As the head football coach at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban considers many factors upon putting a recruiting class together.
He evaluates the character of each athlete, selects the ones that solve certain needs, and makes it a priority to stack up on marquee talents that can become first-round NFL Draft picks.
While he has brought in a multitude of top-ranked signing classes, Coach Saban carefully crafted his moves in the 2017 recruiting cycle.
It was a class of young men that did not speak much, but their actions on the field and in the community were more than enough. Six five-stars were signed in the class, including Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy, Najee Harris, Dylan Moses, Alex Leatherwood and LaBryan Ray.
The class also boasted an underrated four-star wide receiver (DeVonta Smith) and a three-star quarterback (Mac Jones), who would prove critics wrong this season.
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With much talent comes high responsibilities and expectations.
However, this group wanted the pressure. The student-athletes knew how special this class was and confirmation came when Tagovailoa, Harris, Jeudy, Smith, Leatherwood and Henry Ruggs III all entered the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game in the second half.
It was the freshmen who rescued the program to a 26-23 victory over Georgia, and the critical play — now dubbed “2nd and 26”– was a 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime from Tagovailoa to Smith for the win.
Three years later, some members from the class are still at Alabama.
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After closing to Clemson in the 2019 CFP title game (2018 season) and missing out on the CFP last year, the group has its sights on a second national title. During his media availability with reporters on Tuesday, Leatherwood said the 2017 class is the ‘greatest of all-time’ to him.
The accolades each athlete has received speaks to it, but there is one final goal remaining.
“We all came in as hard workers with one common goal and that’s to win a national championship,” Leatherwood said.
The mindset has not changed, as the Crimson Tide is two wins away from achieving it.
When it comes to the accolades, the group of Tagovailoa, Harris, Jones and Smith all have been Heisman finalists. Jeudy won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2018 and Smith is a finalist for it now.
A native of Amite, La., Smith is the recipient of SEC Offensive Player of the Year, CBS Sports Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year and Associated Press Player of the Year.
The quartet of Jones, Harris, Smith and Leatherwood were named first-team All-SEC and first-team All-Americans for Sporting News and the AP. If the group earns recognition as first-teamers from a third selector, all four players will be consensus All-Americans. Tagovailoa was a consensus All-American, first-team All-SEC, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Maxwell Award winner, Walter Camp Award winner and Sporting News Player of the Year in 2018. Jeudy was a consensus All-American (2018) and was twice named first-team All-SEC (2018-19).
Leatherwood won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and is a finalist for the Outland Trophy.
He was also a first-team All-SEC selection for his efforts in 2019. To pair with the Heisman, Jones is a featured finalist for other honors too. All in all, the 2017 freshmen class for Alabama is very much accomplished both on and off the field.
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Four offensive players — Tagovailoa, Jeudy, Ruggs and Jedrick Wills — were chosen as first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and more will join next year. They snatched a national championship from defeat as freshmen; however, a dominant showing in this playoff with a title would cement the group as the greatest of all time. If not for unfortunate injuries to Tagovailoa, the 2017 class could very well end its tenure with four CFP national titles. As it stands, winning two would still be highly impressive.
The class and team as a whole will face Notre Dame on Friday in the Rose Bowl.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith
