Breaking down the Alabama and Texas rosters as recruits
No football game this weekend is more anticipated than the Alabama vs. Texas showdown set to take place in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night. Two of the biggest brands in college sports and two programs with College Football Playoff aspirations still very much within reach.
And it doesn’t hurt that this will be a precursor of years to come when the two programs are both in the same conference. No team has recruited quite to the level of the Crimson Tide over the past decade, but as the Longhorns prepare for their SEC move, Steve Sarkisian and Co. have built a roster that rivals many of the best programs in the country.
Heading into the matchup on Saturday, On3 is breaking down each roster as recruits and some key storylines to watch for:
Five-stars galore in this game
Other than a few SEC games we’ll see later this fall, there isn’t a more loaded regular season game on the slate when it comes to former five-star recruits. The Crimson Tide boast 16 in total, making up nearly 20 percent of their roster. That includes three Five-Star Plus+ recruits from the 2023 class: EDGE Keon Keeley, safety Caleb Downs and offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.
Keeley didn’t see the field in Alabama’s opener against Middle Tennessee State, but both Downs and Proctor played starter-level snaps and likely will do again versus the Longhorns. The lion’s share (10) of Alabama’s five-stars are on the defensive side of the ball, but starting offensive linemen Tyler Booker and JC Latham are former top-32 prospects as well.
On the other side, Steve Sarkisian has worked to overhaul Texas’ roster both through the transfer portal and traditional high school recruiting. Two years ago, the Longhorns had just three former five-stars on the roster, compared to eight this season. That means UT’s stars are young, but they are expected to play significant roles on Saturday.
After missing Game 1 due to injury, 2023 five-star CJ Baxter should get good dose of carries, and 2022 five-stars DJ Campbell and Kelvin Banks will be blocking for him along the offensive line. 2021 five-stars Quinn Ewers and Ja’Tavion Sanders will look to hook up for some big plays, while 2023 five-star LB Anthony Hill is expected to see time on defense.
Alabama’s insane depth
While doubling up the Longhorns on ex five-stars on the roster shows the difference in top-end talent on these teams from a recruiting standpoint, it’s not even the most eye-opening thing. That comes when you look at the number of former top-100 recruits on each roster. For the Longhorns, it’s 18. For Alabama, it’s 50 — as in 59 percent of the entire 85-player scholarship limit.
Scattered among that group are multiple starters and key contributors, including starting quarterback Jalen Milroe and starting running back Jase McClellan, and nearly the entire Alabama wide receiver group. It also includes a load of 2022 and 2023 recruits still waiting for their opportunity to see significant time on the field because of the unbelievable depth ahead of them.
Texas is well on its way to building a roster ready to compete in the SEC, but the Crimson Tide are proof of just how well you have to sustain elite recruiting to build championship-level teams.
A good indicator of that is the blue-chip percentage (number of 4- and 5-star recruits on your roster divided by total scholarship players). For Texas, it’s a very respectable 61 percent. That’s the most in the current Big 12 by a decent margin. Alabama, meanwhile, sits at just under 90 percent, with 76 of their 85 scholarship players checking in as former blue-chippers. Not surprisingly, that puts them near the top of the country with Georgia and Ohio State.
Texas having success recruiting No. 1 players
Where the Longhorns do match up is the number of players who were the No. 1 player at their position in the country in a given recruiting class. Texas has five (Ewers, Arch Manning, Campbell, Sanders and Baxter) who were each the top recruit at their respective position in their class.
Alabama, meanwhile, has six: Latham, Keeley, Downs, Proctor, Jeremiah Alexander and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Where those roads diverge again though is depth. Outside of their former No. 1 players, Alabama also has 18 players on the roster who were among the top 4 at their position as recruits. Texas has 3.
And yet, we’ll get to see how it all plays out on the field Saturday night.