Alabama follows up title with star-studded class

Alabama continues recruiting at a level that should strengthen the reigning national champion’s status as college football’s premier program.

If anything, coach Nick Saban’s ability to land the nation’s top prospects grows stronger with each passing year.

The recruiting class that Alabama finalized Wednesday has the highest rating in the history of the 247Sports Composite team rankings, which go back to 2010. The previous top-ranked class was Florida’s 2010 group.

“This is a national championship-winning class,” said Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director for Rivals. “They will win one with this class. It just maybe depends on whether it’s one or two.”

Alabama’s class features 13 of the nation’s top 58 prospects, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.

That group includes offensive tackles JC Latham and Tommy Brockermeyer, who are rated the second- and fifth-best prospects, respectively. The others are cornerback Ga’Quincy McKintstry; defensive tackle Damon Payne; wide receivers Jacorey Brooks, Agiye Hall and JoJo Earle; running back Camar Wheaton; safety Terrion Arnold; linebacker Deontae Lawson; offensive guard Terrence Ferguson; and defensive ends Dallas Turner and Keanu Koht.

With the vast majority of prospects again finalizing their decisions in December, Alabama already had assured itself of landing the nation’s top class well before Christmas. The only suspense remaining heading into the February signing day was where the Tide’s class would rank historically.

When Wheaton and Arnold signed with the Tide on Wednesday, it put Alabama’s rating ahead of that Florida 2010 class for first place. Wheaton had committed to Alabama in December but hadn’t yet signed, while Arnold was previously uncommitted.

“(Saban’s) message to me was just, ‘Why not come to a winning program?’” Arnold said during the ESPN telecast that aired his announcement. “The competition level there is high-level competition, and if I feel like I’m one of the best players in the country, why not go compete with the best?”

Alabama’s star-studded class reflected a year in which the rich got richer.

The coronavirus pandemic made this recruiting cycle different from any other. Virtual campus tours replaced official visits and coaches and prospects communicated via Zoom. But the results were familiar.

The top five teams in the 247Sports composite rankings are the same five that topped last year’s rankings.

Alabama was followed in order by Ohio State, Georgia, LSU and Clemson in the team rankings as of late Wednesday afternoon. Georgia led the 2020 team rankings and was followed in order by Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Ohio State.