As the joke goes, there are 3 football seasons at Alabama: football season, spring football season and football recruiting season.

Alabama has 17 national championships stocking its full-to-bursting trophy case, and that’s due to the unprecedented prowess coach Nick Saban, his assistant coaches and the sprawling Crimson Tide football operation. Power 5 programs recruit nationally. Saban? He not only recruits nationally, but he flashes Aflac rings in commercials — and gets paid to do it.

Between Saban yukking it up with a talking duck and the small army of Crimson Tide alumni cashing 7-figure NFL paychecks, football-playing teenagers with stars attached to their bio know where the best of the best play in college. According to 247sports.com, Alabama is once again at the pinnacle of the football recruiting world heading into Wednesday’s Early Signing Period.

Let’s take a closer look at the Crimson Tide’s 2021 signing class as it stands, understanding that nothing is official until scholarships are signed:

By the numbers

SEC rank: 1
National rank: 1
5-stars: 6
4-stars: 12
3-stars: 4

Top player: Offensive tackle JC Latham, 5-stars

Put simply, you can’t teach 6-6 and 305 pounds out of high school. Latham is finishing at IMG Academy in Bradenton after playing at Waukesha (Wisc.) Catholic Memorial his first 2 years. He’s the No. 1 tackle and No. 2 player in the country. (Bama also has a commitment from the No. 2 tackle/No. 5 player in the country, Tommy Brockermeyer.)

Initially a defensive lineman, Latham has long arms and is pretty much ready-made from a size and bulk standpoint with little bad weight. He played basketball at Catholic Memorial, which has helped in his lateral movement and change of direction.

Latham already is showing strong promise as a dominant run blocker, which Alabama values. Plus, Latham’s advanced flexibility helps him get a leverage advantage against DLs. Not afraid of contact and physicality, working to finish blocks and get to the second level of defenses.

Class strength

We’ve addressed the stacked offensive line.

Alabama craves defensive strength up front, and the Crimson Tide gets it in spades with this class. Highlighted by 5-star defensive end Dallas Turner from St. Thomas Aquinas HS in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and 5-star defensive tackle Damon Payne from Belleville (Mich.) HS, Alabama’s defensive line haul is tremendous.

When you add 4-star defensive end Monkell Goodwine (Rock Creek Christian Academy, Upper Marlboro, Md.) and 3-star defensive tackles Tim Keenan (Ramsay HS, Birmingham, Ala.) and Anquin Barnes (Robert E. Lee HS, Montgomery, Ala.), the Tide’s defensive line needs are met and then some.

Class weakness

While it isn’t necessarily a weakness, not landing a quarterback is a mild concern. Yes, the immediate future after Mac Jones seems just fine in the hands of Bryce Young, but Alabama will need to convert the offer to 4-star dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe (Tompkins HS, Katy, Texas) to make it complete.

At 6-3 and 206 pounds, Milroe has an impressive frame and a very live arm. Unlike a pure pocket passer like Jones, Milroe is cut from the Tua Tagovailoa cloth in that he can buy time with his legs and extend a play to find the open man. Alabama’s scheme would change somewhat with Milroe taking snaps, but offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has no problem altering the scheme to the talent available.

Grading the QB class

Even if Milroe signs with Texas, which is a distinct possibility, it isn’t like Alabama’s quarterback dance card is empty. The Crimson Tide would probably lean harder on 5-star QB Caleb Williams (Gonzaga HS, Washington, D.C.) or maybe even try to take a late run at 4-star pro-style QB Shedeur Sanders (Trinity Christian School, Cedar Hill, Texas) — though Sanders seems destined to follow father and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to Jackson State.

Again, quarterback isn’t exactly a huge need right now. Jones isn’t a lock to head to the NFL even if he does win the Heisman Trophy, and Young seems solid as his backup. But Alabama’s singular strength is in not planning for tomorrow, but planning for 3 years from tomorrow.

Did Alabama close the borders?

With 3 of the state’s top 10 players ready to sign, Alabama did a solid job closing the borders. Only 3 of 10, you say? Sure, but Auburn only has 1, so there’s that. Tennessee, behind the recruiting prowess of former Tide assistant Jeremy Pruitt, has 4 Alabama players, overall, ready to sign with the Volunteers.

Alabama’s in-state haul is highlighted by 5-star defensive back Ga’Quincy McKinstry (Pinson Valley, Ala., HS), the nation’s No. 18 player at his position who also started at wide receiver in high school. He’s the state’s top player. But 4-star linebackers Deontae Lawson (Mobile Christian School, Mobile, Ala.) and Ian Jackson (Prattville, Ala., HS) could provide the Tide some immediate dividends.

Final thought …

Alabama under Saban has refined recruiting to an art form, and perennially is among the very best in the business at identifying young talent and luring them to Tuscaloosa. The wealth of national championship rings might have something to do with it, as does the lengthy list of current NFL talent at almost every position.

And while it is true there are no off days in recruiting, Saban and his small army of Crimson Tide football analysts/recruiting staff scour not only the state but the country to get the best of the best. This class is no exception. The rich get richer.