If there’s any coach in the country that’s well versed in the art of building a number one recruiting class, it’s Nick Saban with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Time and time again he just pops up with another excellent class like the Empire from Star Wars showing up over Endor with another Death Star. Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but he just might have done it all over again.

In a 2022 class that had the luxury of being the first crop of talent post COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Nick Saban has once more proven his worth on the recruiting trail, and it feels like we’re never seeing the end of his reign. Long live the King.

To satisfy his Majesty, here’s two reasons the Tide’s 2022 haul was the best in the country.

2 reasons why Alabama's 2022 college football recruiting class is the best

2. Quality over quantity

Something incredible about Nick Saban's tenure at Alabama that's often missed is that out of every graduating class he's had, aside from those first group of seniors, none of them have left without a national championship to their name. This shows the consistency in results that's landed Saban a whole bunch of recruits, and it's honestly the best counter to NIL that any school in the country has.

Of the top-five ranked teams in the 247Sports composite rankings, only Ohio State took fewer commits than the Crimson Tide. Teams near the top often mask issues with their classes with sheer volume, such as fifth-ranked Texas, who only signed two five-star players, but added a whopping 20 four-stars, tied for second most in the country with Texas A&M. Of course, Alabama had the most four-stars of anyone with 21, but Saban has earned the benefit of the doubt on talent recognition that someone like Texas' Steve Sarkisian just hasn't.

While Alabama typically is right there at the top with the amount of commitments they receive, perhaps their strategy changed a bit in Tuscaloosa for 2022 as coaches figured out how best to use the transfer portal to their advantage.

1. The trophies and draft picks speak for themselves, really

One thing that's often wondered is how much spending Alabama's alumni base does on NIL packages for recruits and active players. It must be said that Alabama's alumni base is significantly smaller than the rest of the top-five, and perhaps a bit less willing to open up the purse strings. At places like the Texas schools, that kind of funding is at an almost endless supply.

It seems as if Nick Saban has a good deal less to work with, and must focus that kind of spending mostly on his top targets. Luckily, Alabama has something that other schools don't: Six national championship trophies sitting on the table from Saban's tenure.

Alabama has been competing for and winning titles for so long under Saban that we're reaching a point where they've been dominating for nearly these recruits' entire lives. Today's high school prospects were born in the mid-2000s, just a few years before Saban won his first title with the Crimson Tide in 2009. Alabama really has been college football's true powerhouse for as long as these recruits can remember.

Another thing Alabama has been doing on an insanely consistent basis since Saban arrived is churning out draft picks like a ready-made NFL factory. Producing more first-rounders than you can count, there's been a member of the Crimson Tide hugging Roger Goodell on the big stage for, again, as long as any of these recruits can remember. These kind of things stick with a recruit, and give the Crimson Tide an edge that other schools are currently finding through dollar signs.

Success in college football almost always brings more success, and no one over the past 15 years has done it better than Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide.