Alabama, Kalen DeBoer hangs onto No. 2 recruiting class

It's been about a month since Nick Saban announced his retirement as coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The dust is beginning to settle in Tuscaloosa, revealing that Saban's successor has a chance to keep the dynasty rolling along.

In his first month at the helm, head coach Kalen DeBoer has done what many thought impossible: keep a solid recruiting class and roster in place. 

Yes, the Tide lost stars like Caleb Downs and Isaiah Bond to the transfer portal, but DeBoer in turn landed (or retained) top transfers like cornerback Domani Jackson from USC and defensive lineman LT Overton from Texas A&M, as well as three talented players who previously were with DeBoer in Washington. 

Add in the re-commitment of five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams and the loss of only two recruits to other schools and you've still got an uber-talented team capable of competing for conference championships and maybe even the national title once again. 

As proof, just look at the updated recruiting rankings by On3, which still has the Tide's class at No. 2 in the country, trailing only perennial rival Georgia. 

To be fair, the coaching change made this an abnormal recruiting cycle for Alabama, and next season, DeBoer will be leading the charge, not just shoring up a Saban-recruited class. But to his credit, DeBoer jumped in on short notice this season, and he and his staff kept together a talented roster and landed a top in-state talent in Williams in an unfamiliar landscape. 

The largest question that remains is whether this team can combine new faces and experienced talent to work together in a new system, and that won't be evident until the season kicks off in September. 

But so far, DeBoer has done an effective Nick Saban impression in roster building. If he can do the same on the field, more titles could be on the way.