ESD 2020: Saban, Crimson Tide pick up recruits on Signing Day
Coach Nick Saban pulled off another big day with signing the top-rated class in the nation on Wednesday. (Alabama Media Relations)
By TIM GAYLE
There’s that now-famous moment when LSU’s Ed Orgeron is celebrating his team’s 2019 win in Tuscaloosa, proclaiming, “We’re gonna beat that *** in recruiting, we’re gonna beat that *** every time they see us.”
Orgeron had to address those comments a couple of weeks ago, just before top-ranked Alabama pummeled his Tigers 55-17 in Tiger Stadium.
Now, he can relive the recruiting part of the comments as well after two highly prized Tiger commitments elected to sign with Alabama on Wednesday.
Not that Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban ever considered what Orgeron had said.
“We don’t worry about other schools, we don’t talk about other schools in recruiting,” Saban said. “Look, I’m not on the Internet, I don’t hear all that stuff out there, so I don't even know what you’re talking about to be honest with you.”
Saban might have shrugged it off, but Orgeron had to be reeling after Vero Beach (Fla.) High defensive end Keanu Koht, projected as an outside linebacker in college, and Aledo (Texas) High receiver JoJo Earle, regarded as one of the top 10 receivers in America, elected on Wednesday to sign with the Crimson Tide.
“We’ve been recruiting these guys for a long, long time,” Saban said, “and I think both guys started several weeks ago sort of showing a little more interest, maybe not being satisfied with where they were in their recruitment or whatever, so we were pleased and happy to get both of those guys.”
Earle is part of an incredibly gifted group of pass catchers that includes a pair of 6-foot3 receivers, five-star Jacorey Brooks of IMG Academy and Agiye Hall of Valrico, Fla., along with 5-10 Christian Leary of Orlando, Fla.
“I think that sometimes when you have four guys like we had -- the two that went out last year, Jerry (Jeudy) and ‘Ruggsy’ (Henry Ruggs) and the two we have this year, (Jaylen) Waddle and ‘Smitty’ DeVonta Smith) – I mean, everybody knows they’re on your roster so it becomes a little bit difficult (to recruit more receivers) and we’re probably a little bit thin in numbers at receiver,” Saban said. “Knowing that there’s the potential that we’re going to lose a couple more guys this year, you know, we thought it was really important for us to sign a minimum of three wide receivers and we were happy to get four.
“You need different kinds of players to really make an effective receiving corps and I think we got some big guys, we got some fast guys, so I’m really pleased with the group.”
Saban called the fourth December signing period “probably a little more challenging than in most years because of the absence of being able to have contact. But we identified the needs that we had in this class early on. I think we got some really good players at each one of those positions and we’re really pleased to have this group of players become a part of our program and a part of our team.”
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, recruiting was handled virtually, something Saban said he would resume on Wednesday night. Alabama signed 24 recruits, one under the limit, so will certainly work the computer between now and the regular signing day in early February in search of another five-star player who didn’t sign on Wednesday.
“There are still players out there that are available,” Saban said. “I think, at this point, if we could get a really, really good player, we would certainly be pleased to be able to do that.”
The group included Robert E. Lee defensive lineman Anquin Barnes, rated one of the top 30 defensive tackles in the nation who also played offensive tackle as well, and Prattville linebacker Ian Jackson, considered one of the state’s top 10 players who moved from safety to linebacker to duplicate the background of current Tide linebacker Christian Harris.
Listed by position, the Crimson Tide added to its roster five linebackers, four defensive backs, four defensive linemen, four offensive linemen, four receivers, quarterback Jalen Milroe of Katy, Texas, tight end Robbie Ouzts of Rock Hill, S.C., and athlete Kadarius Calloway of Philadelphia, Miss., who starred at safety and receiver in high school and played receiver last week in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
The class featured six five-star recruits, including two offensive linemen and the state’s top recruit, Ga’Quincy “Kool Aid” McKinstry. In addition, tackles Tommy Brockermeyer and JC Latham, Brooks, defensive lineman Damon Payne and linebacker Dallas Turner are considered the best in the nation at their respective positions.
The recruiting class currently stands at No. 1 in the nation, although Alabama could be overtaken by Ohio State, who ranks second but has just 21 signees. LSU, Georgia and Oregon round out the top five, but those rankings could change with the addition of other signees in February.