TLDR: Alabama football wraps up the 2024 recruiting cycle with 23 signed players, including two five-stars, eight four-stars, and 13 three-stars. Although the Tide’s score is lower than in previous years, Alabama remains one of the top schools for recruiting talent.

Alabama football isn’t done yet in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and it has been a busy week for the Crimson Tide as the early signing window comes to a close. Before shifting attention back to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, it’s important to assess the success of Alabama’s recruiting efforts.

A total of 23 players have signed their letter of intent and submitted it to UA’s offices in Tuscaloosa. Among them are two five-star recruits, eight four-star recruits, and 13 three-star recruits. Head coach Nick Saban estimates that about 19 of these players have already joined the team in practices, although they won’t be eligible to play until next fall. One notable absence is Saraland athlete Ryan Williams, who will be signing in February.

In terms of national rankings, Alabama currently sits in second place according to 247Sports, just behind Georgia. 247Sports evaluates teams’ signees on a bell curve, giving more value to the top players in each recruiting class. The Crimson Tide finished with a score of 300.75, while the Bulldogs scored 315.22.

Although the media analysis may not hold much weight within the UA coaching offices, it’s worth noting that Alabama’s score is the lowest in five years, since their rating of 289.94 in 2018. It’s important to remember, however, that the name of the recruiting game remains the same. It’s all about talent accumulation, and when it comes to that, few schools can compete with the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. These three schools have consistently assembled top-5 recruiting classes for the past five years. Despite changes in the recruiting calendar, the transfer portal, and the introduction of NIL, the dominance of these programs remains unchanged.