re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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Alabama would like to add at least 3 defensive backs in the 2019 class, and one of the nation’s best resides in the state. Christian Williams, a 4-star cornerback from Daphne (Ala.) High School, is one of the Crimson Tide’s top priorities, and now he’s committed to the Crimson Tide.

Williams has been to Tuscaloosa numerous times since the start of his recruitment and wasn’t planning on making a decision until National Signing Day in February, but it wasn’t a surprise to see him jump on board now.

Former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt was Williams’ primary recruiter when he was at Alabama, but the in-state talent has started to build solid relationships with new defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and new defensive backs coach Karl Scott.

“Since Coach Pruitt left for Tennessee, I’ve needed to build some new relationships and I feel like that’s going well,” Williams told SEC Country last month. “I wasn’t too close with Pruitt because I was young so the coaches really couldn’t talk to me much. But I feel like a big priority to them. The coaches are coming at me every day and just talking to me about everything. They’re really trying to get to know me.”

The 6-foot-1, 178-pound prospect said the message from Lupoi and Scott has been clear. “They think that I would be a really good fit for Alabama,” Williams said. “They really like long, big corners, and they said that I can definitely play the star position in their defense.”

Williams becomes the Tide’s 7th commitment in the 2019 class and the team’s third defensive back in this cycle with 4-star prospects Brendan Gant and Brandon Turnage being the others.

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Antonio Alfano visits Alabama, moves up commitment timeline 

Antonio Alfano, the nation’s No. 5 strongside defensive end from Colonia (N.J.) High School, made his second visit to Alabama last weekend. Alfano spent two days in Tuscaloosa before traveling to Georgia on Sunday.

What was different about this visit for Alfano compared to his first trip was the quality time he spent with some of the players. Alfano spent his Saturday night hanging out with Isaiah Buggs, Raekwon Davis, Anfernee Jennings and several other players, playing video games in the dorms. Getting to see how they bonded with each other was important for Alfano. One of his main criteria in choosing a school is the brotherhood he will join.

“From talking with the guys, they just told me that it’s not easy there,” Alfano told SEC Country. “I am not expecting it to be easy. But if you buy into what they’re doing, you’re going to go really far with the program that Alabama has. Alabama is a very successful program, so there’s no doubt in my mind if I go there that we would win a [national championship].”

The 4-star prospect spent a lot of time with coach Nick Saban, defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski over the weekend. Alabama is recruiting Alfano to play both defensive end and defensive tackle. Lupoi mentioned the possibility of also playing some Jack linebacker, which is a hybrid of weakside defensive end and outside linebacker, depending on how his body develops.

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The state of New Jersey’s No. 1 prospect said he didn’t see many differences between the two programs. He mentioned how Kirby Smart took a lot of the methods he learned from Saban and applied them to his program at Georgia. He said he sees Smart building his own version of Alabama in Athens, Ga.

A big difference between his trip to Tuscaloosa and Athens is that he didn’t get a chance to spend time with the players at Georgia. He spent just one day at Georgia. With a commitment on the horizon, that extra day and the opportunity to hang out with some of the Tide players could be the difference between the two schools because brotherhood is so important to him.

It’s also clear that he would like to play for an established, winning program. “I definitely want to go to a school that is already there and has been there,” Alfano said. “I wouldn’t have a problem going to a school that is on the rise, either. I think the advantage of going to a college that has been there is that they already know what it takes to get there every year. … There’s no beating around the bush. They know what it takes. If you do everything they tell you, you are going to become a monster.”

It certainly sounds as if Alabama is in an excellent position with one of its top overall targets. An accelerated commitment timeline doesn’t hurt the Tide’s chances one bit.

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