In the moment, Alabama's assistant coaching staff overhaul was jarring. Both coordinators and almost the entire defensive bloc departed or was on the way out from December through February.

This created a challenge Nick Saban several times said wasn't exactly optimal. Serious experience walked out the door for new jobs.

And the turmoil certainly had an impact on the 2018 recruiting class.

However, with the new blood also came an opportunity to plug a few cracks in the recruiting machine that felt the impact of 2016 assistant departures Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier.

An infusion of young coaches with recruiting pedigree has been a noticeable factor in Alabama's early 2019 recruiting success.

The Crimson Tide tops every major recruiting ranking by wide margins with 16 rising high school seniors committed for the 2019 cycle.

Of those 16 who've pledged for the Tide, 10 have been recruited at least in part by a new member of the coaching staff.

Josh Gattis is the early bell cow in the group.

Hired away from Penn State in mid-January, the wide receivers coach is among the top recruiters nationally. He is No. 4 in the 247Sports 2019 ranking of assistant coaches on the recruiting path. Tide defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is No. 2 while offensive line coach Brent Key is No. 5.

The 34-year old Gattis is credited with five commits for the next signing class in the 247Sports ranking.

Antonio Alfano, the No. 56 overall player in the class, is his biggest contribution to still-unfinished class. The Woodbridge, N.J. four-star told 102.9-FM that Alabama was only on the radar when Gattis was at Penn State.

"They definitely weren't the school I was going to commit to but seeing Josh Gattis go to Alabama really did help them a lot and pushed them over the top," Alfano said in the May 22 radio interview.

Gattis and new defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski were credited as lead recruiters by 247Sports on the Monday commit from Forest Park, Georgia four-star defensive end Justin Eboigbe.

Kuligowski, who came to Alabama from Miami, is No. 55 in 247Sports' recruiters ranking. He has five commits already including Clay-Chalkville's DJ Dale, Cedar Grove, Georgia's Rashad Cheney. Both are four-star prospects.

Among the other new hires, Dan Enos is No. 121, Karl Scott is No. 179 and Jeff Banks is No. 380. Pete Golding is unranked without a 2019 commit to date but helped land 2020 linebacker Jackson Bratton of Muscle Shoals.

Full 247Sports ranking of Alabama recruiters

2. Tosh Lupoi

4. Josh Gattis

5. Brent Key

33. Mike Locksley

36. Joe Pannunzio

55. Craig Kuligowski

121. Dan Enos

179. Karl Scott

380. Jeff Banks

NR: Pete Golding

Those rankings mark considerable improvement over the coaches who didn't return to Alabama after last season. Only Derrick Ansley was a top-100 recruiter at No. 79. Brian Daboll (No. 352) and Karl Dunbar (No. 253) were longtime NFL assistants with little recruiting experience. Both went back to the pros after last season.

Burton Burns (No. 368) moved to an off-field job after last season.

Former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt wasn't listed on the 247Sports ranking for 2018. He accepted the Tennessee head coaching job before the first December signing day. That meant, while he was finishing the season coaching the Tide defense on the field, he was recruiting for the Vols.

Another departure, though not as widely noted, could've been an issue in the current class. Jody Wright, the director of player personnel, left in late April for the offensive line job at UAB. Bob Welton was named his replacement less than a month later. Seven of the 16 commits announced decisions after Wright's exit went public.

As with any recruiting story this time of year, all rankings are based on commitments that are far from binding.

Still, it's clear Alabama upgraded its recruiting effort a year after sitting on just four commitments a year ago in a class ranked in the 50s.

2019 Alabama commits credited to new assistants

Overall ranking. Recruit: Coaches involved.

56. Antonio Alfano: Josh Gattis and Craig Kuligowski. Commit May 18.

67. Christian Williams: Joe Pannunzio and Karl Scott. Commit April 16.

101. DeMarcco Hellams: Locksley, Josh Gattis. Commit June 11, 2018.

126. Justin Eboigbe, Josh Gattis, Craig Kuligowski. Commit June 18.

129. King Mwikuta: Tosh Lupoi and Josh Gattis. Commit Dec. 15

219. Rashad Cheney: Josh Gattis, Craig Kuligowski. Commit June 5.

233. DJ Dale: Brent Key, Craig Kuligowski. Commit May 2.

255. Tanner Bowles: Dan Enos, Brent Key. Commit April 22.

290. Paul Tyson: Brent Key, Dan Enos. Commit April 5.

1,549: Will Reichard: Brent Key and Jeff Banks. Commit May 23.

*Source: 247Sports