Alabama Football: What Does Nick Saban Still Need to Recruit for the 2012 Class?

With 14 players already committed for the 2012 recruiting class, Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has already added a lot of valuable pieces to the puzzle and has signed some players he felt he needed to fill the holes he sees coming in the future.

Of the 14, six are defensive players, two are offensive players, one is a special teams kicker and four are athletes, players who could wind up on either side of the ball.

Looking at the athletes, if you had to break them down at this point, Lord knows that with Nick Saban in charge you can never make such accurate guesses as to where they could wind up.

Justin Thomas is a quarterback at Prattville now, but this July at a summer camp he posted blazing speeds of 4.21 in the 40, so don't look for him to be a QB, but rather a receiver. He also has the skill set to be a defensive back.

Kenyan Drake will be a running back in all likelihood. If they don't use him there, they've seen something everyone else in the media missed.

Tyler Hayes is a running back and linebacker, and he will be an outside linebacker for Alabama.

Casey Gladney is a special teamer and a receiver. Alabama will use him as a receiver.

So if the athletes are picked correctly, that makes one special team kicker, seven defensive players and five offensive players.

Offense                                                                      Defense

Quarterbacks - 0                                                         Defensive Backs - 1

Running Backs - 2                                                       Linebackers - 3

Receivers - 2                                                               Defensive Linemen - 2

Offensive Linemen - 1                                                   Defensive Ends - 2

Tight Ends - 0                                                              Specialists - 1 kicker

So based so far, Saban is looking to add one defensive lineman, a quarterback, a tight end (but only if it's a great one), at least three more offensive lineman, two more defensive backs, at least one safety and one more cornerback. But you never know what Saban will come up with.

Because they recruit by ability as well as future needs, you may see Saban take a player because he is projected to be the best there is at that position, even though they seem stacked at that position.

Sometimes, as Alabama fans have seen in the past few weeks, that leads to some of the ones that are on campus already to see their spot on the depth chart grow larger and leave.

Recruiting isn't based on an athlete being on campus for five years anymore. In fact, Saban knows that by recruiting the best of the best that some players like Mark Ingram are here for three years and gone.

But that is something that Saban has taken into account as well. If anyone has a backup plan, you can bet it's Nick Saban.

Here are the list of commits so far by date of their commitment.

Committed - For 2012 Class So Far

Name	Pos	From	Ht	Wt	40	Stars		Committed
Eddie Williams	DB	Panama City, FLArnold	6'4"	197		4 stars		8/24/10
Caleb Gulledge	DE	Prattville, ALPrattville	6'4"	255		3 stars		10/3/10
Dakota Ball	DT	Lindale, GAPepperell	6'2"	292	5.2	3 stars		10/14/10
Justin Thomas	ATH	Prattville, ALPrattville	5'11"	175		4 stars		11/18/10
Reggie Ragland	LB	Madison, ALBob Jones	6'4"	245		4 stars		12/30/10
Adam Griffith	K	Calhoun, GACalhoun	5'11"	175		3 stars		1/29/11
Kenyan Drake	ATH	Powder Springs, GAHillgrove	6'1"	195	4.4	4 stars		2/14/11
Tyler Hayes	ATH	Thomasville, ALThomasville	6'3"	215		3 stars		2/14/11
Justin Taylor	RB	Atlanta, GAWashington	5'10"	205	4.6	3 stars		2/25/11
Brandon Greene	OL	Ellenwood, GACedar Grove	6'6"	280		3 stars		3/5/11
Ryan Anderson	DE	Daphne, ALDaphne	6'3"	250		3 stars		4/19/11
Dillon Lee	LB	Buford, GABuford	6'4"	220		4 stars		5/16/11
Casey Gladney	ATH	Columbia, SCColumbia	6'1"	177	4.5	3 stars		6/10/11
Darren Lake	DT	York, ALSumter County	6'3"	330				6/18/11