With five-star cornerback Marlon Humphrey's commitment last week, Alabama landed the state's No. 1 recruit (per Rivals.com) for the seventh time in the past eight years. When it missed on top-ranked Jameis Winston in 2012, it still came away three of the top five (T.J. Yeldon, Reggie Ragland and Ryan Anderson).
There's no way around it: Alabama's haul of in-state recruits has dropped significantly since the start of the Saban era. But even though the quantity has decreased, the quality hasn't, as the Crimson Tide has continually landed signatures from the top-ranked players in the state.
"I think the players are a little bit more global in the way that they select their schools now, especially with the opportunity that they are looking for," Saban said at last year's National Signing Day press conference. "We feel like our state is very important. We feel that it's very important to do a good job over the top, in terms of knowing who the best players are and which one of those players has some interest in Alabama." ...
He's the best.