Every since Alabama lost to the Clemson Tigers in the 2018 National Championship, Nick Saban has preached reestablishing the Bama Factor and landing signatures from multiple top-tier in-state 2020 prospects could help with that.
Eight recruits from Alabama sign National Letter of Intents to the University of Alabama Wednesday.
Several of Alabama’s in-state signees grew up Alabama fans, which means the crimson and white runs through their veins. Since most of the 2020 recruiting class was born in 2002, they have seen Alabama dominate college football for most of their lives and when they receive an offer from the Crimson Tide, it does not get any bigger. This is why several of them referred to signing to Alabama on Wednesday as a dream come true.
“I am very excited,” 4-Star defensive tackle, Jah-Marien Latham said. “It has always been my dream and my dream has come true.”
This attitude was echoed throughout the state of Alabama on Wednesday as Jackson Bratton, Demouy Kennedy, Malachi Moore, Roydell Williams, Latham, Kristian Story, Quandarrius Robinson and Javion Cohen all referred to this moment as a dream.
4-Star offensive lineman, Cohen, even went on to say, he remembers the date he told his parents, he was going to play for Alabama.
“It feels good, it is a dream come true,” Cohen said. “I remember telling my parents when I was young, I think it was Nov. 23, 2011. I told them I was going to play for the Crimson Tide. To see it all come true, it is a surreal feeling. I am just blessed for it all.”
After only landing two in-state signees in the 2018 recruiting cycle, Alabama has made it their mission to get back to dominating the state of Alabama on the recruiting trail. With the eight in-state signees Alabama got on Wednesday, the Tide has sign 14 recruits from the state of Alabama since 2018. 4-Star defensive tackle, Jayson Jones, could make it 15 if he decides to sign with the Tide in February.
Alabama players with roots to the state have has great success under Saban. Not to mention, most of Alabama’s championship-winning teams have had a prominent player from the state of Alabama featured when you consider guys like Julio Jones, C.J. Mosley, O.J. Howard, Jake Coker and AJ McCarron all hailed from the yellowhammer state.
The Alabama pride, that runs through Alabama’s newest signee should help the Tide moving forward.
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
