Recruiting Hot Board: Alabama coaches who must deliver
Alabama coaches will have a lot of pressure to secure key targets and hang on to commitments who continue to flirt with other programs. A lot of questions will be answered, on-and-off-the-field, within the next month.
Below is a look at which Alabama coaches are currently under the most pressure from a recruitng perspective. How will they be remembered during the 2023 recruiting cycle?
Coaches under the microscope
Pete Golding, defensive coordinator
Current commitments (3): Eli Holstein, Justin Jefferson, Bray Hubbard
Remaining targets: Suntarine Perkins + all remaining defensive recruits
Overview: The Tide’s DC doesn’t have the ‘primary’ recruiter label for many remaining targets. He currently has three commitments in Eli Holstein, a former Texas A&M commitment, Justin Jefferson, the top JuCo LB in the country and Bray Hubbard, who continues to appear as the steal of this recruiting class.
Golding is the primary recruiter for Ole Miss linebacker commitment Suntarine Perkins. He was close to flipping the Top 100 linebacker in July. He has yet to give up those efforts.
“Coach Golding texts me every day,” Perkins told BamaInsider last month. “It could be 12 at night and he’s still going to text me. He’s trying his best. It’s crazy. It means a lot. Shows that he really cares for me and I feel like he’s a really good coach.”
Golding hopes to get Perkins back to Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Iron Bowl (Perkins previously said he will attend the game, but he yet to confirm those plans this week). He may be the only primary target, but Golding will also have his hand in the recruitment of each remaining defensive target.
He is also helping in the pursuit of four-star linebacker Arion Carter. The former Memphis commitment has a 97.4-percent chance to sign with the Crimson Tide according to the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Alabama wants to get back to the ‘standard’ on the defensive side of the ball. So what do you do to fix that? Recruiting can certainly help. The Tide has put together a very solid defensive class. Striking it rich with the remaining targets can help levitate some of the frustrations on the defensive side.
Coach Golding is known as an elite recruiter. It’s time for him to help make others great and close the deal with the top targets on his side of the ball.
CLICK HERE to see which recruits will attend the Iron Bowl!
Travaris Robinson, cornerbacks coach
Current commitments (4): Caleb Downs, Justice Haynes, Jahlil Hurley, Tony Mitchell
Remaining targets: Desmond Ricks, Rueben Bain, Damari Brown, Malik Muhammad, Tyler Scott
Overview: CLICK HERE for an In-depth breakdown
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Freddie Roach, defensive line coach
Current commitments (5): Tony Mitchell, Edric Hill, Hunter Osborne, Jordan Renaud, Malik Benson
Remaining targets: James Smith, Jordan Hall, Rueben Bain, Peter Woods, Kelby Collins
Overview: CLICK HERE for an in-depth breakdown
Coleman Hutzler, outside linebackers coach
Current commitments (2): Yhonzae Pierre, Conor Talty
Remaining target: Keon Keeley
Overview: CLICK HERE for more on Hutzler’s recruiting efforts
Charles Kelly, safeties coach
Current commitments (2): Caleb Downs, Yhonzae Pierre
Remaining targets (3): Qua Russaw, James Smith
Overview: CLICK HERE to learn more about Kelly’s remaining targets
Nick Saban, head coach
Current commitments (23):
Remaining targets: All of them
Overview: There are several reasons why Coach Saban will go down as the greatest college football coach of all time. One of the main reason is his ability to recruit. He has signed more No. 1 recruiting class than other other coach in the modern rankings history. He currently has the top class in the country according to the On3 Sports Consensus Team Rankings. Alabama is an elite brand. The program sells itself, but the leader and ultimate closer is Coach Saban.
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