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

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After beating Auburn 52-21 on Saturday, Alabama capped off its weekend by landing three ESPN Junior 300 commitments in the 2020 class.

The biggest commit of the group is defensive end Chris Braswell, who is ranked No. 10 overall in the 2020 class. Braswell, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, is the No. 3 defensive end overall and the highest ranked commitment in the class.

Javon Baker, the No. 34-ranked wide receiver in the class, committed Sunday as well. Baker is a 6-foot, 180-pound recruit out of Creekside high school in Fairburn, Georgia, and he chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State and others.

On Saturday, Alabama also got a commit from running back Roydell Williams from Hueytown, Alabama. He's ranked as the No. 28 RB and is part of an already impressive haul for Alabama.

The Tide have 10 ESPN Junior 300 commitments, the most of any program in the 2020 class. Miami is next with nine of the top 300, followed by Ohio State and LSU with six and Oklahoma with five.

Alabama also happens to hold the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2019 with a little less than three weeks until the early signing period starts on Dec. 19. With 16 ESPN 300 commitments in the 2019 class, it seems that it will be difficult for any program to pass Alabama and take over the No. 1 spot.

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Javon Baker was in Tuscaloosa for the Mississippi State game earlier this month and before leaving, he knew he wanted to be part of the Alabama future.

The Rivals100 junior wide receiver out of Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside spent time at Alabama over the summer. That is when he earned his offer. He camped in Tuscaloosa, he worked with the coaching staff and he saw the demands they put on players. That is when his interest in the Crimson Tide started.

Since the offer was extended, Baker has been high on Alabama and he is happy now to be on that 2020 class commitment list.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

"It feels great to be committed to Alabama," said Baker. "I have been thinking about Alabama since I was at camp.

"I got the offer and they have been a school high on my list since. I really like how disciplined they are, how there is competition everywhere and how I will have to work for my job. I do not like for things to come easy and I know it will take hard work for me to work at Alabama.

"I met with coach Gattis Saturday (November 10) and I told him I was ready to commit. We talked for a while, he really likes me and everything went great. I then talked to coach Nick Saban about it Thursday. Coach Gattis had already told him, then I gave him the news too.

"I would say I picked Alabama over LSU, Arkansas and Florida. Just how Alabama does things makes them great. It makes them right for me. As soon as I got there Saturday, I had chills. They work hard, they compete and they produce. It is a great school.

"I talk to coach Gattis just about every day and I really like him. He works his guys hard and he wants every player he coaches to be great. I can't wait to play for him.

"I am ready to work hard each day. I am going to focus on getting better, taking care of my grades and winning a state title now."

RIVALS REACTION

Baker is an elite talent. He is a playmaker at wide receiver and he has made his share of plays on the defensive side of the ball this season as well. He had plenty of offers to choose from, but the feeling he had in Tuscaloosa in June has had them quietly trending for some time. Baker does not say a lot about his recruitment, but when he talks about Alabama, you can hear something different in voice. He welcomes competition and he knows he will have a lot of that in Tuscaloosa. His connection with Gattis played a big role in his decision as well.

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Marcus Banks

Contenders: Florida State, Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida

Breakdown: Banks is having an excellent senior season and the combination of his decommitment from LSU and some updated evaluations has led to a recruiting explosion over the past month. When Banks backed off his LSU pledge, most thought he would end up at Alabama or Texas A&M, but the Gators, Longhorns and Seminoles have all become a factor recently. Banks was on campus at Texas earlier this month and recently announced that he will officially visit Florida State next month.

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Hueytown junior running back Roydell Williams attended Saturday’s Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa and said he envisioned himself playing in the rivalry.

Not long after Alabama walked off the field with the 52-21 victory, Williams punched his ticket to be on the field for future Iron Bowls.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder committed to Alabama late Saturday night and two more 2020 prospects committed Sunday, giving the Crimson Tide 11 commitments in the Class of 2020. Alabama has received four commitments from 2020 players in the last week.

Williams is the lone running back so far, finishing his junior season with 291 carries or 2,757 yards and 32 touchdowns. He added 21 catches for 216 yards and three touchdowns, 278 kickoff return yards and a touchdown and the also threw a TD pass to play his way into this year's Mr. Football discussion.

Williams talked to AL.com about his commitment, and here’s excerpts from the conversation:

Q: What made you choose Alabama?

"It's a dream school. I've always wanted to go to Alabama. I saw the running backs who went to Alabama -- Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, Mark Ingram -- and I feel like I can fit in that family of football."

Q: Why did you commit now, especially on the night of the Iron Bowl?

"It was a feeling in me that I really needed to go ahead and do it. That's where I was headed to. That's where my mind was, and my heart was telling me to do that."

Q: You play your high school ball at Hueytown, right down the road from Tuscaloosa. How much of an influence did it have that Alabama is so close to home?

"It meant a lot. I don't like being too far from home. I wouldn't say I'm a momma's boy, but I really like being close to home. With that being like 45 minutes away and not too far from home, I felt like that was a big impact."

Q: What other schools did you seriously consider?

"I considered Auburn heavily and also Mississippi State and Ole Miss."

Q: What ultimately stood out about Alabama over those other schools?

"Just the family, the community around it, the environment. Just the total Alabama program and everything about it just stood out to me."

Q: You're a junior so there's still a considerable amount of time before you can sign, but do you plan to graduate from high school early and enroll at Alabama in January 2020?

"Yes, sir, I will be."

Q: Could you see any scenario in which you change your mind? In other words, is there any chance you don't go to Alabama?

"So far, no sir."

Q: What did it mean to commit on the day of the Iron Bowl?

"It meant a lot. They were playing in their rivalry, a big-time rivalry, so it meant a lot to do it on that day. I just wanted to do it on that day. I had already planned it."

Q: What's the time since you committed been like? Did you turn off your phone?

“Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, all the social media, my notifications have been blowing up. So, I had a couple of message I couldn’t respond to. I was going to have to take time out (Sunday) to respond to all that. It’s been kind of crazy.”

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Alabama picked up a third commitment in less than 24 hours Sunday afternoon.

Four-star defensive end Chris Braswell of Baltimore pledged to the Crimson Tide. The Class of 2020 prospect is the No. 19 recruit in his class, according to 247Sports and No. 52 in Rivals’ ranking.

Ohio State and Georgia were also among the top contenders for Braswell.

Speaking to Rivals, Braswell said “it’s the dynasty” that helped sway him to make the move to Tuscaloosa.

He joins a pipeline from the Baltimore area to Alabama that includes the Kouandjio brothers, Cyrus Jones, Eyabi Anoma and Terrell Lewis (from nearby Washington DC).

Alabama has the No. 1 class in the 2020 rankings for 247Sports after of Braswell’s commitment. The 2019 class is also top-ranked heading into the final stretch.

The Tide also got 2020 commits from four-star receiver Javon Baker and four-star running back Roydell Williams of Hueytown since winning the Iron Bowl on Saturday night.

Braswell would become the highest-ranked member of the 2020 class ahead of Calera’s Jayson Jones, the No. 41 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite.

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Playoff football at any level has its level of glory and agony depending on the winner and loser. But even after a recent loss in the Class 7A state playoffs in Alabama, four-star quarterback and Alabama commitment Paul Tyson handled his responsibility. He consoled teammates, he did interviews with the media and even had time for pictures with fans of his current team, Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville, or his future one at UA.

The Huskies fell to the program that just clinched a berth in the state championship game in Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson High School, led by another future Alabama passer in Taulia Tagovailoa. After sending the credit the Warriors' way, Tyson looked back at his strong career at the prep level.

"It was definitely something special to be fortunate enough to play at such a high level and be successful over the last two years," he told 247Sports. "It will prepare me for the next level. Hewitt-Trussville helped me transform into a better person as well as a better quarterback.

"I became more of a leader and with the great coaching and teammates I had, they helped push me to be better each and every day."

The 6-foot-5, 217-pound senior was 19-5 over the last two years with the program, including an undefeated regular season in 2017 and even some games on national television. He wrapped up the two-year campaign with more than 6,500 passing yards and 68 touchdowns, a new school record.

But when asked of growth and the moments he will first relate to when looking back on the last few years, it wasn't any one of the near 70 touchdown tosses that came via his right arm.

"Just the offseason heading into my senior year as a whole," Tyson said. "The hard work we put together as a team and every day trying to push the man beside me to his max potential. Now I'm more vocal and will keep people accountable and push them to help our team to be successful."

Increased experience, leadership qualities and now time ahead of enrolling at Alabama in January, the focus shifts to a blend of academics and physical preparation for SEC football.

"Just doing well on all my exams an staying in shape for college," he said.

On Thanksgiving 2018, likely the last he will spend at home with the Tyson family for the next four-plus years, he kicked off the day with a 5k run in honor of his sister's birthday. Beyond the celebration and feast that would ensue on the holiday, it means one particular college football game in the state draws closer in the Iron Bowl.

The future Crimson Tide signal caller is confident in the top team in the land.

"38-14 Alabama," he said. "I feel like 'Bama will play well on offense throughout the game and I think by doing this and their good defense, they will be able to control the game."

Tyson, ranked as the No. 8 pro-style passer in the class of 2019 per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, will sign with Alabama on December 19 as the Early Signing Period begins.

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4* DL Rashad Cheney decommits?

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