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If you’re hoping Alabama falls off, don’t read this.
Alabama’s defense did not allow a touchdown in November. That is a ridiculous stat, and a product of a well-coached roster that is just that much more talented than everyone else, thanks to its recruiting.
And the Tide seemingly are getting better and better. On Sunday, the Tide landed four-star linebacker Chris Allen, one of the best linebacker recruits nationally. Out of Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab, Allen is rated a four-star and the No. 7 linebacker nationally. Folks in Louisiana cannot be happy that the Tide went into the backyard of the Tigers and landed a commitment of this caliber, but Alabama’s recruiting territory knows no bounds.
The Tide also have commitments from the No. 1 linebacker, Dylan Moses (from Florida, but originally from Louisiana), the No. 4 linebacker Vandarius Cowan (Florida), and the No. 5 linebacker Markail Benton (Alabama). It has a chance to pull No. 2 linebacker Baron Browning out of Texas.
I might differ with the rankings of the 247Sports Composite a bit (I think Browning is the best in the nation, and that Benton should be closer to 10 than five), but there is no doubt that Alabama has a realistic chance to sign five or the top eight or 10 linebacker recruits in the country.
This, of course, is on the heels of the Tide signing the No. 1 and 3 linebackers of the 2015 cycle in Ben Davis and Mack Wilson, respectively.
Alabama already has the No. 1 class in the country, and it is just getting better and better. Many expect Jacksonville five-star cornerback Shaun Wade to flip his commitment from Ohio State to the Tide, too.
Given that defensive recruiting ratings tend to translate better than offensive ratings, due to defense being more about effort and athleticism than offense, Alabama’s incoming talent is that much scarier. This is just a different level of recruiting. It is like Florida under Urban Meyer on steroids.
While trailing Alabama, Ohio State’s class is still awesome.
Ohio State hosted a huge group of visitors this weekend, including five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, of Texas, five-star Baron Browning, of Texas (mentioned above), and five-star running back Cam Akers, of Mississippi.
Ohio State also remains the favorite to land five-star cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, who is from Texas, but originally from New Jersey.
The Buckeyes have the No. 2 class nationally, and assuming a strong close, no team should threaten that. They remain the best team in the Big Ten, despite not playing for the conference title.
And Ohio State fans have to be loving yet another win over Michigan under Urban Meyer. For all the talk about what Jim Harbaugh is building — and he certainly is doing something big in Ann Arbor — I can’t help but think his Wolverines missed out on one of their best shots to do something special because of how many senior starters (and juniors leaving early for the NFL) litter the lineup. That super veteran Michigan team lost to one of the youngest teams in the nation in Columbus.
Quickly
Five-star defensive end Josh Kaindoh decommitted from Maryland late Monday. He plans to announce his future plans Jan. 1 at the Under Armour All-America Game. That is a major blow for Maryland, though not entirely unexpected. Penn State and Florida State, among others, are expected to factor heavily in Kaindoh’s recruitment.
But Kaindoh’s decommitment might not signal a mass exodus from the class. Four-star defensive tackle Cam Spence tweeted that his commitment was still solid. Maryland has a top-20 class, and coach D.J. Durkin is off to a good start. But it would have been much better with Kaindoh.
Larry Fedora, Sonny Dykes, and Mike MacIntyre are reportedly on Baylor’s short list, says Richard Johnson. I’ve said for a while that whomever takes the Baylor job should demand five or six guaranteed years, because the recruiting situation is a complete mess. It will take a while for Baylor to be elite again on the field.
Previously
Tom Herman inherits a talented Texas roster and favorable recruiting situation
The SEC’s quarterback play might be really good again, really soon
A smart college football team could use this slow coaching carousel to hire a big upgrade
Michigan still leads for star linebacker Shanon Reid, but Tennessee’s in the mix