Alabama football: 5 blue-chip recruits most likely to sign with Crimson Tide

Alabama football has a terrific shot of adding these five big-time recruits.

This isn’t something that college football fans are usually accustomed to hearing but Alabama football still has a good bit of work to do on the recruiting trail. Throughout Nick Saban’s dynastic run in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide have perenially hauled in top-five recruiting classes, often coming in with the best class in the country. But for 2021 as we enter July, that’s not the case.

Alabama currently sits at No. 12 in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings. Of course, the safe bet would be that things won’t stay that way. The Crimson Tide have already recently been moving up the rankings, most notably landing four-star weakside defensive end Dallas Turner to move up from No. 18 on July 1. Even still, Saban and his staff have plenty of work left ahead to garner another top-five recruiting class.

Considering the Tide only have 10 commits right now, they are surely going to make some noise moving forward. In particular, though, Alabama football needs to be sure that they land these five players and make them part of the next chapter of the Crimson Tide legacy.

Alabama football recruiting classes are annually among the best. Here are five blue-chip recruits most likely to commit to Nick Saban and Alabama.

The No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2021 recruiting class, many believe that Damon Payne would’ve already committed to Alabama if not for the limitations set forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary recruiter Charles Huff, who has been on a tear already in this recruiting cycle, needs to make sure to land this big fish and not let him get away.

Payne, a Michigan native, has interest from all over the country with 27 offers to this point. More pressingly, Alabama is in the mix with fellow SEC competitor Kentucky in addition to a pair of Pac-12 schools, USC and Arizona State, as the most likely landing spots for the big interior defensive lineman. But to continue their legacy on the defensive line, the Crimson Tide should do everything possible to land him.

Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 297 pounds, Payne is a monster on the interior. He showcases tremendous short-area explosiveness and power, which is evidenced by him playing on both lines up until his junior season in addition to being a member of the Belleville track team as a shot put and discus thrower.

If he were to end up in Tuscaloosa, Payne would be the next player in a long line of interior defenders who offer a ton of versatility. He has the potential to be a game-wrecking pass-rusher up the middle who has the requisite size and strength to clog up the middle against the run. It would be a shame if Alabama were to lose out on that type of upside.