This Saturday’s game versus LSU will be the biggest recruiting weekend of the fall for the Crimson Tide. As of post, six recruits not committed to Alabama are heading to T-town for Official Visits.
OFFICIAL VISITORS
Rankings are based on 247sports.com composite rankings.
- Domani Jackson, 5-star #6 overall, cornerback (Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA). This guy has long been a loyal commit to Southern Cal. Even still, getting him on campus gives the Crimson Tide a fighting chance. With the Trojans tanking and Clay Helton out, you never know... Jackson attends to the same high school from which Bryce Young and OL Tommy Brown graduated. Saban has a very good relationship with the legendary coach of Mater Dei.
- Earl Little Jr., 4-star #100, cornerback (American Heritage High School in Plantation, FL). Bama is the heavy favorite to land this recruit. He is coached by Patrick Surtain Sr.
- Marvin Jones Jr., high 4-star #34, defensive end (American Heritage High School in Plantation, FL). I don’t have a feel on this prospect but Bama is in the running. He is a current teammate of Little. His dad was a two-time All-American linebacker at Florida State in the early 1990s who was selected in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Jets. Marvin Sr. had a 10-year career with New York. He currently coaches an indoor football team called the Omaha Beef.
- Caden Curry, 4-star #77, defensive end (Greenwood, IN). Looking like an Ohio State lean.
- Kendrick Law, 4-star #93, wide receiver (Shreveport, LA). Looks like an Alabama and LSU battle for his signature. He is a take.
- Neto Umeozulu, 4-star #142, offensive guard (Allen, Texas). Alabama is looking for fourth OL for this class. The other three are tackles. Neto is more of an interior lineman. It is unclear which way this guy is leaning right now.
- Julian Armella, 4-star #127, offensive tackle (St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL). Alabama has been turning up the heat on him. Same high school as Jordan Battle, Dallas Turner, and Braylen Ingraham. UPDATE: This is now an Official Visit.
- ALSO ON OFFICIAL: Bama commit TE Elijah Brown (Dayton, OH).
2022 UNOFFICIAL VISITORS
Being unofficial visits, there are no guarantee they will show.
- Shazz Preston, 4-star #57, wide receiver (St. James, LA). He is back for his first visit since he camped in June and attended the Champions Cook-Out in July. The Crimson Tide are in a tight race with LSU. He is expected to take an Official to Bama in December.
- Khurtiss Perry, 4-star #69, defensive end (Pike Road, AL). Alabama looks like the heavy leader.
Walter Nolen, 5-star #2, defensive tackle (Powell, TN). Not feeling it. UPDATE:Nolen is now not expected to visit, which is perfectly fine. It didn’t look like he would end up in this class anyway. More IMHO notes on him in comments.- Anthony Lucas, 4-star #60, defensive end (Scottsdale, AZ). He took all five of his OVs in June. Getting him to return - with his family - to Tuscaloosa on their own dime from Arizona is HUGE. He plans to be an early enrollee.
2023 UNOFFICIAL VISITORS
Many 2023 and 2024 croots will be on campus as well. Normally, I don’t look ahead to future classes but the 2023 class is going to be ridiculously good. Three worth mentioning are below:
- Tony Mitchell, 5-star #11, cornerback (Thompson High School, Alabaster, AL)
- Peter Woods, 5-star #17, defensive end (Thompson High School, Alabaster, AL)
- Kelby Collins, 4-star #49 defensive end (Gardendale, AL)
COMMITTED VISITING
The usual gang will be back including ringleaders Ty Simpson and Emmanuel Henderson. [SIDE NOTE: Simpson will enroll in January.]
Also coming back is Jaheim Oatis from Columbia, MS. There have been a few concerns about hanging onto this kid because of the history of Mississippi kids and the bizarre draw back to their home state. But he keeps coming back and has given no indication of a lack of love for Alabama.
Bama also gets a return visit from the latest commit, WR Aaron Anderson, 4-star wide receiver from New Orleans powerhouse Edna Karr High School.
Alabama is focusing on speed for this class of receivers. Anderson is a speed demon who also flourishes in track. He has broken the 11.00-second threshold in the 100-meters at least five times in official races. His top verified speed is 10.77.
Anderson is listed at 5’10” and 185 pounds. He likely projects as a slot receiver. As you can see in the video above, he can return kicks as well.
He flipped from LSU. He is ranked #115 overall. Pete Golding and Holmon Wiggins were his recruiters.
Comments
I'm not getting a good feeling about Nolen either.
However someone on staff should just show him a picture of Quinnen Williams and tell him it’s his destiny to play for Bama. They look like they could be brothers. The resemblance is uncanny.
By DarthSaban on 11.03.21 9:00am
The east tennessee hill critters have sold their souls to get Nolen.
MAJOR upset if he goes anywhere but rotten crotch
By The Great Saban on 11.03.21 9:06am
Am I the only one who sees it?
By DarthSaban on 11.03.21 9:17am
Are we sure that isn't Q in the first photo?
By bamaguy2nd&26 on 11.03.21 9:32am
Absolutely
By DarthSaban on 11.03.21 10:02am
Yes, Q went to Wenonah School in Bham
Nolen played his junior year at St. Benedict in Cordova (Memphis suburb).
By CB969 on 11.03.21 12:58pm
Memphis to Knoxville
How in the world did he get from Cordova to Knox Powell?!?! That’s a haul, and sounds suspicious. Powell is a public school, so it isn’t like moving to IMG. Vols gonna Vol, I guess.
By JPlunkett77 on 11.04.21 10:25am
Fong crystal balled him to Texas A&M today
It’s a medium confidence but fong has a good track record.
By MeltdownThreadsAreNotReal on 11.03.21 10:14am
Texas AM have been on fire pulling kids from the East this year.
I guess since it’s not illegal to buy recruits now, they are breaking out the check book. This was the very reason I was against paying players. Well that and the fact that they haven’t done anything in life to warrant anything more than a free scholarship, monthly stipend, free medical, tutors, and top notch training facilities. Entitlement is not warranted. I wonder what would happened if schools started cutting players now bc they aren’t good.
By cbdavis on 11.03.21 11:44am
Aren't you a free market kind of guy?
They’ve clearly done enough to warrant getting paid for endorsement deals, etc. if someone in the market is willing to pay it. It’s more like you just personally don’t want them to get paid more than the benefits they already receive.
By bamaguy2nd&26 on 11.03.21 11:58am
I wasn’t trying to start this argument
Just making the commentary on Fongs crystal ball
By MeltdownThreadsAreNotReal on 11.03.21 1:34pm
Exactly!
Anyone is warranted anything they can get in a fair and legal exchange.
By Moby on 11.03.21 3:26pm
If we want to go free market then the schools should be allowed to cut them if they are crap…just like the NFL that college football is apparently morphing into.
By bamafan1972 on 11.04.21 4:30am
If schools were the ones paying them, perhaps
But a school would have a hard time arguing it should be able to cut players simply because players can make money from outside sources.
By bamaguy2nd&26 on 11.04.21 8:32am
Yeah, that’s a good point.
By bamafan1972 on 11.04.21 8:41am
Ty Simpson promised us he'd get Nolen to roll with the Tide, so I guess this is a big weekend for Ty to work his magic!
By TUAMuchTuna on 11.03.21 9:46am
@What the guy doesn’t like Dodge Chargers?@
By CrimsonRon on 11.03.21 10:44am
@Don't you mean Mercedes?@
We Gump to a standard here, sir.
By Law Abiding Citizen on 11.03.21 11:10am
@I start negotiations at Bugatti's, SIR! @
By Soggy_Oats on 11.03.21 2:05pm
@Those are reserved for the five stars. How many have you?@
Perhaps I can interest you in a Kia. God knows if car depended on stars I’d be in a Yugo.
By Law Abiding Citizen on 11.03.21 2:17pm
I'd be on a bicycle
so don’t feel too bad.
By Soggy_Oats on 11.03.21 9:09pm
You obviously haven't priced a Kia recently.
By krnxprs on 11.04.21 11:06am
He currently coaches an indoor football team called the Omaha Beef.
NICE
By The Great Saban on 11.03.21 9:05am
Luxury vs Steerage
Is the difference between Official vs Unofficial visit that the student and family have one of a limited number of slots for personal meetings with the top coaches and coordinators? Unofficials are more- "You’re welcome to come and tour about the facilities with an Athletic Dept. minder but we can’t promise much more than a quick handshake or wave from any of higher level staff."?
Not real clear on how the experience is different for families.
By Crimson Cthulhu on 11.03.21 11:42am
The biggest aspect is that Official Visits are paid for by the schools
They pay for transportation to and from campus, three meals a day, hotel, and of course tickets to the game (over 48 hours). This applies to a recruit and two family members or a guardian. (The NCAA usually turns a blind eye if a kid brother or sister tag along.) That deal is especially nice if they are coming from somewhere like California. Each croot can have up to five OVs and they have to be to different schools, who invite them.
For unofficial visits, they are responsible for their own for expenses except for game tickets. Occasionally, some guys will couch surf with a current player who they previously knew or have befriended. Recruits can take as many unofficials as they want, again as long as they are invited.
The time a coach can spend with a croot is up to the coach. Most unofficial visitors are not expecting a tour of Saban’s office or breakfast at his house with Miss Terry.
By CB969 on 11.03.21 1:24pm