How Much of Threats are Miami's Mario Cristobal and Florida's Billy Napier to Alabama in Recruiting?
If Alabama fans had a nickel for every time they heard about the next great thing in coaching threatening Nick Saban's reign as best recruiter in the nation ...
Sure, under Saban, Alabama has dominated the recruiting trail and taken home numerous top-ranked classes. The Crimson Tide's worst finish in 15 years has been fifth in 2018.
Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, LSU and Texas A&M most recently, are the only schools that have been able to lure in similar talent to the Crimson Tide year-over-year. Alabama has also made it an emphasis to recruit the entire nation compared to just certain regions.
One state in particular that Saban and company have been able to steal high-level talent from over the years is Florida as the Sunshine State has been awfully nice to the Crimson Tide.
Trent Richardson, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry, Eddie Jackson, Calvin Ridley, Ronnie Harrison, Jerry Jeudy, Alex Leatherwood, Mac Jones, Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II and Evan Neal are just some of the stellar Florida prospects that have made their college home in Tuscaloosa. Just over the last two recruiting cycles in 2021 and 2022, Alabama has also signed 12 players from the state.
The Crimson Tide has been able to benefit from historic programs in flux like Miami, Florida State and Florida. But, with the Gators and Hurricanes both hiring former Saban assistants in Billy Napier and Mario Cristobal, could Alabama's Sunshine State pipeline take a hit?
Let's start by taking a look at Napier.
Billy Napier during the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game versus Clemson
Alabama Athletics
The former Louisiana-Lafayette coach spent a total of five seasons with Saban. In 2011, he was an offensive analyst, but from 2013-2016, he served as the Crimson Tide's wide receiver coach and played a massive role in the recruitments of Ridley and Jeudy.
Outside of Florida, he also helped bring in the likes of offensive lineman Cam Robinson, cornerback Trevon Diggs and wide receiver DeVonta Smith. In 2014, 247Sports ranked Napier the fifth best recruiter in the nation.
When Napier arrived in Gainesville at the end of last November, the Gators ranked just outside the top 75 in 2022 recruiting classes at 77. By the traditional signing day earlier this month, he was able to get Florida across the finish line at 19th.
Talk about a rise.
"Napier has already went head-to-head and beat Saban for a prospect in 2022 linebacker Shemar James, an Alabama native, after he previously de-committed from the Gators when they fired Dan Mullen," Sports Illustrated All-American recruiting expert John Garcia Jr. told BamaCentral. "The tangible already exists for Florida and Miami in winning head-to-head battles over Alabama. Napier is very structured. This is a guy who has come up around Saban and has also found his own footing in different places like Louisiana, Clemson and Arizona State.
"Billy Napier understands the structure needed to recruit at a high level in the SEC and the state of Florida. I think he is as organized and structured as a coach you will find. Kids will resonate that with him as a person and the staff he has built. That's why you saw so many kids from Louisiana follow him to Florida and recruits picking the Gators despite him not being there for long."
Moving on to Cristobal, he is the one that could potentially prove to be the bigger thorn in Saban's side moving forward.
Mario Cristobal during the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game versus Clemson
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The impact of Cristobal going back to his alma mater, Miami, has already been felt by Alabama as the Hurricanes were able to convince 2022 tight end Jaleel Skinner to sign with them during the early signing period over the Crimson Tide, where he was committed for months. That move paved the way for Alabama to go after tight end Danny Lewis during the traditional signing period.
Cristobal served as the Crimson Tide's offensive line coach from 2013-2017, and in 2015, he really showcased his ability to recruit by being named Recruiter of the Year by various outlets including 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
During that 2015 recruiting class, Cristobal flexed his muscle and was able to play a significant role in helping three five-stars, Ridley, defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and defensive tackle Daron Payne.
On the offensive line, Cristobal had a huge hand in Alabama landing the likes of Jonah Williams, Robinson, Leatherwood, Lester Cotton, Richie Petitbon, Ross Pierchbacher, Dominick Jackson and Deonte Brown.
"Cristobal has been there and done it before at many high levels," Garcia said. "This is a homecoming for him. He recruited south Florida well for Alabama, as well as for Oregon and for others. To think that he wouldn't be a threat to Alabama and others is quite ignorant. He is a Miami guy through and through. The different types of players he has recruited speak for itself.
"Now, Alabama is still Alabama. Georgia is still Georgia. Clemson is still Clemson and Ohio State is still Ohio State. It would also be just as foolish to think that all of the south Florida talent will stay down there. Competing for national championships and NFL development will still pull some kids away from there. But priority No. 1 for Cristobal is keeping south Floridians home, like all the great Miami coaches have done in the past. That road will be easy for the Hurricanes to do with Mario at the helm."
Garcia points out that the staff Cristobal has assembled in Corral Gables, that includes the likes of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, runnings back coach Kevin Smith and defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae.
"Mario has the right mix of guys around him," Garcia said. "Guys who know the area and guys who have an external perspective to balance it out. This Miami staff presents something that the Hurricanes haven't had over the last decade or so."
At the end of the day, it all comes back to winning and getting the best results on the field, which in turn equals consistent success on the recruiting trail. Therein lies the true answer to if the Gators and Hurricanes can topple college football's best.
"The pipeline to Alabama for Florida prospects is certainly going to be harder to achieve now with the new coaches in the state of Florida," Garcia added. "But at the same time, the allure of the Crimson Tide will continue, unless the recruiting elsewhere combines with winning at a level that the current high school recruit has never seen in his lifetime. That is really what changes things long term. But it will be a new challenge moving forward trying to mine elite talent from the state of Florida."
Alabama's only recruit so far in the 2023 class is Elliot Washington Jr., a defensive back out of Venice, Fla. Washington's father played basketball for the Crimson Tide in the 1990's.
