2014 Alabama Recruiting Misses
Alabama's recruiting class for this year may be the highest rated one ever. The sheer number of five-star players far outpaces the next best contender. That being said, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have missed on some prospects as well. Here are some players, who have signed elsewhere, that the Tide wishes could have been part of this historic class.
Leonard Fournette
By all accounts, Leonard Fournette is the best running back in the nation. His mix of brutal power and explosive speed have drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson. The Tide's backfield may be crowded, but any team could find room for this once-in-a-lifetime prospect. Saban knew it would be difficult to lure him away from home-state favorite LSU, but as one Pelican State blue-chipper after another committed to Bama, fans became more hopeful. Alas, Fournette decided to stay in state, and the Tigers picked up a mammoth back.
Matt Elam
Depending on which service you use, Elam was anywhere from a 3-star to 5-star player. Saban clearly thought he was something as the coaching staff put a ton of effort into recruiting him. Ultimately, he decided to stay in his home state and attend Kentucky. Such a large, powerful defensive tackle is just what Saban needs for his 3-4 scheme. Mark Stoops continues to impress as a recruiter with this commitment.
Jalen Tabor
Tabor's path has been full of twists and turns this season. The 5-star safety originally chose Arizona over Alabama, shocking many in the process. Then, out of nowhere, he flipped to Florida, who wasn't even considered a strong candidate for his signature at the time. Bama needs as much help as possible in the secondary, and this talented safety would have helped.
Raekwon McMillan
Alabama's success in recruiting North Georgia took a hit when McMillan committed to Ohio State. Urban Meyer has made it a point to return OSU to the top of the recruiting rankings, and taking this 5-star Georgia LB made the nation take notice.
Chad Thomas
The 5-star DE stuck with his initial choice of Miami. After a late visit to Bama, it was thought that the Tide had a strong chance to flip Thomas. Alabama already has the #1 DE in DaShawn Hand, but adding Thomas to the mix would have given Saban more pass rushers, a big need.
Malachi Dupre
Dupre's interests have been all over the board this season, but the 5-star WR has kept services guessing as to where he was going. Again, Bama was always going to have a hard time luring the Louisiana native away from LSU.
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