Alabama class No. 4 on signing day eve

Alabama is on the verge of one of the greatest "down years" in the annals of college football recruiting.

After finishing with Rivals.com's No. 1 signing classes in 2008 and again last February, the Crimson Tide entered today's national signing day with the No. 4 crop of commitments. The top three schools -- Florida, Texas and Auburn -- were the final on-field obstacles during Alabama's march to the '09 national title.

This year's Tide haul includes seven of the nation's top 100 players but may not have as many last-minute thrills as its predecessors.

"Last year they waited on Dre Kirkpatrick and Trent Richardson," Rivals.com analyst Jamie Newberg said. "They knew it was not a big surprise, but there was more of that star impact late for Alabama. I also think in the last couple of years that there was more star power in the state of Alabama and that they got all of those guys. None of them went to Auburn. None of them went elsewhere.

"When you look at the upper-echelon guys from the classes of '08 and '09, it was a great year in Alabama those two years."

Alabama picked up a commitment Tuesday from Arie Kouandjio, the nation's No. 15 tackle prospect. Kouandjio is from Maryland, giving the Tide commitments from nine states.

As of Tuesday night, LSU's class of commitments was ranked sixth nationally by Rivals.com, followed by Tennessee at seventh, Georgia 16th, South Carolina 18th, Ole Miss 25th, Mississippi State 41st, Kentucky 55th, Vanderbilt 58th and Arkansas 59th. Georgia dropped seven spots in one day after losing receiver Da'Rick Rogers (to Tennessee) and cornerback Nickell Robey (to Southern Cal or West Virginia) from its commitment list.

The Bulldogs got one commitment Tuesday when tackle Kenarious Gates of Greenville, Ga., switched from Kentucky, where he had pledged in December. Georgia assuredly will finish outside the top 10 of Rivals.com's team rankings for the first time since their introduction in 2002.

Alabama didn't manage top-25 signing classes in '02 or '03 and didn't have a top-10 finish until Nick Saban's first class in '07 headlined by in-state linebacker Rolando McClain. The Tide signed the top five in-state players in '08, the top seven last year and could sign the top three this year -- Millbrook cornerback DeMarcus Milliner, Theodore linebacker C.J. Mosley and Eight Mile safety Jarrick Williams.

Safety Keenan Allen of Greensboro, N.C., the Tide's highest-rated overall commitment since November, recently opened his recruitment and could choose California, Clemson or Penn State today.

Auburn enters today with commitments from the top players in Arkansas (tailback Michael Dyer), Louisiana (receiver Trovon Reed) and Mississippi (tackle Shon Coleman). The Tigers lost out on the top player from South Carolina on Tuesday night, when tailback Marcus Lattimore announced he would play in-state with the Gamecocks.

Florida's No. 1 class includes everything but a top-flight quarterback, with three-star prospect Trey Burton and two-star Tyler Murphy each of the dual-threat variety.

"I've never been a Trey Burton fan as far as a quarterback at the next level," Newberg said. "I think he's a great athlete and has a lot of similarities to Tim Tebow running the football. He is physical and is quicker and faster than you think, but the question is can he develop his arm to be a passing threat?

"It's been a really weak year for quarterbacks all around."

While Arkansas expected to fare better after winning eight games last season, Newberg believes Miami will have the South's most disappointing class.

"There are 30 four-star kids in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties, and Miami may get two," Newberg said. "It's still a top-20 class, but it's Miami and all that talent in their back yard. They should finish in the top 10, top seven or top five, and they're not going to do that."

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