The Alabama Crimson Tide have continued their ascent up the recruiting rankings during the first-ever early signing period.

On Wednesday, they landed their first 5-star player of the 2018 cycle, which will be a huge boost for the Tide as they continue to search for elite prospects.

According to recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill, the No. 7 overall player in the 2018 class — Baltimore-based DE Eyabi Anoma — committed to sign with Alabama:

According to the 247Sports composite, Anoma is the No. 2 weak-side defensive end in the class of 2018 and the No. 1 overall recruit from the state of Maryland.

The Crimson Tide were also competing with Maryland and Michigan for Anoma, but as you can see in the video below, shared by @MPJ520 on Twitter, he chose Alabama: