Alabama Scholarship Numbers
Alabama Scholarship Numbers
Overview
Alabama will sign 25 recruits once again. Consistency - Number of recruits enrolled per year - 26 ('09), 24 ('10), 24 ('11), 25 ('12), 25 ('13), 24 ('14), 24 ('15), 24 ('16). They will be down to 85 by the beginning of fall camp. Enough said? Nick Saban thinks so and is not shy about getting that message across.
Oversigning
So many of the oversigning issues that stereotyped Alabama in the past do not seem that applicable when discussing attrition.
Grayshirts - one in the last four classes
Medical scholarships - two in the Class of '13, none since
Sign and Place - four signees in the past four classes did not qualify
Attrition
By NSD this past Feb, five players had left - two to Early Entry for the Draft, one Graduate Transfer, two Undergrad transfers. By spring practice, there were two more - one RS Jr not on roster, one transfer - as well as one grad transfer in. Prior to fall camp, four undergraduate players transferred probably for playing time as well as one grad transfer, one from the Class of '16 and another from '16 did not qualify.
Saban found himself in the unusual position of being below eighty-five. Another player transferred after fall camp began. Saban gave out four scholarships to walkons in the fall. After one more player transferred during the season, Alabama is currently at eighty-four scholarship players. Only two players were Early Entrants to the Draft, also.
Unless a player chooses otherwise, has difficulty with academics or has an arrest that merits dismissal, Alabama recruits have, effectively, at least two-three year scholarships. Out of seventy enrollees from the Classes of 2014-16, sixty-two are still on scholarship (88%). The Class of 2014, which began with twenty-four enrollees still has twenty-two of those players on the roster (92%). Notre Dame's Class of 2014 began with twenty-three enrollees and has nineteen on the roster (82%).
2017 Recruiting Class Scholarships
Alabama will graduate seventeen Seniors and has three more scholarships including two of the four walkon scholarships and the one short of eighty-five. Twenty schlarships to give.
Potential Fifth Years and Early Entrants
From a high of five players declaring for the draft in '14, Alabama saw three declare in '15 and two last year. Twelve players remain from the Class of '13 (25 enrollees).
Five of those twelve are redshirt Juniors, including four who are starters (Foster, Stewart, Bozeman, Averette) as well as Cooper Bateman (2nd string QB). Bateman may well be a graduate transfer. Some undergrads may also transfer. Bozeman may get a fifth. The other three could leave for the NFL. True Junior Cam Robinson should declare early and Tony Brown is also a possibility. Some undergrads may also transfer.
Under SEC rules, Alabama would be restricted to twenty-five in 2017, though attrition could bring them below eighty-five. Saban could then sign more than twenty-five.
Currently, Alabama has twenty-three verbal commitments. Eleven of those intend on early admission. Nineteen are four stars or above. Of the other five, three verbals are from the state of Alabama and the other two are special teamers. Bama's class is officially on Decommitment Watch as they target more top recruits. The Tide has already had seven decommitments, though none since October.
2017 Remaining Targets
At this point, Defensive Line and Safety are the positions of need while they may take another Wide Receiver or two. Rankings per 247.
Targets for DL include (Verbals - One DT, no DEs):
Joshua Kaindoh #2 SDE, Top 4, HNV (has not visited - officially)
LaBryan Ray #3 SDE Top 2, Ala fav
Teair Tart-Spencer, #1 DT, fr prep, Top 3, HNV
Elijah Conliffe, #15 DT, Ala fav
Jarez Parks #3 WDE, Top 3, Ala fav (probably OLB, though they have four verbal commitments)
Recruits ranking Alabama, but have others as favorites
Malik Herring #5 SDE, Top 3, Ga fav
Ryan Johnson #7 SDE, Top 2, Aub fav (fr Ala)
Aubrey Soloman, #3 DT, Top 3, Ga fav (Ala visit)
Phidarian Mathis #13 DT, Top 2, LSU fav
Wide Receiver Targets (Two current verbal commitments)
Devonta Smith, #9 WR - Ala fav
Henry Ruggs, #28 WR, Ala fav
Safety (No verbals)
All targets have others as favorites
DeAngelo Gibbs #3 S - Ga fav
Devon Hunter #4 S - Va Tech fav
Todd Harris #10 S - Top 3, LSU fav
Offensive Line (five verbals)
Trey Smith #5 OT - Tenn Fav
Isaiah Wilson #7 OT, Mich fav
Inside Linebacker
Nate McBride #1 ILB, HNV, Ga fav
All these targets are four or five stars. Most are in the top ten at their position.
Best guess would be that Alabama would like to sign three DEs, one more DT, a WR and possibly a DB or Athlete that can play Safety.