5-star Trey Sanders can be Saban’s latest elite running back

With a complete skill set, Sanders is the No. 1 running back in the nation.

Five-star running back Trey Sanders committed to Alabama over Georgia, Florida, and others on Wednesday’s Early Signing Day, joining the nation’s No. 1 class for 2019.

Sanders is one of the top players from IMG Academy, an elite boarding school in Bradenton (Florida). He is rated the top running back in the nation and a top-five player nationally on the 247Sports Composite.

Alabama signs elite running backs annually, though it went relatively light at the position in 2018. Sanders will join a roster with former No. 1 running back recruit Najee Harris, a talented offensive line, and a passing game that should open up space for him. He can be the latest part of Nick Saban’s Alabama running back tradition that’s included Heisman winners Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry and a lot of other great years.

Sanders has a lot of elite traits.

It starts with his size. Sanders is a legitimate 6’1 and 215 pounds. Seeing him in person, he is an imposing figure. And he runs big, rarely being brought down by arm tackles:

That size can also make him a quality pass protector.

Sanders isn’t just some plodding running back, though. He has good explosion and agility for his size. He regularly bursts through holes and takes runs the distance. And he has the ability to make defenders miss, even in tight spaces:

Sanders is also a decent pass-catcher:

And keep in mind this is against the best competition in the country.

This appeared to be a close recruiting battle.

Sanders was committed to Alabama for a time, before backing off. His longest relationship was with Alabama, and the Tide had a legitimate need at running back. He took his official visit to Alabama on Nov. 24th, and most thought Sanders would go to Alabama.

However, with Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley leaving to take the Maryland head coaching position, other schools had reason to think they had a legitimate shot. Locksley was one of the Alabama recruiters who regularly recruited IMG.

Georgia was the school with the most buzz as the Early Signing Period arrived. The Bulldogs once had elite running back John Emery Jr. committed, but he flipped back to the home-state LSU Tigers. In turn, UGA landed Florida running back Kenny McIntosh, but the Dawgs are looking for more. Sanders took his official visit to Georgia on Dec. 7, and since then the buzz around Georgia’s chances has been great. IMG teammate Nolan Smith, an elite defensive end prospect committed to Georgia, has been one of the school’s staunchest recruiters.

Sanders’ most recent visit was to Florida, a program that has been heavily involved with his recruitment in 2018. The Gators took his brother Ulmstead Sanders, a walk-on linebacker from junior college, in the 2018 class, a move that likely helped to jump-start the relationship and sway his mother. Sanders has visited the Gators multiple times, and while few seemed to be picking them to actually land him, they were in it.

Texas and Florida State had both been involved, too, though they were out by the end. There’s been a lot of misdirection around this recruitment, which added to the drama. In the end, he did the least dramatic thing a No. 1 back can do and went with the Tide.