Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama Football Podcast Breaks Down the 2017 Alabama Recruiting Class

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:43 p.m. ET

Fansided, Dave Ozment/FanSided via Bama Hammer

In this episode Tom and Dave from the Alabama Football Podcast breakdown the Tide’s haul on National Signing Day 2017.

The Improbability of it All

Trees do not grow to the sky. There is a way about things, a natural order, a limit. That is unless the sapling in question was planted in Tuscaloosa a decade ago by master arborist Nick Saban.

Only a few short years ago Alabama set a record for pulling in the second and then the third consecutive top ranked recruiting class. When Saban started to showcase his recruiting skills a surprisingly few programs could boast three consecutive top 10 classes.

Now Saban is just showing off, running laps around the recruiting competition with his 7th consecutive top ranked class. Oh, and according to one service, his highest ranked class while patrolling the sidelines in Bryant-Denny.

Breaking Down the Class

With 26 signees, 12 early enrollees, 2 Blue Shirts, and even a 4-star Gray Shirt, the story of this class is already legend. Add in the 3 years invested in its assemblage and the 3-5 years in which most of these Crimson careers will play out and it is easy to agree that this plot line has many chapters yet to tell.

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But that didn’t stop the intrepid AFP team from putting our spin on the freshly minted class. We predict our day one contributors, career all-stars, and x-factors. Further, we identify position battles that will burn hot this spring with promises for lasting impacts across the playing rotation in the fall.

The Future is Next

In January, Alabama fell to Clemson on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. In today’s headlines-trump-facts environment, that portended the collapse of the Alabama dynasty.

However, to take that position is ignore facts that Stevie Wonder can see spring from the page.

By Saban standards, the Tide fielded a young team while continuing to develop a stockpile of talented youngsters who have not yet broken into the rotation. Add to the mix a talented and diverse 2017 class and it does not look like Alabama is going anywhere any time soon.

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