It won’t take long for every SEC program to see just what expansion will do for them. All they have to do is check with the accounting department. However, some programs got an even bigger boost, especially Alabama.

Adding Oklahoma and Texas will further the SEC’s television footprint and result in more income from broadcast rights. It’s impossible to even project how much the SEC will receive from television when the next television contract is up. There’s a new, shiny glean on what was already the best conference in the nation.

Financially, everyone wins. In recruiting, it’s not quite that simple. One would think every SEC West team will benefit with their new recruiting pitch. That’s the good news for programs in the SEC West. The bad news for SEC West schools is that no one benefits more than Alabama.

The Crimson Tide, which is hands-down the best program in the nation, can now further its reach into the state of Texas. That’s a bit scary. Bama already cherry picks the best prospects in the country. Now, they’ll just up the ante in the Longhorn State. Texas A&M has already given Bama more exposure in Texas. Adding another program from the state will only further the Crimson Tide’s success in Texas.

It’s no surprise that Alabama has already raided the state of Texas. Quarterback Jalen Hurts may ring a bell. He’s not alone. He is just one example of the many Texas-born players who have been successful in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide have 16 players from Texas on their roster: freshman receiver JoJo Earle, freshman quarterback Jalen Milroe, freshman OL twins James and Tommy Brockermeyer, sophomore linebacker Drew Sanders, sophomore running back Jase McClellan, freshman running back Camar Wheaton, junior defensive back Marcus Banks, freshman linebacker Kendrick Blackshire, sophomore offensive lineman Damieon George Jr., freshman offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts, senior offensive lineman Chris Owens, sophomore kicker Chase Allen, freshman receiver Jacoby Boykins, senior tight end Major Tennison and sophomore defensive lineman Keelan Cox.

That’s a whopping 16 — yes 16 — players on Alabama’s roster that hail from Texas. And did you notice something else about that list? First, most were extremely highly-rated prospects with in-state offers that they denied when Alabama came calling. The other aspect worthy of consideration is the fact that the Crimson Tide have 8 freshmen and 13 underclassmen from Texas. Those players will be able to help Bama recruit Texas, especially if they’re successful.

Alabama isn’t just recruiting Texas. For an out-of-state school, the Tide are dominating. The addition of Texas A&M to the conference in 2012 surely has helped Bama’s recruiting efforts. Will adding Texas to the mix do the same? Almost assuredly.

Maybe the ability to play for Texas, be in the SEC and stay close to home will help Texas and hurt Alabama. I doubt it. If you want to match Alabama coach Nick Saban against Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley or Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, go for it. I’ll take Saban every time. There’s also no arguing that either Oklahoma or Texas is close to Bama’s stature as long as Saban is on Bryant-Denny’s sideline.

The key is for Saban and his coaches to determine what prospects are actually willing to move to Tuscaloosa as early in the recruiting process as possible. That shouldn’t be hard. Saban and his staff are excellent in that regard. That has been evident by years and years of early recruiting success out of state. It’s a pretty simple sales pitch. If you want this scholarship offer and the chance to play for the nation’s best program, take it now. If not, the Bama jet will fly elsewhere.

There will be more prospects from Texas to sign with Alabama. In the 2022 class, there are 11 prospects from Texas among the top 50 prospects in the nation, according to 247sports. Most are committed elsewhere but that was before the SEC expanded. You can bet that Saban and his staff have checked to see just how strong some of those commitments are now that Oklahoma and Texas have joined the SEC. The Big 12 is a shell of itself when compared to what it was just a month ago. It’s a conference on life support and the beeps keep spreading out.

Thanks to its recent success, Alabama is well known in Texas. Now, they’ll have even more exposure in the talent-rich state. For other programs trying to catch the Crimson Tide, that’s a scary thought.