Recruiting: The Crimson Tide Keeps on Building
Written by Daniel Turner, Monday March 09 2009
They had to fight off a late signing surge from SEC rival LSU, but once again Alabama has been rated as scoring the top talent in their recruiting class. Their February signings have Coach Nick Saban well on his way to building another successful team and making him the envy of other coaches for his ability to secure top flight letters of intent.
The committed players give Saban options on the offense and provide some defensive prospects. Five star RB Trent Richardson, Escambia, Pensacola, FL was a late signing that tipped the scales in the Tide’s favor. Richardson is 5’11”, 210 lbs. He can bench press 350 lbs and runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds. He is considered the #2 back in the nation. He is rated the best insider runner of the HS senior class.
Saban added depth to his incoming RB class by securing Eddie Lacy, Dutchtown, Geismar, LA. Lacy is 5’11” 210 lbs with a 33 inch vertical leap and runs the 40 in 4.4. Overall he was ranked sixth at his position in state, so he should be able to compliment Richardson as they learn Saban’s scheme.
To help protect his new RB’s, Saban recruited OT Brandon Moore. Moore is from Carver, Montgomery, AL. The home state acquisition is 6’5” and 313 lbs. He runs the 40 in 5.2 seconds and can bench press 365 lbs. His vertical leap is measured at 30 inches. The big man on any campus was rated 24th in Alabama. Playing before his home town fans should lift his game.
Another offensive lineman is Kendall Kelly. Kelly is from Gainesville, Gainsville, FL, so sneaking him out of the state was a major coup by Saban. Kelly is an OT who is 6’5” and 294 lbs. He runs the 40 in 5.3 seconds. He bench presses 330 and squats 405 lbs. He’s an all region selection, so Saban definitely caught the Gators napping.
The Tide also added a WR to their recruiting class. Kenny Bell is from Rayville, Rayville, LA. His stats are 6’1” and 160 lbs. He holds the #40 ranking nationwide, but not much info is available on this signing.
To run this offense the Tide got an early signing from AJ McCarron. The QB is from St. Paul’s, Mobile, AL. He’ll be bringing his #7 ranking up to Tuscaloosa. McCarron is 6’4” and 189 lbs. He runs the 40 in 4.8 and has a 31 inch vertical leap. By the postseason he improved his ranking to #5.
A guy who was practically committed to Alabama since birth is OL DJ Fluker. Fluker is the Tide’s #1 ranked pick. The OT is 6’7” and 350 lbs. The bruiser from Foley, Foley, AL never looked beyond Tuscaloosa. He runs the 40 in 4.9 seconds, bench presses 375 lbs and squats 525. His position ranking is #1 and he is considered a franchise player.
The players above are just their top and later signings. Also intended to Alabama are a core of LB’s and DT’s. The average rating of their earlier recruits was four stars, so they were well on their way to the #1 position long before the last minute signings that sealed their spot.
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