Inside the Numbers: Alabama's 2022 recruiting class

With the Early Signing Period in the rearview mirror and only a handful of uncommitted and unsigned prospects across the country, most programs have their 2022 recruiting classes set.

On3’s database gives unique insights into those classes, both on a year-by-year and historical basis. That includes rankings in-conference and nationally, geographic data, and breakdowns of prospect ratings.

As it has every year in recent memory under Nick Saban, Alabama has amassed another class full of elite high-school talent. And they recently added one of the best transfers available in Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Here’s how the Tide’s 2022 crop shapes up, according to On3.

Rankings

The Crimson Tide signed another elite class both nationally and in the SEC, but have been overshadowed a bit by the haul Texas A&M has brought in. Alabama’s class ranks No. 2 nationally — down one spot from a year ago — and No. 2 in the SEC. The league’s top three classes are also the three best classes in the country, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings.

Blue Chips

Of Alabama’s 23 signed prospects and one commitment, 96 percent (23 out of 24) are considered blue-chip prospects. Blue chips are players ranked as four-star prospects or higher in the On3 Consensus. Alabama’s class is led by three five-star prospects: EDGE Jeremiah Alexander, QB Ty Simpson and and RB Emmanuel Henderson. The Crimson Tide has 14 signees that rank among the top 100 nationally, which is down slightly from 16 a year ago.

In 2021, Alabama’s signing class was only 93 percent blue-chip prospects. But it featured five five-stars ranked in the top 28. The Crimson Tide’s average class score is down a little less than two points from the 2021 cycle, but that group is rated as the best class in the On3 Consensus in more than a decade.

One of the more compelling arguments for Alabama’s recruiting and development prowess has been its ability to get players to the NFL. On3 tracks that data on a team and positional level, and the Tide have been dominant in both. Over the past five years, Alabama has had 51 prospects drafted, the highest number in the country. Ohio State is second with 43, and LSU is third with 39.

Defensive line has been the centerpiece of Alabama’s draft success. Nine of the 51 drafted players come from that position group. Ohio State is the next closest with six, while a handful of others have four. The Tide have also been better than anyone else at getting wide receivers (6), linebackers (5), safeties (5) and offensive tackles (5) into the league over the past half-decade.

Recruiting Footprint

Alabama has been dominant inside its own state, and the 2022 class was no different. Of the top eight prospects, six signed with the Crimson Tide. But Florida, Louisiana and Georgia proved to be fertile recruiting grounds as well. Nick Saban and Co. capitalized on LSU’s coaching upheaval and grabbed four players from Louisiana this cycle, including two major LSU targets in Aaron Anderson and Shazz Preston. Three signees are from talent-rich Georgia, and four more hail from the Sunshine State.

On average, Alabama’s signees will travel 318.3 miles when they head to campus. That’s down nearly 100 miles from the 2021 crop, which included a number of prospects from outside the southeast region. This year, 25 percent of the class came from Alabama, compared to just 19 percent a year ago. And only three signees in this year’s group hail from outside the southeast. Whereas they signed 11 from outside that footprint in 2021.