Alabama Crimson Tide

Jason Carr appears to be zoning in on his college decision.

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Editor's note: This is a series introducing Alabama's 2013 recruiting class that will run through signing day.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It wasn’t your typical senior year for Darius Paige. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman transferred high schools and then had to get acclimated to a new environment and learn a whole new defense. The one thing that stayed constant throughout the transition was his commitment to Alabama. He committed to the Tide in May and never looked back. Last weekend, Paige took his official visit to Tuscaloosa.

Q: What made you commit to Alabama?

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- After winning back-to-back national championships, the University of Alabama is on top of the college football world right now. The Crimson Tide currently have the No. 2 recruiting class and could have up to six players taken in the first round of April’s NFL draft.

This weekend, the Alabama coaches will host some of the top 2014 prospects in the country for the Crimson Tide’s first junior day.

We talked to five of the players expected to attend -- Bryson Allen-Williams, Nick Chubb, Rashaan Evans, Shaun Dion Hamilton and Justin Thornton -- about recruiting, getting to the NFL and the chance to play for UA head coach Nick Saban.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- On Thursday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart made a stop at Cedar Grove High School in Georgia to see 2014 ESPN Watch List defensive end Bryson Allen-Williams.

The Crimson Tide coaches couldn’t speak with the Peach State prospect, but they told his coach that they wanted to extend a scholarship offer. A formal offer is expected to come from Saban at Alabama’s junior day this weekend.

“It’s a great feeling,” Allen-Williams said. “Alabama is the best program in college football -- back-to-back national champions, three out of four years -- who doesn’t want to want to go play for Alabama?”

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A'Shawn Robinson broke his silence Wednesday night to talk about his official visit to Alabama last weekend.

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ESPN 300 defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick (Port Saint Lucie, Fla./West Centennial) has narrowed his choices down to three schools.

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Editor’s note: Every Tuesday and Thursday between now and national signing day, TideNation will review each position and look at who figures to start, who could rise up the depth chart and who might be on the way. Today we’ll look at the offensive line.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It was never a secret that D.J. Fluker would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Alabama's hulking right tackle put his four years in and decided it was time to go. Coach Nick Saban even said way back in November on his weekly radio show that Fluker was a "a guy who is probably going to go out for the draft."

But Fluker is just one loss on an offensive line many considered the best in all of college football. Center Barrett Jones is leaving the Capstone as one the most decorated football players in the school's history. His three national championships playing three different positions on the offensive line is unprecedented. Winning the Outland Trophy as a junior and then switching to center and winning the Rimington Trophy is mind boggling.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- As it turned out, 2008 was just the beginning. Alabama's 2009 signing class was one step ahead for Nick Saban and the coaching staff as it finished No. 2 in the country, highlighted by the likes of Dre Kirkpatrick, Trent Richardson, AJ McCarron and Eddie Lacy.

But those were just the headliners. Like many of the recruiting classes to come in the years since, the 2009 class was solid top to bottom. Chance Warmack, Anthony Steen and James Carpenter were all ranked in the second half of the class. Kevin Norwood, Darrington Sentimore and Quinton Dial also came out of the lower half of the class to become playmakers at the college level.

There's no doubt, though, who the star of the class was. Richardson, the No. 1 running back from Pensacola, Fla. in the country, was stolen right out from under the Florida Gators' nose. The 5-foot-11, 219-pound athlete was an instant impact player, rushing for more than 700 yards as a true freshman. Two seasons later he was in New York City as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. A few months after that, he was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- When 2014 wide receiver Drake Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) chose football over basketball and opened up his recruitment, it didn’t take long for the University of Alabama to fly up and offer him a scholarship. That’s how highly they think of him.

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Editor's note: This is a series introducing Alabama's 2013 recruiting class that will run through signing day.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Grant Hill knew he wanted to attend the University of Alabama. He grew up in the state of Alabama. He plays on the offensive line, the strength behind the Crimson Tide’s offense. It was an easy decision. Now, since his commitment, he’s seen his stock continue to rise. After an impressive performance at the Under Armour All-America Game earlier this month, Hill jumped from No. 246 to No. 86 in the final ESPN 150 rankings.

Q: What made you commit to Alabama?

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It’s stretch time for the University of Alabama. With the exception of five-star defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, the Crimson Tide have hosted all of their remaining targets for official visits, and now it’s a countdown to signing day.

Over the weekend, the UA staff and commitment Bradley Bozeman agreed to a grayshirt next year, which opens up another spot in the 2013 class. The Tide now can add five, possibly six more recruits over the next two weeks.

This week’s O-zone looks at who is most likely to fill the remaining spots and also previews this weekend’s junior day in Tuscaloosa.

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A little behind on the recruiting trail? Worry not -- TideNation has you covered. To catch you up on where the Alabama recruiting class of 2013 stands, we'll take you through the high points, including how the coaching staff has addressed certain needs and set the team up for seasons to come.

Team needs: With three of five starting offensive linemen and two of three defensive lineman starters off to the NFL draft, Alabama was forced to focus on finding help in the trenches. Nick Saban and the rest of the UA coaching staff had success filling those needs with the 2013 class, particularly along the offensive line. The Crimson Tide secured the commitments of four offensive linemen, one coming by way of a junior college in New York. Leon Brown, who was ranked in the top 20 of all junior college prospects by ESPN, could find himself competing for the starting right tackle job vacated by D.J. Fluker.

Help is on the way: Outside of the lines, Alabama was once again in search of talented athletes to continue bringing potency to an offense that's been on a steady rise the past few years. Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon were difference makers in 2012 and there could be one or two who do the same this year. Derrick Henry, the No. 1 athlete in the country and Alabama's lone five-star commitment, could be the biggest wild card of the class. At 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, he's an option at tailback, H-back and possibly linebacker. He'll begin at running back, where he set a national career rushing yards record at Yulee High in Florida.

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Last week, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart made a stop at Carrollton (Ga.) High School to see 2014 ESPN Watch List defensive tackle Dontavius Russell. A

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