In early July last year, there was a bit of disquiet in and around Tuscaloosa, home of mighty Alabama. The program that had become a way station for the nation's most talented football players was being bypassed by high-profile prospects as they headed to places like Athens, Columbus and Gainesville.

Only six players had committed to the Crimson Tide at that point.

The slow start in the recruiting cycle was shocking; Alabama had seven straight No. 1 classes, giving the Tide an aura of invincibility that was brightened by the four championships it won the previous eight seasons.

Yet the shortfall at the outset of summer was also prophetic. By the time the second of two signing periods had concluded in February 2018, Alabama was no longer on top.

Georgia had supplanted the Tide in the rankings, and Alabama slipped to sixth place after 247Sports conducted the final roll calls for each school.

It was a stunning turn of events -- highlighted by the fact the Tide resorted to signing a linebacker rated below 1,200 other prospects as well as a tight end who expected to join the team as a blueshirt.

Alabama coach Nick Saban did his best to hide his disappointment, dabbling in a little bit of spin doctoring when assessing the latest crop of players. But he also hinted at the Tide's struggles to adjust to the effects brought on by the 2017 advent of the early signing period, which provided high school seniors the ability to secure their placement at a particular program in late December.

"You have to get on top of people early," Saban said. "If they're going to early sign, you have to identify that and recruit to that timetable."

As Saban has always done throughout his career, he adapted. He overhauled his coaching staff -- replacing an older lot with a coterie of young assistants who were eager salesmen and had the energy to tackle what has become a year-long endeavor. The additions of Josh Gattis and Jeff Banks, in particular, showed Saban was determined to make up the ground lost to Kirby Smart and Co. last year. Saban's sudden, if somewhat tempered embrace of social media -- in the form of appearances in shareable video content -- also indicated that he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

The result is that Alabama is once again winning on the recruiting trail. The Tide now has 20 commitments in its 2019 class after two top-300 prospects -- receiver John Metchie and tight end Jahleel Billingsley -- announced on Friday they intend to play for Alabama.

Up until now, only Ole Miss and Texas A&M have received more verbal pledges than the Tide, which has climbed back to the top spot in 247Sports' rankings because of the quality of players it has attracted.

So far, 18 four-star recruits and one five-star prospect are on board with Alabama, a program that always seems to find a way.

The Tide did so in January, when it avenged its 2016 national championship game loss to Clemson with a victory over Georgia to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the sport.

And it seems primed to pull off a similar feat in the recruiting arena next February.

Same as it ever was in Tuscaloosa, right?

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin