The signing period for the 2020 college football class officially came to an end Wednesday with the February National Signing Day. Many of the more elite high school prospects signed their letters of intent during the early signing period in December. Some have even enrolled at their new school already.While much of the flair of February’s National Signing Day has passed, the importance of the event for all teams is still huge. The last chance to fill any holes left by December’s signings weighs heavily for some programs.
The Alabama Crimson Tide did not get the number one ranked recruiting class fans may have wanted and expected, but this year’s recruiting class was significant for many reasons.
Alabama Moves Down To #3
In the early signing period, the Tide was ranked second in the nation with a solid hull of 22 signees. The Tide were ranked behind the Clemson Tigers, which was ranked first overall by Rivals. On Wednesday, their recruiting class got three more commitments with two from the same high school. The Tide ended Wednesday with the number three recruiting class by Rivals. The biggest surprise was the Georgia Bulldogs, who were fifth in late December. They finished the 2020 recruiting season with the top overall class. Georgia had a late surge within the overall rankings thanks to six commits since the month of January. One of the biggest commitments was cornerback Kelee Ringo from Scottsdale, Arizona. The seventh overall prospect had 33 offers including Alabama and was heavily recruited by Texas. The Tide has three more four-star recruits (17-to-14) than Georgia.
Who Signed On Wednesday
While the Georgia Bulldogs had a huge surge in the 2020 National Signing Day, Alabama had a boost as well. The Tide got former North Carolina Tarheels tight end Carl Tucker after he announced his decision back in January. Alabama also had two huge signings on National Signing Day from two four-star recruits from the same school. Wide receiver Javon Baker and defensive tackle Jamil Burroughs from McEachern High School from Powder Springs, Georgia both signed with the Tide. Baker ranks 20th of all wide receivers in the class of 2020. Burroughs ranks 24th of all defensive tackles in the class of 2020. While the Tide did not get the top recruiting class, they did have the highest rated average ranking of prospects with a score of four-stars.
The Defensive Line Was The Biggest Area To Address
There were many areas that head coach Nick Saban wanted to address in the 2020 National Signing Day. The Tide signing dual-threat quarterback and number two overall prospect in Bryce Young was huge. The biggest area that Saban showed huge appraisal for was the multiple defensive line signings. Last season, the defensive line was the weakest area of the team. Injuries and inconsistent performers forced five freshmen including three true freshmen to play last season.
Saban got five defensive linemen to sign with the Tide for the 2020 recruiting class. Weakside defensive end Williams Anderson is a five-star recruit and the top-ranked position prospect by Rivals. Another weakside defensive end in Quandarrius Robinson is a four-star recruit and the fifth-ranked prospect by Rivals. Four-star defensive tackle Timothy Smith is the four-rated defensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class. Burroughs and four-star defensive tackle Jah-Marien Latham wrapped the defensive line recruits by the Crimson Tide in the 2020 recruiting class.
