For Bama fans....

Whew. Quite the day. You guys hanging in there? So, Alabama coach Nick Saban concluded his signing day news conference a few minutes ago, though it was obvious what he thought even before he said anything.
The big smile told all.

"We're certainly pleased with the quality of the class we were able to attract to the University of Alabama," Saban said. "Obviously, it's a great blend of good athletes, good sized players, some guys that actually solved some needs for us in the future "

Saban was clear that he doesn't care about the rankings. Not the fact that Rivals.com has Alabama No. 1, nor that Scout.com has UA No. 2. But hey, it doesn't hurt.

(Note: Saban said Julio Jones had shoulder surgery after the season, that it's minor, and that he'll be ready for the spring.)


"It's great that they are recognized," he said, and "it's great that our coaching staff put such a good group together, but at the same time their character and ability to develop as a group will ultimately determine the impact this class has on our football program and our ability to win and win championships. That's what is most important to me."
Will this turn into that?

Before I get back to writing, a few quick thoughts from Saban on his class, which you can see in its entirety here.

On the offensive players the Crimson Tide signed: "In terms of needs, I felt it was really important that we got some big guys with long arms that could play on the edges of the offensive line. I think we were able to solve that. I also think skill players on offense who could make explosive plays. Obviously, we're getting a couple of runners in Trent Richardson, who is a great player as well as some receivers and skill guys to go with that to be able to attract one of the top quarterbacks in the country. I think all those things will probably help us develop and help us replace some of the guys we lost on offense this year."

On the defense: "Defensively, we've got some good front seven players, some defensive linemen. Only got a couple of defensive backs. If there was one area that we probably would have liked to have taken another guy or two, that might have been it. But we're pleased with the players we were able to attract. I think the quality of the linemen in this class, I think there are 12 or 13 true linemen, big guys, is important to the future of the program. We've never had the numbers in the offensive line that we've needed to have since we've been here in terms of depth and quality. That's something we were able to do in this class."
On the process of putting it together: "This is one of the places I enjoy most to recruit to because of the attitude toward recruiting here, the positive energy we have. Our administration does an outstanding job. Dr. Robert Witt talks to every recruit every recruiting weekend. One of the finest administrators ever in terms of helping us recruit football players. Mal Moore is there every Saturday. Our administrative staff does a phenomenal job, organizationally, in helping us recruit each and every weekend. My wife Terry does an awfully good job in making our house available to the prospects when they come in and all of the coaches' wives contribute to it. I'm not sure that everybody knows how much everybody puts into this when it comes to recruiting."

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