Saban's Previous Classes
It would be out of character if I didn't use history as a comparison to what took place today. I love history, and if you are like me then you will enjoy this first section. If that bores you and you just want to read about the recruits that we got today, scroll down to Dee Liner's name.
The 2013 recruiting class for Alabama would easily be the best recruiting class Alabama had gotten in history before 2008. But in Nick Saban's 7th year at Bama, it has to compete with at least 2 of his other classes, 08, and maybe 2012 for that title. On paper, it certainly looks like the best class Saban has ever signed.
Before 2008, the only 5 star recruit Bama had EVER gotten in the recruiting website era was Andre Smith in 2006.
In the now historic 2008 class that started it all, Julio Jones, Mark Barron, Tyler Love, and BJ Scott were ranked 5 stars by either Rivals or Scout. This class included a total of 25 guys who were ranked at least 4 stars by one or both of those sites. Almost the entire class. Which is insane. The top 5 classes in the country usually get anywhere from 13-20 4 star or higher recruits.
2009 had DJ Fluker, Dre Kirkpatrick, Nico Johnson, and Trent Richardson as 5 stars and a total of 17 guys with at least 4 stars
2010 had Dee Milliner and Phillip Sims as 5 stars and a total of 16 guys with at least 4 stars
2011 had Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Trey DePriest, and Dee Hart as 5 stars and a total of 19 guys with at least 4 stars.
2012 had TJ Yeldon, Landon Collins, Reggie Ragland, Cyrus Jones, and Eddie Williams with 5 stars and a total of 19 guys with at least 4 stars.
So after the huge class of 2008, recruiting took a slight dip in 09 and then another slight dip in 10 before trending back upward in 11 and then even more in 12.
We usually get at least 3 or 4 of the 5 star recruits every year and at least 16 total 4 and 5 star prospects. So it's become such a norm for us to recruit so well that it's ho hum sometimes and we forget how awesome a job Nick Saban does in bringing top talent to Tuscaloosa.
All that said, I think this year could be better than 2008. On paper, of course. Obviously not all of those guys above became huge stars for us, or have yet. And so it remains to be seen, of course, how these guys will work out. But the percentage of these guys who are really important to us is very high and so it's clear that the future might be just as bright as the past 4 years have been.
This year's class includes SIX 5 star recruits: OJ Howard, A'Shawn Robinson, Robert Foster, Reuben Foster, Jonathan Allen, and Derrick Henry. And a total of 19 guys at least 4 stars. That's 6 less total 4 and 5 star recruits than 08, but here is why I think it's potentially better: It grades out better. On Rivals, the way they score players, a 6.1 rating makes you a 5 star. A 4 star is anywhere from a 5.8 to 6.0.
The 2008 class had 5 players who were rated 6.0. So the highest rating a 4 star can be without being a 5 star. So that make a total of 9 players with a rating of 6.0 or higher on Rivals.
The 2013 class has 8 players rated 6.0 and a total of 12 players rated at least 6.0. Those guys are the studs of the studs. the ones who are rated at least 6.0.
When you are that close to being a 5 star, you pretty much are in my opinion and this class has 12 players of that caliber to 9 in the 2008 class. Also, the 2008 class had 10 players rated less than 5.8. The 2013 class only has 8 players rated less than 5.8 and only 4 rated less than 5.7.
So pretty much EVERY member of the 2013 class is at least expected to be a really good player and most are considered to be potential stars.
It's crazy, really.
Quick comparison: the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 classes ALL COMBINED had a grand total of 27 players rated at least 5.8. with 10 of those coming in 2007 when Saban got several decent recruits his first month on the job.
In summary, Nick Saban has gotten more top recruits in THIS CLASS ALONE than Mike Shula got in his entire time at Alabama. And Shula only brought in one 5 star player total ever, whereas Saban has now brought in 24 players who were 5 STAR RECRUITS in the past 6 recruiting classes. What a difference this made for us. Sometimes it needs to be fully laid out like this to understand how big of a deal it really is.
Anyways, on to the guys who will be freshman at Bama in 2013.
Dee Liner, DL, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
The Basics
6'4" 294
Muscle Shoals High School
Picked Alabama over Auburn, Georgia
Rivals: #7 DE
Scout: #8 DT
ESPN: #4 DT
Videos
OJ Howard, TE, Prattville, Alabama
The Basics
6'6" 220
Autuaga Academy
Picked Alabama over Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss
Rivals: #1 TE
Scout: #1 TE
ESPN: #2 TE
Videos
Jonathan Allen, DE, Ashburn, Virginia
The Basics
6'3" 264
Stone Bridge High School
Picked Alabama over Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma
No. 1 player in the state of Virginia!
Rivals: #2 DE
Scout: #3 DE
ESPN: #2 DE
Videos
Reuben Foster, LB, Auburn, Alabama
The Basics
6'2" 240
Auburn High School
Picked Alabama over Auburn, Georgia
Rivals: #1 LB
Scout: #1 LB
ESPN: #1 LB
Videos
Derrick Henry, RB, Yulee, Florida
The Basics
6'3" 240
Yulee High School
Picked Alabama over Georgia, Florida, FSU, Notre Dame
Parade Magazine National Player Of The Year
Rivals: #5 RB
Scout: #4 RB
ESPN:# 1 ATH
Videos
Robert Foster, WR, Manaco, Pennsylvania
The Basics
6'2" 180
Central Valley High School
Picked Alabama over Florida, Pitt
Rivals: #4 WR
Scout: #4 WR
ESPN: #2 WR
Videos
Alvin Kamara, RB, Norcross, Georgia
The Basics
5'9" 200
Norcross High School
Picked Alabama over Georgia
Rivals: #2 APB
Scout: #12 RB
ESPN: #4 RB
Videos
A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Ft. Worth, Texas
The Basics
6'4" 320
Arlington Heights High School
Picked Alabama over Texas
Rivals: #4 DT
Scout: #1 DT
ESPN: #11 DT
Videos
Altee Tenpenny, RB, Little Rock, Arkansas
The Basics
6'0" 205
North Little Rock High School
Picked Alabama over Arkansas
Rivals: #8 RB
Scout: #14 RB
MaxPreps: #3 RB
Videos
Ardarius Stewart, WR, Fultondale, Alabama
The Basics
6'1" 190
Fultondale High School
Picked Alabama over Auburn and Clemson
Rivals: #3 ATH
Scout: #10 WR
ESPN: #18 ATH
Videos
Raheem Falkins, WR, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Basics
6'3" 190
Carver Senior High School
Picked Alabama over LSU and Tennessee
Rivals: #38 WR
Scout: #67 WR
ESPN: #41 WR
Videos
This is about all I can find on Raheem. He'd have been one of our top 10 recruits a few years ago.
Tim Williams, DE, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Basics
6'4" 230
LSU Laboratory School (Is that the name of his school or the building on campus where Nick Saban builds super human football players?
Picked Alabama over LSU, Miami, and Auburn
No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana!
247Sports: #2 DE
MaxPreps: No. 4 OLB
ESPN: No. 5 DE
Videos
Maurice Smith, DB, Sugar Land, Texas
The Basics
6'1" 185
Dulles High School
Picked Alabama over Florida, LSU, Texas, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Auburn
Rivals: #12 CB
Scout: #5 CB
ESPN: #12 CB
Videos
Darius Page, DT, Foley, Alabama
The Basics
6'4" 292
Foley High School
Picked Alabama over Auburn
Rivals: #15 DT
Scout: #23 DT
ESPN: #21 DT. Amazing how a guy rated here is the bottom of the class for us now. Roll Saban, y'all!
Videos
Cooper Bateman, QB, Salt Lake City, Utah
The Basics
6'3" 205
Cottonwood High School
Picked Alabama over LSU, Florida, Auburn, and Washington
No. 1 player in the state of Utah!
Scout: #5 QB
MaxPreps: #4 QB
ESPN: #3 QB
Videos
Tyren Jones, RB, Marietta, Georgia
The Basics
5'9" 200
Walton High School
Picked Alabama over Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, and Florida
Rivals: #11 RB
MaxPreps: #5 RB
247Sports: #6 RB
Videos
Grant Hill, OL, Huntsville, Alabama
The Basics
6'6" 300
Huntsville High School
Picked Alabama over Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss
Rivals: #5 OG
ESPN: #1 OG
Scout: #3 OG
Videos
Anthony Averett, CB, Woodbury, New Jersey
The Basics
6'1" 178
Woodbury High School
Picked Alabama over Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee
Rivals: #23 CB
247Sports: #14 S
ESPN: #22 ATH
Nephew of Baltimore Ravens OT Bryant McKinnie
Track star. 2nd longest long jump in state history of 25 ft 2 in
Videos
Leon Brown, OT, Brooklyn, New York
The Basics
6'6" 308
The College For Exellence.
Picked Alabama over Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Tennessee
Scout: #2 JUCO OT
#50 overall in Rivals Juco Top 50.
JUCO All American
Videos
Eddie Jackson, WR/DB, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida
The Basics
6'0" 180
Boyd H. Anderson High School
Picked Alabama over LSU, FSU, and Tennessee.
247Sports: #5 ATH
Rivals: #48 WR
ESPN: #54 WR
Videos
Walker Jones, LB, Cordova, Tennessee.
The Basics
6'3" 230
Evangelical Christian School
Picked Alabama over Tennessee, Arkansas, and Nebraska
Rivals: #22 LB
Scout: #40 LB
ESPN: #26 LB
Brother of Barrett Jones
Videos
Cole Mazza, OL/Long Snapper, Bakersfield, California
The Basics
6'1" 240
Liberty High School
Picked Alabama over UCLA, Washington State, and Utah. Yeah that's right, SUCK IT UTAH!!
ESPN: #3 LS
247Sports: #1 LS
The next Carson Tinker, basically.
Videos
Parker McLeod, QB, Marietta, Georgia
LOL
The Basics
6'3" 180
Walton High School
Picked Alabama over Oklahoma St, Louisville, Maryland, and Boston College
Rivals: #31 QB
Scout: #63 QB
Videos
Brandon Hill, OG, Chatham, Virginia
The Basics
6'7" 390 (OMG)
Hargrave Military Academy
Picked Alabama over Ole Miss and Georgia
Rivals: #30 Prep Top 50
Scout: #25 OG
Videos
Jonathan Cook, DB, Spanish Fort, Alabama
The Basics
6'0" 185
Spanish Fort High School
Picked Alabama over Nebraska and Ole Miss
Rivals: #37 CB
Scout: #33 CB
247Sports: #14 CB
Videos
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