TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Alabama coach Nick Saban loaded his latest recruiting class with two things he loves to work with: defensive backs and signees who enroll early.
The Crimson Tide followed a national championship season with group of recruits that wasn't as splashy as the previous two, but addressed the team's biggest needs.
Alabama signed six defensive backs Wednesday and added 18 recruits to the 11 who are already on campus for the offseason conditioning program and spring practice.
``We had to probably recruit more by need in this recruiting class than ever before,'' said Saban, who spends much of his practice time working with the defensive backs.
The Tide had pulled in the nation's top-rated class each of the past two years. This group was a consensus top-five and was rated as high as No. 3 by ESPNU. Not that it matters to Saban.
``I'm not really much into the ratings and really don't even know how we are rated, and really don't much care,'' he said.
The class was headlined by the state's top prospect, cornerback DeMarcus Milliner. Milliner is a Parade All-American who was rated as the No. 1 cornerback and 11th-best prospect nationally by Scout.com.
The fresh crop of blue-chippers was enough to offset the recruits that got away, including safety Keenan Allen, who committed to Alabama but signed with California, where his half brother and former Buffalo player Zach Maynard is also transferring.
Saban said Alabama didn't have enough room for both.
``Keenan Allen's a fine young man and a great player,'' he said. ``We recruited him for a long time, we had a lot of respect for the family. Ten days ago, the circumstances changed relative to his brother Zach getting a release and transferring. Then it becomes a matter of whether we can take both guys or not. The people that could had a big advantage, and we were not in a position to do that because we were full.''
Alabama must replace three starting defensive backs - including All-American cornerback Javier Arenas - and four reserves in the secondary. Incoming cornerback DeQuan Menzie is rated as the No. 6 junior college player by SuperPrep Magazine, but won't be on campus until the summer.
The players who were able to enroll early include South Carolina cornerback John Fulton and Virginia quarterback Phillip Sims. The major recruiting services rated Fulton among the nation's six-best corners though he missed half his senior season with an injury.
Sims is the only quarterback signee and was a five-star player by Scout, which had him rated as the No. 2 quarterback nationally. Sims, Milliner and linebacker C.J. Mosley were all Parade All-Americans.
The Tide landed 11 in-state prospects from what was regarded by recruiting analysts as a somewhat weak class in Alabama.
Saban & Co. also brought in five defensive linemen, four offensive linemen, four linebackers and three wide receivers and defensive linemen.
The Tide added two big men in the week before signing day, offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio and defensive tackle Brandon Ivory.
The 6-foot-4, 335-pound Ivory wasn't highly recruited, but the former Memphis commitment has the size to be a potential successor to two-time All-American nose tackle Terrence Cody on Alabama's three-man front.
Saban heard about Ivory from coaches in the Memphis area, and even got a call from Tide signee Keiwan Malone raving about the big lineman after playing with him at an all-star game in Tennessee.
Saban liked what he saw on film well enough to go watch Ivory on the basketball court.
``I'm thinking this is too good to be true, from watching the film and all that,'' he said. ``Nobody recruited Cody. We were the only offer he had. The guy (Ivory) moved around on the basketball floor pretty good and dunked it and could touch the rim. I said a guy that weighs this much and moves that well and plays that well on film ... and we have a need for big-bodied people.
``He seemed to fit the criteria. We felt like we have to justify our dietitian some kind of way here since Cody's leaving, so we've got another one for them.''
