Recruiting Rewind: A look back at five of Tony Alford's biggest wins on the trail

New Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford has a long resume of big recruiting wins during stops at Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Here is a look back at five of his biggest victories on the trail.

RB TreyVeon Henderson (No. 1 RB, No. 19 overall in 2021)

Alford had arguably his biggest recruiting win during the 2021 recruiting cycle as he pulled in the No. 1 running back in the country in Henderson. Alford, who has recruited well in the Mid-Atlantic throughout his career, went into Virginia and beat out the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and LSU. Henderson accumulated more than 1,500 yards of total offense as a true freshman at Ohio State and is expected to be one of the best running backs in the country as a senior this season.

RB JK Dobbins (No. 5 RB, No. 36 overall in 2017)

Dobbins grew up a Texas fan in small town not too far from Austin. The Top 50 recruit was considered a slam dunk for the Longhorns. However, Dobbins spurned Texas and surprised many when he committed to Ohio State. Alford did a tremendous job of landing him and keeping him solid throughout the process. Dobbins went on to have an illustrious career in Columbus, rushing for 4,459 yards and 38 touchdowns in three seasons with the Buckeyes. He was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2020 by the Baltimore Ravens.

DL Tyreke Smith (No. 3 DL, No. 41 overall in 2018)

Alford didn’t just recruit running backs during his time at Ohio State. He also recruited other positions and was heavily involved with in-state prospects like Smith. Alford is a big reason Smith stayed home and picked Ohio State over the likes of Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State and USC. Smith recorded 55 tackles and seven sacks during his time at Ohio State and was a fifth round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

DL Louis Nix III (No. 10 DL, No. 70 overall in 2010)

Alford has always recruited the state of Florida hard and is expected to be a major presence in the Sunshine State at Michigan. One of his biggest wins in the recruiting hotbed was Nix. Alford played a massive role in helping Notre Dame beat out the likes of Clemson, Florida, Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina. Nix went on to have a terrific career at Notre Dame, recording 122 tackles in three seasons with the Irish. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

RB Dexter Williams (No. 12 RB, No. 98 overall in 2015)

Williams was yet another big recruiting win for Alford in the state of Florida. One of the most highly touted running backs in the 2015 recruiting class, Williams sided with Alford and Notre Dame over offers from Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, USC and others. Alford left Notre Dame shortly after landing Williams, but the latter went on to have a solid career, rushing for 1,636 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.