Alabama Football: Ranking Crimson Tide’s last 10 recruiting classes
By Dakota Cox
9. 2011
Best Player: Cyrus Kouandjio
Best Value: Vinnie Sunseri
Although this class lacks the big name that 2010 had, it is still loaded with talent. Cyrus Kouandjio was a part of some of the best offensive lines Alabama has ever had. You also added defensive front talent with D.J. Pettway, Jesse Williams, and Xzavier Dickson. Trey DePriest started at linebacker, but he’s not in the same class as Reuben Foster, Dont’a Hightower, and Mosley.
In the secondary, you added Ha Ha Clinton-Dix alongside Vinnie Sunseri to have some next-level talent. Sunseri wasn’t a natural talent physically, but he always gave 100 percent and had a high football IQ. Clinton-Dix had the athletic ability to play single-high safety, allowing the strong safety beside him to step into the box and occasionally rush the passer.
A great value pick for this class is also Ryan Kelly. Kelly is probably the best center in Alabama football history. Getting him as a four-star talent is certainly a gem. Kelly is now proving himself with the Indianapolis Colts, home to one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Christion Jones was also a talented player from this class. Jones did a lot for Alabama as both a receiver and a special teams player. He’s no Julio or Javier, but he filled a role that the Tide needed him to fill.
One player that didn’t turn out was Phillip Ely. Ely was a gamble at quarterback. Some hoped that he would be there to take over when A.J. McCarron graduated, but he transferred after not getting a lot of playing time with the Tide. He wasn’t a pivotal piece in this class, but it’s always nice to have a quarterback prospect pan out for you when you give them a scholarship.