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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) In the grand signing day tradition, Alabama coach Nick Saban said the recruiting class met his team's needs.
That might be an understatement in his case. The Crimson Tide loaded up with six big men on each side of the ball and four defensive backs and pulled off a signing day coup on Wednesday by landing five-star linebacker Rashaan Evans. The result was Rivals.com's No. 1 recruiting class for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in seven years.
Saban will reserve his own class rankings until the players have proven themselves on the field.
''I really do think that the most accurate way to be able to rank any recruiting class would be three years down the road,'' he said.
This one certainly looks impressive with seven five-star recruits and seven Parade All-Americans plus Florida State transfer quarterback Jake Coker.
Alabama got the top-rated prospect in Alabama, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Rivals rates defensive end Da'Shawn Hand as the top prospect nationally. Offensive tackle Cameron Robinson also is a top-5 recruit.
He said Brown and Humphrey fit the mold of Alabama's big, fast cornerbacks that have gone on to be first-round NFL draft picks.
Here's a quick overview of Alabama's recruiting class:
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National rankings (Rivals 1;Scout 1).
Best in class: Hand of Woodbridge, Va., could bring a pass rushing prowess that Saban has been seeking. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder collected 56 sacks during his four-year high school career.
Best of the rest: Evans, Robinson, athlete Bo Scarbrough, offensive lineman Dominick Jackson and cornerbacks Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey are also five-star prospects, according to at least one service. Brown, Robinson - who could challenge Hand as the top signee - and four-star QB David Cornwell are among the eight signees who have already enrolled.
Late addition: For the second straight year, Alabama raided rival Auburn's backyard for a high-profile linebacker. Evans, regarded as one of the top two linebackers in the country, joined Reuben Foster in leaving Auburn High School for Tuscaloosa. ''As soon as Rashaan committed to us, Reuben Foster called me and absolutely said that he was a much better recruiter than I was and he was really responsible for that,'' Saban said.
One that got away: There weren't many important targets the Tide whiffed on. They made a late run for Miami commitment (and signee) Chad Thomas, a five-star defensive end. He made an official visit to Tuscaloosa last weekend and called it his ''best visit ever'' on Twitter.
