TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide arrives before taking on the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Ohio State has had a stranglehold on the No. 1 recruiting class for 2021 for quite some time. Alabama is officially making its presence felt though.
For a while, the Crimson Tide were uncharacteristically quiet on the recruiting trail. As of two months ago, they were 47th in the national team composite rankings, an unheard of standing for a program that has dominated recruiting under Nick Saban.
Alabama has made up ground quickly, however. The Tide entered today with the No. 6 2021 recruiting class in the country.
Following the commitment of Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County four-star offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson this afternoon, they are now up to No. 2 in the rankings, trailing only the Buckeyes. Ohio State has 305.37 total points, compared to the Tide’s 269.24.
1000% COMMITTED!!❤️ pic.twitter.com/vxGQHpKM5s
— 6️⃣9️⃣™️ (@TjFerguson69) July 19, 2020
Currently, Ohio State has 19 total commitments, including 12 four-stars and four five-stars. Alabama, meanwhile, has 15 pledges, counting nine four-stars and three five-stars among them.
The Buckeyes are not going to relinquish their No. 1 spot easily. In fact, just this afternoon, they landed their own major commitment in the form of four-star cornerback Jordan Hancock, who flipped from Clemson.
However, Alabama is reportedly set to land five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne out of Michigan next weekend. That would put them on equal footing with OSU when it comes to five-star prospects, and 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong has a detailed breakdown on what the Crimson Tide must do to catch and overtake the Buckeyes.
It will be a fun next few months on the recruiting trail for both illustrious programs.
