Alabama Crimson Tide Recruiting: A Complete Breakdown of the 2012 Class

Currently, Alabama is boasting an impressive 20 commits for their 2012 class. The Crimson Tide is sitting pretty in third behind Texas and FSU in the recruiting rankings.

Overall this is what the recruiting class looks like as of now:

Position	Number Committed	Ratings per ESPN	National Position Rankings	Highest Rated
QB	1	78	46th	Alec Morris
RB	2	80, 78	13th, 35th	Kenyan Drake
WR	3	83, 81, 80	2nd, 9th, 32nd	Chris Black
TE	0	N/A	N/A	N/A
OT	2	83, 77	4th, 82nd	Brandon Greene
OG	1	76	64th	Caleb Gulledge
C	0	N/A	N/A	N/A
OLB	2	81, 80	4th, 8th	Dillon Lee
ILB	1	80	2nd	Reggie Ragland
DT	3	79, 79, 78	25th, 27th, 51st	Dakota Ball
DE	1	80	18th	Ryan Anderson
CB	1	82	2nd	Geno Smith
S	0	N/A	N/A	N/A
ATH	2	85, 80	1st, 25th	Eddie Williams
K	1	78	7th	Adam Griffith

There are plenty of gems here.

Let's start off with the kicker Adam Griffith, as kicking has been a sore spot for 'Bama fans as of late. Four missed field goals against LSU and two against Mississippi State means that 'Bama needs a new kicker to step in as soon as possible. Griffith appears to be this kicker. Even though he is ranked seventh on ESPN, Scout.com has him ranked first in the 2012 class.

This kid can kick. He hit a 55-yard field goal in his junior year and has the ability to put the ball into the end zone on kickoffs. Exactly what the doctor ordered for Alabama.

Secondly, the capstone of the recruiting class so far is Eddie Williams. Although listed as an athlete, he has expressed a desire to play safety at the college level. With Mark Barron departing and Robert Lester possibly in the mix for the NFL, Alabama is going to need a big-time safety soon. He could see action as early as his sophomore year.

Lastly, the linebacker core is intense. Reggie Ragland is a five-star recruit on Scout.com, while Dillon Lee is fourth in the nation at his position. Rounding out this group is Tyler Hayes, who is good enough to be eighth in the nation. Seeing as how strong linebackers are Alabama's specialty, this is no surprise.

So what do the Crimson Tide need to do jump FSU and Texas for the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation?

Looking over the class, the defensive line seems to be the only weakness. The three defensive tackles and one defensive end Alabama has recruited are all listed as three stars on Scout.com. Although Saban has a knack for turning three-stars into future NFL draft picks, it is still unsettling that there hasn't been more preparation in this area. 

What is the answer for the Crimson Tide then?

Two words: Eddie Goldman. 

Goldman has the ability to become an elite DE for Alabama. Alabama has been heavily recruiting him, and Goldman has narrowed his top two to FSU and the Crimson Tide. If the Tide can snag him, they will more than likely boast the best recruiting class for 2012.

Even if Alabama loses that race to FSU though, there is a backup defensive tackle recruit in Quay Evans. He has narrowed his top two to Mississippi State and Alabama and after the pounding Alabama laid on the Bulldogs, there is a good chance he will end up in Crimson. 

Even though a possible LSU rematch could take place this season, the BCS rankings and Alabama's offensive struggles have been the topics of late for Alabama. It is sometimes a nice reprieve to look ahead towards the future. 

And the future looks bright for the Crimson Tide.