Five Things to Watch for on Alabama's National Signing Day

What was once figured to be a sleepy National Signing Day in Tuscaloosa, Ala., might now offer a bit more intrigue for the Crimson Tide. Alabama appeared to have all of its high-school signings out of the way in December when it added 23 freshmen during the early signing period. However, the Crimson Tide is now in the mix for two more possible additions on Wednesday.

Alabama is a finalist for a pair of three-star recruits in tight end Danny Lewis Jr. (New Iberia, La.) and Florida offensive line commit Jalen Farmer (Covington, Ga). While neither member of the duo is a blockbuster name, both are considered to be diamonds in the rough and could end up being seen as signing-day steals in a few years' time. Farmer will announce his decision at 8 a.m. CT, while Lewis is expected to sign at 1 p.m.

Outside of those possible additions, it will be interesting to see if Alabama comes away with the No. 1 recruiting class. The Crimson Tide currently has the most players in the SI99 with 12, edging out Texas A&M (11) and Georgia (10). Alabama will also enter Wednesday with the top-rated recruiting class according to Rivals, while 247Sports and On3 both have the Tide at No. 2 behind Texas A&M.

As with any National Signing Day, the media will also meet with Nick Saban, who will answer questions about the class as well as other new additions to next season’s team.

Here are five things to watch for as Alabama puts a final bow on its 2022 class.

A battle on the bayou

Will Lewis dance with Brian Kelly in LSU, follow Billy Napier to Florida or roll with Saban in Alabama? A lot has changed for the 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end since backing off his commitment to Cincinnati on Jan. 12.

Lewis traveled to all three of his finalists this month, taking an official visit to Alabama on Jan. 21 before doing the same at LSU (Jan. 26) and Florida (Jan. 28). He also took an additional official visit to Florida on Jan. 14.

All three of Lewis’ finalists feel good about their chances. Alabama appeared to be leading the race for his commitment following his visit to Tuscaloosa. Kelly then put the moves on him during his visit to the home-state Tigers. Florida seems to be in third place at the moment, but a connection with head coach Billy Napier and cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond has the Gators still in contention.

Alabama already signed a pair of four-star tight end prospects in this year’s class in Nimari Black and Elijah Brown. However, after seeing Jaleel Skinner flip to Miami during the early signing period, the Crimson Tide is hoping to add another future difference-maker at the position. If Alabama misses out on Lewis, it will likely turn to the transfer portal. Although, there aren’t a lot of talented options available at the moment, making the need for Lewis that much greater.

A big flip

Earlier Tuesday, BamaCentral provided a look at a few of Alabama’s possible combinations on the offensive line for the coming season. That included a possible starting five that weighed in at 1,641 pounds. If the Crimson Tide is able to flip Farmer from Florida, the 6-foot-5, 325-pounder would bring even more beef to the unit.

Alabama didn’t start showing interest in Farmer until last week, extending him an offer last Thursday. A day later, the Georgia native was in Tuscaloosa for a visit.

One advantage Alabama has in Farmer’s recruitment is the hiring of new offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who served as the lineman’s primary recruiter with Kentucky before joining the Crimson Tide. Along with the possibility of remaining committed to Florida, Farmer is also considering Alabama, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Coaching changes at Florida and now Kentucky might give the Crimson Tide the chance it needs to make a late move for his signature.

See you in a couple of years

It’s been understood for a while that four-star defensive line commit Walter Bob would not be a part of Alabama's recruiting class this year. However, the plan for the Acadiana, La., native has now been announced.

According to a report from The Daily Advertiser, Bob is attending Hutchinson Community College in Kansas where he will spend two years before joining Alabama as a JUCO transfer. The report states that Bob is in junior college due to academic reasons and that Alabama was expecting the move.

Bob, 6-foot-4, 245-pounds, will look to add some weight over the next two years. That being said, he’s an interesting prospect moving forward. This past season, the four-star defensive lineman earned 5A first-team all-state honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Transfer talk

In addition to its freshman signing class, Alabama has added three top transfers this offseason in Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs, LSU cornerback Eli Ricks and Georgia receiver Jermaine Burton. All three players have already joined the team, allowing Saban to speak about them for the first time.

Each member of the incoming trio is expected to play a significant role on next season’s team.

Gibbs comes to Alabama after leading Georgia Tech with 746 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries while also pulling in 36 receptions for 470 yards and two more scores through the air. He earned a 91.5 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest mark among running backs with at least 30 targets.

Ricks should compete for one of the two starting cornerback positions following the departures of starters Jalyn Armour-Davis and Josh Jobe. Ricks started six games for LSU, recording 11 tackles, including .5 for a loss, with an interception and a pass deflection last season before undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury in October. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound defender earned Freshman All-SEC honors in 2020, leading the Tigers with four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Burton will offer valuable experience to Alabama’s young wide receiving corps. The 6-foot, 200-pound receiver led all Georgia wideouts with 497 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 26 receptions. Those numbers came on just 30 targets as he did not record a drop, according to PFF.

The race for most SI99s

Alabama will enter Wednesday with the most players in this year’s SI99. However, that might not still be the case by the end of the day. While the Crimson Tide currently holds a 12-11 lead over Texas A&M, the Aggies are still in the mix for several undecided players.

Five-star edge rusher Shemar Stewart, the No. 3 player in the SI99, will likely choose between Texas A&M and Miami. The Aggies are also looking to re-add five-star Harold Perkins (No. 16), who decommitted to Texas A&M on Jan. 24. In addition to those two, the Aggies are battling LSU and others for four-star safety Jacoby Mathews (No. 79).

It’s unlikely Alabama will land another SI99 member, so if Texas A&M goes at least 2 of 3 on the above list, the Aggies will win the SI99 race.