Jumbo Package: Can Alabama navigate a stacked 2024 Schedule?

In case you missed it last night, Alabama’s opponents for 2024 were announced:

The Southeastern Conference on Wednesday night revealed the opponents plus home and away designations for games on the 2024 football schedule, the first season in which the Oklahoma and Texas will participate in SEC competition.

Home games:

Auburn

Georgia

Missouri

South Carolina

Western Kentucky (Aug. 31)

South Florida (Sept. 7)

Mercer (Nov. 16).

Away games

LSU

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Vanderbilt

Wisconsin (Sept. 14)

A complete 2024 SEC football schedule that includes dates of games will be announced later this year.

What makes this interesting is that, for the first time, the East and West SEC divisions will be no more. And the whole inclusion of Oklahoma and Texas.

For Alabama, the Tide is losing their annual games with Miss State, Ole Miss, and Arkansas... Which feels a little weird. I don’t really mind not playing Arkansas, but something feels wrong about not playing a Mississippi school. Even if it was just one of them.

From the East/Big 12, Alabama is adding must-see-TV programs in Georgia and Oklahoma, but rounding out with a cakewalk of usual bottom feeders South Carolina, Missouri, and Kentucky.

Still, Alabama will be playing Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Auburn all in the same season. So I don’t EVER want to hear anyone on Twitter complaining about the Tide’s schedule ever again. Plus WKU and and South Florida aren’t exactly pushovers and tend to be at the top of their levels of football.

At first glance the Alabama Crimson Tide schedule is tough. Upon examination, it’s brutal.

The Crimson Tide hits the road for trips to Oklahoma, Tennessee, LSU and Vanderbilt. As for home games, Alabama will host Georgia, Missouri, Auburn and South Carolina.

Throw in a road slate that includes a road trip to Wisconsin and home games with Western Kentucky and South Florida and you have the juiciest schedule since 2020 when Alabama dominated an all-SEC schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nothing draws eyeballs like there being a chance of Alabama losing a game. The SEC knows this. ESPN knows this. And, well, in 2024, Alabama is going to have this whale of a schedule.

But, hey, on the other hand... It just gives Saban yet another hurdle to clear on his way to further cement his untouchable legacy as the the best to ever coach college football.

On the recruiting front, there’s no real news yet. Julian Saiyan is off the the Elite 11 and is working as a lead recruiter for the Tide as their future QB.

Alabama bound quarterback Julian Sayin, Florida commit DJ Lagway, Michigan pledge Jadyn Davis, future Ohio State quarterback Air Noland, Notre Dame verbal CJ Carr and one of the jewels of a strong Florida State class in Luke Kromenhoek are also set to compete. There are two uncommitted quarterbacks in the field in Elijah Brown and Trever Jackson, with Brown having taken officials to UCLA and Stanford and Jackson strongly considering Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Missouri.

BOL has a list of visiting recruits to Tuscaloosa this weekend below as well.

The recruiting beat rolls on in Tuscaloosa as several top recruits will make their way to campus this weekend. Alabama has nine official visitors (subject to change) confirmed. Below is a list of notable recruits in town Friday-Sunday for their all-expenses-paid visit.

Don’t Miss: Alabama QB commit Julian Sayin is ready to compete at the Elite 11 Finals

Jaylen Mbakwe, five-star CB from Clay-Chalkville HS in Ala. (Alabama commit)

Jeremiah Beaman, Top 100 DL from Parker HS in Birmingham (Alabama commit)

Sterling Dixon, four-star LB from Mobile Christian School in Ala. (Alabama commit)

Colin Simmons, five-star EDGE from Duncanville HS in Texas

Demarcus Riddick, Top 100 LB from Chilton County HS in Clanton, Ala. (UGA commit)

Weston Davis, Top 100 OL from United HS in Beaumont, Texas

Jameer Grimsley, Top 100 CB from Tampa (Fla.) Catholic

Daniel Hill, four-star RB from Meridian HS in Miss.

Keylen Adams, four-star WR from Green Run HS in Virginia Beach

June into early July has turned into the hottest part of the recruiting season over the last 3-4 years, so keep your eyes peeled. As guys get into summer camps at Alabama, Saban will start making actual committable offers to prospects, and the commitments will start building up before we get into the fall season.