Alabama trending to land 2024 TE Jay Lindsey

Late Saturday night, Butler (Ala.) Patrician Academy three-star tight end Jay Lindsey announced his decommitment from Mississippi State. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder had been pledged to the Bulldogs since April 16.

“To all the Mississippi State coaches and staff, I would like to thank you for everything that you have done for me and my family,” Lindsey wrote. “Thank you for taking your time to recruit me and for being so good to me during the process. With that being said, after a lot of thought and prayer, I have decommitted from Mississippi State.”

With Lindsey back on the board, there’s a new clear favorite for the tight end, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Following new picks logged by recruiting insiders, the in-state Alabama Crimson Tide now appear to be in line to acquire Lindsey’s commitment.

BamaOnLine’s Andrew Bone placed a pick in favor of the Tide on Aug. 27, accompanying it with a 65% confidence level. Alabama now has a 97.8% chance to lock down Lindsey’s pledge. Defensive line coach Freddie Roach and tight ends coach Joe Cox are leading Bama’s recruitment. Lindsey has taken two trips to Tuscaloosa since June, including a visit at the end of July.

“The offer from Alabama is a dream come true,” Lindsey told BOL. I have been watching Alabama since I was a little kid. I grew up an Alabama fan. It’s really cool to get an offer from them…

“I love them,” he said regarding the Tide’s assistant coaches. “They are really great and have taken me in. I talk to Coach Roach more since he is my area recruiter. He is a really good dude. I like both of them.”

Lindsey is the No. 1018 overall prospect and No. 57 TE in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 40 player in Alabama and was named one of “22 unheralded recruits college football staffers are high on.”

Alabama securing another top-five class

To no surprise, Nick Saban has crafted another top-notch class that’s currently set to head to T-Town next year. The Crimson Tide’s class is currently No. 4 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

Lindsey would be the second tight end in the class, joining elite Carrollton (Ga.) four-star Caleb Odom, the No. 51 overall prospect and No. 3 TE in the cycle. Odom is the third highest-ranked commit in Bama’s class, behind Carlsbad (Calif.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Julian Sayin and Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville five-star athlete Jaylen Mbakwe, both of whom are top-20 recruits.

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star cornerback Zabien Brown, Lindale (Texas) four-star interior offensive lineman Casey Poe, Birmingham (Ala.) Parker four-star defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star safety Peyton Woodyard are all also top-100 prospects.