No. 1 RB Trey Sanders commits to Alabama over Texas, Georgia, others

In a monumental Early Signing Day decision from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy running back Trey Sanders that was televised nationally on ESPNU, the Alabama Crimson Tide re-added another top prospect to one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

And that was a significant blow to a number of other programs, like Florida, Georgia, and Texas, the other major contenders for the nation’s top running back in the final days.

Originally committed to the Crimson Tide, Sanders reopened his recruitment on Jan. 1. Somewhat unexpectedly, Longhorns running back coach Stan Drayton was able to get the 6’0, 214-pounder on campus several times, including for the big win over the Trojans back in September.

However, on the national level there was never really any momentum for Texas with one of the most coveted players in the country.

So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when Sanders chose an SEC program closer to home with a better chance of winning a national championship during his career — head coach Tom Herman simply doesn’t have his program ready to land players like Sanders. Yet. Perhaps that could change in the next several years.

A consensus five-star prospect, Sanders is ranked as the No. 5 player nationally and the No. 2 player in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.