The dust has cleared following a busy Early Signing Day, and Alabama’s 2022 class remains on top of the Rivals rankings. The Crimson Tide secured signatures from 22 recruits Wednesday while also receiving a commitment from LSU cornerback Eli Ricks, one of the top-rated players in the transfer portal.
Here’s a breakdown of what Alabama brought in on its big day.
Yet another five-star edge rusher
At this point, Alabama’s depth at outside linebacker doesn’t seem fair. Even after losing redshirt senior starter Christopher Allen to a season-ending injury during the opener against Miami, the Tide’s stable of pass rushers rivals any in the nation.
Alabama has the nation’s most prolific edge rusher in Will Anderson Jr., who leads the nation in both sacks (15.5) and tackles for a loss (31.5). The unanimous All-American is currently flanked by a fellow five-star talent in Dallas Turner, who made the SEC All-Freshman team while tallying 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. Then there’s four-star sophomore Drew Sanders, who originally filled in admirably for Allen before relinquishing his starting spot to Turner after an injury of his own.
The unit also includes former Rivals100 prospects in five-star sophomore Chris Brasswell, four-star sophomore Quandarrius Robinson and four-star freshman Keanu Koht. That’s a total of three five-stars and three highly-rated four-star prospects all set to return next season.
Wednesday, Alabama added a player ranked higher than all of the above to the mix as it signed another five-star edge rusher in Jeremiah Alexander. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defender is the crown jewel of the Tide’s 2022 class, joining the team as the No. 1 weakside defensive end and No. 4 overall player in the nation. Alexander earned MaxPreps Alabama Football Player of the Year honors this past season, recording 93 tackles, including 29 for loss and 10 sacks while helping lead Thompson High Scool to the 7A state title.
"The guy's an outstanding football player,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Wednesday. “Makes a lot of plays. Very instinctive. Very explosive. Good pass rusher. Has got a lot of power as a player. And he's been a guy that's been productive now for three years in high school. And they won several state championships in a row. I think his leadership and his ability to make plays on defense has probably contributed to that in a significant way. I think the guy's an outstanding football player."
A QB “made of the right stuff"
Outside of Alexander, the biggest piece of Alabama’s class figures to be four-star quarterback Ty Simpson. Saban generally likes to add at least one quarterback in each class. However, Simpson isn’t just any passer.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound pro-style quarterback was named Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year after throwing for 2,921 yards and 44 touchdowns while rushing for 1,206 yards and 15 more scores to lead his team to a 15-1 record and a state title. He’s also the son of Tennessee-Martin head coach Jason Simpson and comes to Tuscaloosa, Ala., with more football knowledge than an average freshman.
“We’re always excited to get a quality quarterback,” Saban said, “and Ty Simpson is certainly someone that we recruited a long time, know a lot about, is made of the right stuff and certainly has a lot of talent and ability.”
Simpson joined the team this week and will aid in the Tide’s preparation for its College Football Playoff semifinal game against Cincinnati on Dec. 31. While he’ll need to sit a season during Bryce Young’s final year, he could become the Heisman Trophy winner’s successor in 2023.
“The guy's got a really good arm,” Saban said of Simpson. “He's very accurate. He's smart. He's kind of one of those guys that loves football, is always asking football questions, wants to learn as much as he can. I think sometimes those guys get referred to as football junkies, but that's a good thing and certainly a good thing at the quarterback position.
“I think he's bright. He's smart. He's a good decision-maker. He's very instinctive as a player. He can make plays with his feet. I just think in every way he was the guy we targeted in this class as being the guy we wanted, and we felt very fortunate that we were able to get him."
More speed at WR
This spring, Saban expressed a need for speed in his receiving corps. The solution wound up being Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams, who has torched the Tide’s competition by ranking in the top five nationally in receiving yards (1,445), receiving touchdowns (15) and yards per catch (21.25).
Chances are, Alabama’s speedster receiver will be running to the NFL this offseason, leaving Saban once again looking to inject more juice into his unit. Wednesday, the Tide did just that, signing four Rivals100 receivers in Shazz Preston (No. 5 WR, No. 42 overall), Aaron Anderson (No. 8 WR, No. 56 overall), Kobe Prentice (No. 15 WR, No. 85 overall) and Isaiah Bond (No. 17 WR, No. 89 overall) — all of whom excelled on their high school track teams.
Alabama has produced four first-round receivers over the past two seasons with Williams projected to make it five in three years next spring. Wednesday, Saban said his new quartet of wideouts offers the same potential.
“We want to continue to be able to track guys like that that are difference-makers,” Saban said. “People that can actually put points on the board, make explosive plays have been something that’s really been a significant part of our offensive production.
“Obviously, you need to have a good quarterback to do that, and Bryce [Young] did a great job of allowing those guys to be able to feature their talents, and I feel good about this group of guys.”
A trio of unique talents on the DL
Alabama would have liked to have landed Rivals100 defensive lineman Anthony Lucas, who committed to Texas A&M on Wednesday. However, you won’t catch anyone in Tuscaloosa pouting about the Tide’s haul on the defensive line.
Alabama signed three four-star defensive linemen Jaheim Oatis, Khurtiss Perry and Isaiah Hastings.
Oatis, a 6-foot-5, 360-pound defensive tackle from Columbia, Miss. was a big get — both figuratively and literally — for the Tide as it was able to stave off Ole Miss for his signature. He is the highest-rated member of the trio, ranking as the No. 6 defensive tackle and No. 84 overall player in the class.
“Jaheim (Oatis) is a big guy that is hard to block,” Saban said, “and I think we still need to get some guys like that for certain situations.”
Perry, who entered Wednesday as the top uncommitted player in the state of Alabama, signed with the Tide over rival Auburn. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive tackle will need to put on some weight at the next level but offers nice athleticism at the position.
"Khurtiss is really a good player,” Saban said. “He's got great initial quickness. He's a good pass rusher. The guy is very, very productive. He's very instinctive. He runs well. So we were excited to get him, and we wanted to get some guys like that that are athletic.”
Hastings, a native of Toronto, Canada, is perhaps the most interesting of the bunch. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defender has played just one year of American high school football but delivers plenty of power off the line.
“We were really impressed with his ability and his upside and what he can become," Saban said.
A similar story at cornerback
Stop if you’ve heard this one before. Alabama pulls a talented cornerback from American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., who happens to be a son of a former NFL defensive back.
Earl Little Jr.’s path to Alabama is almost identical to Patrick Surtain II, who signed with the Tide as a five-star recruit out of American Heritage in 2018. Like the former SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Little joins the Tide as a highly-rated prospect, ranking as the No. 9 cornerback and No. 76 overall player in his class.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound signee is the son of former NFL safety Earl Little Sr., who played nine seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. Along with soaking up knowledge from his father, the younger Little played his high school ball under Patrick Surtain Sr., who made three Pro Bowls over 11 seasons as an NFL defensive back.
"Earl, I think, is an outstanding player,” Saban said. “He’s got really good feet. He can run. He’s an instinctive player. He plays with toughness. He was on the top of our board all year long as one of the outstanding corners in the country.
“We’re excited to have him, we’re excited to get him. I think he’s going to have a great opportunity here with us based on the players that we have coming back. He’s a very mature young man. I think that he’s smart, and I think those kinds of guys sort of can develop a little more quickly.
“His dad was a great player. His dad’s a coach. I think sometimes that adds to a guys’ overall knowledge and ability to understand concepts and develop confidence in how they need to play. We’re excited about Earl Little."
Little is one of four defensive backs Alabama signed Wednesday, joining Trequon Fegans, Antonio Kite and Jake Pope. That’s in addition to Ricks, who has tallied five interceptions and six pass breakups over 16 games at LSU the past two years.
Alabama’s future secondary already seemed bright with SEC All-Freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry leading the way. Wednesday’s reinforcements could form something special over the next few years.
A versatile playmaker
While recruiting Emmanuel Henderson, Saban found himself asking the same question: “What do you want to play?” The 6-foot-1, 185-pound playmaker responded the same way each time.
“He just says, ‘I’ll play whatever you need me to play. Whatever I can do to help the team,’” Saban recalled Wednesday. “I think the guy has special athletic ability. Probably could be a receiver, probably could be a running back. Where he fits the best, we’ll probably be able to figure out better once he gets here and once we start working with him and can actually evaluate his skill set first hand.”
Henderson, a native of Hartford, Ala., lined up at several spots while piling up more than 5,000 rushing yards during his time at Geneva County High School. The former track star has been timed at 11.4 seconds in the 100-meter dash and also played basketball in addition to football during high school.
Henderson is projected to start his career as a running back but has the hands and length to move outside to receiver if needed. The good thing for Alabama is that he’s willing to do either to help the team as early as possible.
“We think he’s an outstanding young man and an outstanding young player who’s got great potential,” Saban said. “But again, everybody has got to be focused on, what do I have to do to develop as a player? What kind of mindset do I have to focus on the process of what I need to do to do it? And how much self-discipline I have to get it done. And Emmanuel seems like the right kind of guy to do those things."
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