Since Nick Saban took over as head coach in 2007, Alabama has been college football’s most dominant program, winning 11.4 games per year — that includes a 7-6 mark in his first season — and three national championships. Believe it or not, that might count as underachieving, because the Crimson Tide have been even more dominant off the field.
Alabama has 2015’s No. 1 recruiting class, extending streak to 5 years
Ho hum, the Crimson Tide signed another top-rated recruiting class.
The class of 2015 is the fifth straight for Bama finishing No. 1 in the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, which combine all four major recruiting services into one. It’s not much of a stretch to say Saban’s program, with all those blue-chip prospects over the years, is the most talented in the history of the sport. And it’s shown on the field, which means the so-called Bama Bump exists for a reason.
This year, USC came very close to topping Bama on the Composite thanks to a massive National Signing Day, and even pulled the No. 1 class on Rivals.com. The Trojans added blue chips John Houston and Rasheem Green and are favored for No. 1 CB Iman Marshall, but will still finish a couple points shy on the Composite, assuming no other changes. But Alabama’s been by far the favorite for the No. 1 spot for nine months now.
More Tide
How amazing is Alabama’s recruiting run? Consider:
- In the history of Composite rankings, only one other program has finished No. 1 in consecutive years. That streak covered only two cycles: USC in 2005 and ‘06.
- Alabama has signed 24 five-star prospects since 2011, including six in each of the last three classes.
- The 2014 NFL Draft was the first in which freshmen from the 2011 class could be selected. Eight Alabama players were picked.
- Since 2011, 11 Alabama players have gone off the board in the first round.
- In each of the last two recruiting classes, Alabama has pulled in more five-stars than three-stars.
- The Tide have signed 18 (!) five-star prospects in the last three years. The next-closest team is Florida State with eight.
- Alabama’s average finish over the last five years is first (duh). The next-best program over the same stretch, Florida State, has an average finish of 4.4.
- Over the last five years, Alabama has averaged 311.7 Composite points per class. That means the 2015 class, with 311.08 points at the moment, six five stars and 14 four-stars, is only an average Saban class. After USC, the next best in 2015 is Florida State at 286.8, the same distance that separates No. 9 Auburn and No. 15 Oklahoma.
- Alabama has finished with more than 300 points four years in a row. Only two other classes -- Ohio State’s in 2013 and USC’s this year -- garnered at least 300.
Saban’s contract at Alabama runs through 2022, seven more years. While there will be challengers -- Ohio State under Urban Meyer, Florida State under Jimbo Fisher -- it’s hard to see Alabama’s recruiting dynasty ending anytime soon.
