Ad Disclosure
EDITOR’S NOTE: Saturday Down South’s references to recruiting rankings are to 247Sports.com industry composite ranking.
Alabama may have been knocked off its throne at the top of college football for the last two seasons, but Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are still kings of recruiting. Alabama is on track to have the top-ranked recruiting class in the country for the fifth straight year, keeping them in position to contend for national titles.
Saban and his staff have brought in jewels on both sides. Quarterback Blake Barnett and wide receiver Calvin Ridley, both five-star recruits, have the makings of a great aerial duo, having already played together at multiple camps and All-America games. On the defensive side, a pair of five-star cornerbacks, Kendall Sheffield and Minkah Fitzpatrick will help supplement the defensive backfield.
The Tide will also get reinforcements in the trenches. Daron Payne, a four-star defensive tackle, provides serious push in the middle, while four-star defensive end Mekhi Brown will bring some speed to the outside. Alabama has four four-star offensive guards in this class, which will help strengthen one of the weaker spots on the 2014 team.
Seven commits, including Barnett, are already on campus as early enrollees. Barnett is expected to provide competition at quarterback against two other inexperienced passers, Jacob Coker and David Cornwell.
Here’s a look at Alabama’s current 2015 recruiting class. Early enrollees are starred.
| NAT RANK | PLAYER | H.S. (CITY, STATE) | STAR | POS | HGT | WGT |
| 11 | Calvin Ridley | Monarch (Pompano Beach, FL) | 5 | WR | 6′ | 170 |
| 13 | Blake Barnett* | Santiago (Corona, CA) | 5 | PRO | 6’4.5” | 200 |
| 18 | Kendall Sheffield | Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, TX) | 5 | CB | 6’ | 181 |
| 32 | Minkah Fitzpatrck | St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, NJ) | 5 | CB | 6’1” | 198 |
| 35 | Deionte Thompson* | West Orange-Stark (Orange, TX) | 4 | S | 6’2” | 181 |
| 41 | Daron Payne | Shade Valley (Birmingham, AL) | 4 | DT | 6’2” | 325 |
| 43 | Lester Cotton | Central (Tuscaloosa, AL) | 4 | OG | 6’4” | 325 |
| 55 | Richie Petitbon | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) | 4 | OG | 6’4” | 301 |
| 88 | Desherrius Flowers* | Vigor (Mobile, AL) | 4 | RB | 6’0.5” | 204 |
| 113 | Shawn Burgess-Becker | Monarch (Pompano Beach, FL) | 4 | ATH | 6’1” | 185 |
| 123 | Mekhi Brown | Carver (Columbus, GA) | 4 | DE | 6’4.5” | 222 |
| 140 | Hale Hentges | Helias (Jefferson City, MO) | 4 | TE | 6’5″ | 230 |
| 147 | Rico McGraw | Ensworth (Nashville, TN) | 4 | CB | 6’ | 190 |
| 170 | Adonis Thomas | Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA) | 4 | OLB | 6’3.5″ | 229 |
| 179 | Ronnie Harrison* | Florida State University School (Tallahassee, FL) | 4 | S | 6’3” | 205 |
| 223 | Joshua McMillon | Whitehaven (Memphis, TN) | 4 | OLB | 6’3″ | 239 |
| 224 | Dallas Warmack* | Mays (Atlanta, GA) | 4 | OG | 6’1.5″ | 306 |
| 281 | Brandon Kennedy* | Wetumpka (Wetumpka, AL) | 4 | OG | 6’2.5” | 295 |
| 291 | T.D. Moton | Woodlawn (Shreveport, LA) | 4 | DT | 6’2.5″ | 310 |
| 337 | Anfernee Jennings | Dadeville (Dadeville, AL) | 3 | DE | 6’3″ | 256 |
| 372 | Christian Bell | Hoover (Birmingham, AL) | 3 | DE | 6’4” | 220 |
| 586 | Keaton Anderson | Florence (Florence, AL) | 3 | OLB | 6’1″ | 215 |
| 601 | Montrell Custis | Lovejoy (Hampton, GA) | 3 | CB | 6’ | 175 |
| 619 | Matt Womack | Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, MS) | 3 | OT | 6’7″ | 320 |
| JUCO 29 | Jonathan Taylor* | Copiah-Lincoln C.C. (Wesson, MS) | 3 | DT | 6’4” | 335 |
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
