National Signing Day 2018: 5 players who will make an immediate impact

Junior College: Mississippi Gulf Coast

247 Sports Composite Rankings: 2 overall, No. 1 CB

Alabama traditionally has its pick of high school talent across the country, and though the Crimson Tide slid down the recruiting rankings this year, and the 2017 national championship squad lost many of its most productive defensive players, there wasn’t a drastic need to jump into the junior college ranks for immediate help. Nevertheless, Saivion Smith was available, and as the No. 2 JUCO prospect available and the top cornerback, it was a no-brainer to pursue him.

Smith signed with LSU as a five-star high school recruit and Under Armour All-American. He saw the field often as a true freshman in 2016, including the meat of the SEC schedule. Smith was in the position to make an even bigger impact in 2017 but left the school for Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he recorded 31 total tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble, and also scored twice.

Smith has great size for the cornerback position at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, and he has tremendous raw skills and athleticism. As a result, he has the potential to be an elite man-to-man defender. That makes Smith an ideal fit in Nick Saban’s defense, which often asks corners to play man on the outside.

Because Alabama lost its entire starting secondary to graduation, including starting corners Anthony Averett and Levi Wallace, and nickel back Tony Brown, Smith is nearly guaranteed to be part of the defensive back rotation in 2018, and he’s on the shortlist to start. He’ll compete for the spot in spring practice.