Recruiting Rundown: The Impact of the NFL Draft on Top Prospects

For young recruits aspiring to reach the highest level, the draft is a great tool for some schools.

The ultimate goal of most football prospects is to make it to the NFL. That is why schools like Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia continue to have top recruits in their programs. Sure, contending for a national championship is a major factor, but guys choose the programs that can help them reach the next level.

Coaches like Nick Saban, Ryan Day and Kirby Smart regularly attend the draft because they have a lot of players that get selected every year - Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia each had three players selected in the first round yesterday.

But seeing those coaches on the screen, combined with hearing "Alabama," "Alabama," and "Alabama over and over again, can leave a lasting impression on a young recruit.

Once more, what better way to show a recruit that a program can help him accomplish his dream, than by showing him that the players from your program get drafted high every year? On top of that, 13 players have entered the 2023 NFL Draft from Alabama, and all of them have a legitimate chance to get drafted, which would break the record for most in a single draft for the Crimson Tide.

Coaching staffs do a lot of marketing during the recruiting process, but the draft is one event that does it for them.

Tide-bit

• Demarcus Riddick is a priority target by the Crimson Tide as he was seen riding with Saban during the captain's ceremony. Riddick is already committed to Georgia, but if anyone can flip a recruit, it's the Crimson Tide.

Recruits to Remember 

• WR Cameron Coleman - 6 feet, 3 inches, 180 pounds 5-star, Central High School, Phenix City, Ala.

• WR Mike Matthews - 6 feet, 1 inch, 180 pounds, 5-star, Parkview High School, Lilburn, Ga.

• WR Micah Hudson - 6 feet, 190 pounds, 5-star, Lake Belton High School, Temple Tx.