MORE: Five-star Sanders ends heated recruitment by signing with Alabama
THE SITUATION
Five-star running back Trey Sanders, the No. 2 overall player in the 2019 class, has chosen Alabama over a long list of major national offers. The touted prospect’s recruitment took a late twist, however, as a late-December trip to Georgia seemed to change everything. Still the Tide fought until the final moments and have now won an important recruiting battle against an SEC rival.
WHY ITS BIG FOR ALABAMA
The way this unfolded flexes Alabama's recruiting muscle In impressive fashion. Not only did the Tide go head-to-head with red-hot Georgia and win, they did so despite not getting the final visit.
We didn't need more proof that Nick Saban is tough to best on both the field and the recruiting trail, but we got it anyway. Sanders’ commitment to the Tide is his second, as the five-star tailback committed to Alabama early in his high school career before backing away from that pledge months ago. No harm no foul on that front.
In Sanders, the Tide has landed the undisputed top running back in the 2019 class – a rare blend of size and speed that seemingly never has an off game. The IMG Academy star entered his senior season with a dump truck full of hype and somehow lived up to it. The hard-running tailback is a load to bring down and has the type of breakaway speed that will serve him well in the SEC. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Sanders doesn’t see some playing time as a true freshman.
SCHOOLS IT HURTS THE MOST
Missing out on Sanders won’t tank UGA's top-five class. Smart and the Bulldogs have proven capable of standing to-to-toe with Alabama over the last two years and the allure of Georgia is seemingly becoming more powerful with each passing month, so a Bama victory here is massive for perception.
Losing Sanders at such a late stage will send UGA scrambling for a replacement to some extent, but it’s not as though this ruined Smart’s day completely.
