Monshun Sales' Alabama Snub Could be the New Norm in Tuscaloosa

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The Alabama Crimson Tide lost out on yet another top prospect on Friday, as five-star wide receiver Monshun Sales decided to take his talents to Indiana.

Sales' decision did not come as much of a surprise. Alabama was never viewed as the favorite in his recruitment, this even though Sales was born in Birmingham and grew up rooting for the Crimson Tide.

The fact that no one was shocked that Sales decided to snub Alabama is actually the bigger issue than Sales' choice itself.

It's becoming more and more obvious that the Crimson Tide are no longer the gold standard in college football. Not even close, as a matter of fact.

Blame NIL, blame the departure of Nick Saban, blame Kalen DeBoer. Whatever.

Whatever the reason, Alabama is not the same dominant program it was for so many years prior, and that absolutely stings.

Right now, 247 Sports ranks the Crimson Tide's 2027 recruiting class 42nd in the country. Considering 'Bama hasn't finished outside of the top five in any of the last 19 years, that's particularly jarring.

But it makes Sales' decision that much less shocking.

Players no longer flock to Tuscaloosa anymore. It's just not a thing. We've seen Alabama whiff on top recruit after top recruit this offseason, and it's almost as if fans have become numb to it. Like they're accepting what is now their painful reality.

Make no mistake: 'Bama is still a fine program. It will still be ranked in the top 25 entering the season. It will have a chance of making the College Football Playoff.

But gone are the days when the Crimson Tide would just walk into a season and start preparing for the National Championship Game in Week 1.

Sales' cold shoulder is just symptomatic of more significant underlying problems with Alabama, and those issues might not be repairable. At least not anytime soon.

Heck, let's remember that things weren't always so rosy in Tuscaloosa. Prior to Saban's arrival in 2007, the program was in dire straits. It posted three losing records between 2000 and 2006, and it had logged just three double-digit win campaigns since 1997.

Saban completely changed things, bringing Alabama back to the forefront of college football. But before that, the Crimson Tide were far from the days of Bear Bryant.

We haven't quite reached Mike Shula levels yet, so 'Bama fans should at least be thankful for that. But the harsh reality that the Tide faithful might just have to accept is that they are now just like everybody else.

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