Alabama Football: 5 early signees who’ll have instant impact in 2019

Alabama football once again sits atop the recruiting rankings, with a slew of prospects hoping to make early impacts in 2019. Here’s the five most likely candidates.

After a bit of a dramatic opening day of the early signing period, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide secured the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, holding off a furious charge from Kirby Smart and Georgia.

The day started with five-star safety Dax Hill flipping his commitment from Alabama back to Michigan, and then budding smoke that Alabama’s top two targets — five-star teammates Trey Sanders and Evan Neal — would be spurning the Crimson Tide for Georgia.

Saban rallied the troops and held off the Bulldogs, though, landing the signatures of Sanders and Neal, as well as flipping four-star safety Jordan Battle from Ohio State to lessen the sting of losing Hill.

In total, Alabama signed 23 of their 26 commitments on Wednesday, with up to six spots still available between now and National Signing Day in February after the Tide signed only 21 guys in last year’s class.

The three holdouts’ — defensive end Byron Young, cornerback Christian Williams, and running back Keilan Robinson — inclusion in the class will largely depend on what happens with some of Alabama’s top targets over the next month and a half.

Alabama still figures to be players in the races for five-star DT Ishmael Sopsher, four-star OLB Henry To’oto’o, and four-star defensive end Khris Bogle among others between now and February.

Regardless, Alabama’s 2019 recruiting class is an astonishing bounce-back from last season’s 5th ranked class, which was the first time in seven years the Crimson Tide didn’t finish atop the 247 composite rankings. 22 of Alabama’s 23 signees are four or five star prospects, with the lone exception being kicker Will Reichard, the no. 1 ranked player at his position.

Freshmen have made instant contributions more often in Tuscaloosa over the last couple of years than ever before. In 2017, notably Tua Tagovailoa, Najee Harris, Alex Leatherwood, Dylan Moses, and a trio of receivers — Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, and Devonta Smith — among others, made instant impacts at the Capstone.

This season, WR Jaylen Waddle and CB Patrick Surtain II were freshmen All-Americans, both playing vital roles to help Alabama capture the SEC Championship and a fifth straight appearance in the College Football Playoff.

This class has numerous guys itching to do the same thing. Who are the most likely candidates to make instant impacts in Tuscaloosa next season?

Here’s five to keep an eye on.