had a top-three 2015 class nationally, which included safety Derwin James, defensive end Josh Sweat, cornerback Tarvarus McFadden and receiver George Campbell, four 5-star athletes, as well as 10 additional 4-star players.
Florida State has started 2016 recruiting very well, as nine of the 10 commits are rated at least as 4-star prospects. Quarterback Malik Henry, a 5-star athlete, leads the class and can be the quintessential recruit to help land other studs in the upcoming months.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher wants everyone to think that life after Jameis will go just fine. From a recruiting standpoint, he's right.
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4. USC is On a Mission
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If the way the USC Trojans ended their 2015 recruiting is any indication of what's to come, fans on the West Coast should be excited about the immediate future of recruiting.
The Trojans signed 26 from the 2015 class, including 5-star cornerback Iman Marshall, 5-star defensive tackle Rasheem Green and 4-star linebacker John Houston, three national signing day commits who helped USC nearly overtake Alabama's No. 1 spot.
How close were the final standings? Alabama claimed the top spot by less than a point.
Steve Sarkisian wants to show that the recruiting success will be a trend during his time at USC. Currently, the Trojans have three commits for their 2016 class, but there's a ton of talent on the West Coast, primarily in California. Quarterback K.J. Costello could be one of those targets, and as Ryan Bartow of 247Sports reported, his decision could come soon.
5. Miami Doesn't Want to Give It Up
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It's early. Everybody is aware of that. But even so, the job that Miami has done with its 2016 class has to be considered phenomenal.
The Hurricanes lead the nation with 18 commits. Nine of the 18 are 4-star players. The good news for coach Al Golden and his staff is that there's still room to sign 5-star and 4-star talent, which is possible. Continuing to recruit the state of Florida will be huge; all 18 commits are from the Sunshine State.
Miami is targeting 5-star defensive end Shavar Manuel, 4-star cornerback Chauncey Gardner and a host of other players from the state. Finding a way to somehow land a couple of key out-of-state prospects—such as 5-star New Jersey defensive tackle Rashan Gary or 3-star Texas receiver Michael Irvin Jr., the son of the former Hurricane and Super Bowl champion—would do wonders in helping the program stay near the top of the rankings.
Whatever the case, know that it'll be difficult to dethrone Alabama in something it's dominated the last five years. But it can happen, and Miami wants to be the team to make it happen.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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