Alabama Football Recruiting: Meet the Crimson Tide's 2018 Class

Even before Alabama finished off its second national championship in the past three seasons and fifth since 2009, the Crimson Tide were well on their way to laying the founding for future titles with another strong recruiting class. The Tide added 14 players during the early signing period and five more on national signing day, coming in overall with the nation's seventh-best class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

That marks the 11th consecutive year Alabama has had a top-10 class under Saban but the first since 2010 that wasn't No. 1 overall. That doesn't make this group any less talented, however, particularly since it has two 5-star prospects, including the highest-rated uncommitted player entering Wednesday in cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr.

National signing day wasn't without drama, though, as two players who had previously been committed to Alabama—4-star LB Quay Walker and 4-star DT Bobby Brown, ended up flipping to Georgia and Texas A&M, respectively.

Here's an alphabetical player-by-player rundown of the Tide's newest future stars, which will be updated as any additional signings are announced:

Eyabi Anoma

247Sports

Height/Weight: 6'5", 235 lbs

Position/Ranking: 5-star defensive end/No. 4

High School: St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Though Alabama tends to be stacked everywhere on the field, its overabundance of athletic defensive linemen stands out above all other areas. Eyabi Anoma could be the next great Crimson Tide edge-rusher, rated at the top of the 2018 class among weak-side defensive ends. He recorded two sacks in the Under Armour All-America Game, an early indication he may quickly slide into a role as a pass-rushing specialist.

Jalyn Armour-Davis

Height/Weight: 6'1", 180 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star cornerback/No. 107

High School: St. Paul's Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.)

The only in-state player Alabama added during the early signing period, Jalyn Armour-Davis is the No. 13 cornerback in the 2018 class, but he could see the field immediately with the Crimson Tide losing starters Anthony Averett and Levi Wallace as well as nickelback Tony Brown. Armour-Davis has excelled at both press coverage and playing off the receiver thanks to his recovery speed.

Christian Barmore

Height/Weight: 6'5", 290 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star defensive tackle/No. 175

High School: Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia)

Christian Barmore was rated as the fifth-best player from Pennsylvania and the No. 16 defensive tackle in his class. Originally committed to Temple, a big senior year led to more offers, with Alabama beating out Baylor and Georgia for a prospect who figures to be able to contribute on the interior of the line and occasionally outside.

Slade Bolden

Height/Weight: 5'11", 198 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star all-purpose back/No. 494

High School: West Monroe (West Monroe, La.)

The possibilities are endless for Slade Bolden, who played quarterback, running back and wide receiver in high school. In his senior year, he had more than 3,000 all-purpose yards with 40 total touchdowns. He would fit naturally at slot receiver as well as on special teams, either as a gunner or return man.

Tommy Brown

Height/Weight: 6'6½", 313 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive tackle/No. 132

High School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Tommy Brown picked Alabama over Arizona State, Auburn and California as West Coast recruiting guru Tosh Lupoi won another key battle. Brown, whose father Vince Brown was a shot-putter for Alabama in the early 1980s, is likely to redshirt in 2018 because of the Crimson Tide's massive depth at offensive tackle.

Jordan Davis

247Sports

Height/Weight: 6'5", 238 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star defensive end/No. 108

High School: Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.)

Jordan Davis was the second-best prospect out of Tennessee and the 2018 class' sixth-best weak-side defensive end—though in Alabama's defense, he translates more as an outside linebacker who will help bolster the pass rush. Davis picked the Tide in December 2016 and stayed firm to that commitment despite late offers from Florida State, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Skyler DeLong

Height/Weight: 6'4", 180 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star punter/No. 1,553

High School: Nation Ford (Fort Mill, SC)

While kicking remains one of Alabama's few flaws, the same can't be said for its punting. JK Scott was a wizard for four seasons, and now the Crimson Tide have his successor in Skyler DeLong, the No. 4 player at that position in the 2018 class. Committed since June after flipping from Tennessee, DeLong was the first recruit to turn in his national letter of intent during the early signing period.

Emil Ekiyor

Height/Weight: 6'2", 322 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star center/No. 113

High School: Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Rated as the third-best center in the 2018 class but just as capable of handling either guard position, Emil Ekiyor has a solid shot of seeing the field immediately, with Alabama losing both its starting and backup centers. Ekiyor flipped from Michigan in October.

Jerome Ford

Height/Weight: 5'11", 195 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star all-purpose back/No. 369

High School: Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)

Jerome Ford is a former track standout who became a hot commodity in the 2018 class after focusing primarily on football. Alabama figures to use him in the backfield but more as a pass-catcher than a rusher, similar to the role Kenyan Drake played in 2016.

Josh Jobe

Height/Weight: 6'1", 180 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star cornerback/No. 109

High School: Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.)

The top-rated player from Connecticut, Josh Jobe decommitted from Miami (Florida) right before the early signing period thanks to an impressionable official visit to Alabama in mid-December. A thin secondary due to graduation and NFL declarations means Jobe could be seeing significant action as a true freshman.

Cameron Latu

Height/Weight: 6'5", 236 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star defensive end/No. 131

High School: Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Cameron Latu is the third-best prospect from Utah and the No. 7 weak-side defensive end for 2018. He originally intended to wait until February to sign but reversed course and turned in his national letter of intent in December after an official visit to Tuscaloosa. "I know that's the place I want to be," he said, per SEC Country.

Jaylen Moody

Height/Weight: 6'2", 225 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star linebacker/No. 1,207 overall

High School: Conway (Conway, S.C.)

Jaylen Moody chose Alabama over Arkansas and Ole Miss on national signing day, coming on board only a few days after getting offered by the Crimson Tide. The No. 49 inside linebacker in the 2018 class mirrors his game after former 'Bama star Reuben Foster, per 247Sports.

Michael Parker

Height/Weight: 6'6", 230 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star tight end/No. 685

High School: Westminster Christian Academy (Huntsville, Ala.)

The tight end position runs in the family for Michael Parker, whose brother Jacob is a walk-on with Alabama at the same position. He committed in early December but didn't sign until February. In order to see playing time, he'll need to get up to speed on the run and pass blocking techniques needed to be a tight end for the Crimson Tide.

Eddie Smith

Height/Weight: 6'0", 180 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star cornerback/No. 436 overall

High School: Salmen (Slidell, La.)

Eddie Smith chose Alabama on national signing day over Mississippi State and Tennessee, giving the Crimson Tide yet another defensive back to help fill their thin secondary. The 15th-best player from Louisiana played all over the field in high school and could end up being a valuable special teams weapon and defender.

Saivion Smith

Height/Weight: 6'1", 175 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star cornerback/No. 2 (JUCO)

Junior College: Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (Perkinston, Miss.)

Alabama doesn't frequently go the junior college route for recruiting, but it made an exception with Saivion Smith. He was the No. 48 player in the 2016 class and played in 10 games as a true freshman for LSU that year before transferring. With a JUCO season under his belt, he'll be ready to step in and challenge for a starting spot in the secondary.

Patrick Surtain Jr.

Height/Weight: 6'1 ¼", 199 lbs.

Position/Ranking: 5-star cornerback/No. 6 overall

High School: American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Patrick Surtain Jr. was the highest-rated uncommitted player in the 2018 class entering national signing day. He was also widely expected to choose LSU, which had been his leader for some time, yet Alabama managed to sway him. The top-ranked cornerback in the country is the son of former NFL corner Patrick Surtain Sr., a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1998 who played 11 NFL seasons and had 37 career interceptions.

Jaylen Waddle

Height/Weight: 5'9 ½", 175 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star wide receiver/No. 39 overall

High School: Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas)

Jaylen Waddle, who was one of the last top 100 players in the country to choose his school, went with Alabama over Oregon, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M. The fifth-best receiver in his class is on the small side but more than makes up for it with speed and explosiveness. He is a potential yards-after-catch wizard as well as someone who can break off big plays in the return game.

Xavier Williams

Height/Weight: 6'½", 190 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star WR/No. 143

High School: Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, Fla.)

Great hands and fast feet should give Xavier Williams a shot to compete for touches in Alabama's receiving corps right away. He committed to the Crimson Tide more than a year ago and stayed loyal despite his two main recruiters, Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier, leaving for jobs at other schools.

Stephon Wynn

247Sports

Height/Weight: 6'4", 308 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star defensive end/No. 74

High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Stephon Wynn is the No. 3 strong-side defensive end in the 2018 class, but he could end up being the next Raekwon Davis—an interior defender too fast for offensive linemen to deal with. Wynn picked Alabama in July over Georgia and South Carolina.

NOTE: Text on certain recruits also appears in Bleacher Report's "National Signing Day 2018: Tracking Top 100 College Football Recruits" article. Recruiting rankings from 247Sports' composite unless otherwise noted. Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.