Alabama Football Recruiting Rewind
Cormani McClain to Miami, what’s next at DB?
Cormani McClain, five-star cornerback from Lakeland High School in Florida, announced his commitment to Miami on Thursday. It is the stunner of the 2023 recruiting cycle as most expected McClain to select Florida.
There was high confidence on the Florida side for months. There was zero confidence on the Miami side (at least as it pertains to reporters/fans). The Alabama side did not expect McClain to choose the Tide, but the expectation was certainly in favor of the Gators.
McClain considered taking an official visit to Alabama for the Texas A&M weekend. It was never a ‘cancelled’ visit as many reported. It was never scheduled. Alabama discussed official visit dates with McClain and decided it was best to bring him in for a December trip due to the perceived notion that the nation’s top cornerback would wait until the Early Signing Period before a commitment.
He surprised many when the commitment date was revealed last week for October 27. McClain still has the option to take an official visit to Alabama. The Crimson Tide will continue recruiting him with hopes it can get McClain to return in December. The odds of a visit happening, however, appear low at this time.
Tyler Scott, three-star cornerback from Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia, will take an official visit to Alabama on November 25-27. Scott received an offer from Coach Saban a few weeks ago. Scott attended his first Alabama game (vs Texas A&M) on October 8.
A new name starting to emerge is Utah commitment CJ Blocker, three-star cornerback from New Caney High School in Texas. Blocker is starting to communicate with Alabama along with several other schools. It is very likely that Blocker will visit Tuscaloosa in the near future.
A few other top defensive back targets who remain strongly in the mix for Alabama includes Desmond Ricks, five-star cornerback from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Damari Brown, four-star cornerback from American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida and Texas commitment Malik Muhammad, Top-100 cornerback from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas.
So where do things stand with each remaining cornerback target for the Crimson Tide in the 2023 class?
In-depth look at Alabama’s top DB targets
Alabama offers 2024 four-star quarterback
Walker White, four-star quarterback from Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas, received an offer from Alabama head coach Nick Saban on Wednesday. White attended the Tide’s camp in June, and after Coach Saban evaluated his 2022 film opted to go ahead with a scholarship.
“He’s one of the greatest coaches ever and it meant a lot knowing that he studied my play and wanted to give me a scholarship means a lot,” White told On3 Sports “I already had 100 percent confidence in my play, but for Coach Saban to think that I can play in his program is a huge compliment.”
White is heavily favored to Ole Miss according to the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine. He is expected in Oxford for the Rebels showdown against the Crimson Tide on November 12. He will also return to Tuscaloosa on November 26 for the Iron Bowl.
Alabama has two quarterback commitments in its 2023 No. 1 ranked recruiting class according to the Consensus Team Rankings in Eli Holstein, four-star from Zachary High School in Louisiana and Dylan Lonergan, four-star from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia.
Coach Saban speaking with (Walker) White indicates very interest in the talented junior. There are others also high on the Tide’s 2024 quarterback board including Julian Sayin, Top-100 from Carlsbad High School in California. Sayin is closing in on a decision which is expected to happen sometime in November. His college choice is expected to come down between Alabama and LSU.
CLICK HERE to get the very latest on where things stand with Sayin’s recruitment.
Predictions rolling in for Arion Carter to Alabama
Arion Carter, four-star linebacker from Smyrna High School in Tennessee, is still committed to Memphis. He has visited Alabama twice this season and is scheduled to return for an official visit on November 26. Carter was scheduled to visit Tennessee this weekend, but cancelled and is no longer expected to trip to Knoxville before announcing a ‘final’ decision.
Carter is currently slated to also take official visits next month to Ohio State (November 12) and Michigan (November 19). He may return to Memphis before a potential flip from the Tigers. On3 Sports national recruiting director Chad Simmons submitted his ‘official’ prediction for Carter to Alabama on Thursday. Simmons isn’t the only reporter who submitted a prediction this week (CLICK HERE for predictions)
“Carter has raved about the Crimson Tide. From the atmosphere in Tuscaloosa to his connection to the coaches to the way Nick Saban and his staff develop players. Alabama is in an excellent position with a decision likely coming late in November. At the latest, I am hearing a decision comes the first week of December.“
Continue reading what Simmons had to say regarding his prediction in favor of the Crimson Tide!
Carter goes in-depth on his recent visit to Alabama
Tide coaches hit the road
The Alabama bye week doesn’t mean coaches get any time to relax. The Crimson Tide coaches attended several high school football games. Defensive Coordinator Pete Golding watched Bray Hubbard, four-star safety from Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi, account for more than 300 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a region championship win on Friday night. It wasn’t Coach Golding’s only stop this week.
Alabama wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins traveled to the West Coast while a few assistants hit South Florida. Outside linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler spent time seeing a key five-star defensive target and Eric Wolford watched one of his top offensive line commitments.
Alabama OL commitment Olaus Alinen believes the Crimson Tide can get him to the first round
Several Alabama commitments also had impressive performances this week including Malik Benson, the No. 1 JuCo player in the country, who set the career receiving record at Hutchinson Community College.
CLICK HERE for stats and highlights from Alabama commitments this week!
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The No. 1 OG in 2024 adds offer from Alabama
Jordan Seaton, Top-100 offensive guard from St. John’s High School in Washington D.C., received an offer from the Crimson Tide on Friday. Offensive line coach Eric Wolford stopped by Seaton’s school which was also the home of former Alabama outside linebacker Terrell Lewis.
“Few prospects made a more drastic transformation from their sophomore to junior seasons than Jordan Seaton,” On3 Sports rankings director Charles Power. “The Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College offensive lineman dropped well over 50 pounds in the off-season and is around 6’5 and 305 pounds. That physical transformation is showing up on the field, with Seaton is moving at a different level as a junior. While he’s always been a strong, technical offensive lineman, the improved movement skills have helped him develop into a borderline dominant player with positional flexibility.”
2024 four-star safety Jaylen Heyward talks top six schools including Alabama
Michael Smith, 2024 four-star tight end from Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia, also received an offer this week from Alabama. The No. 10 tight end in the country according to On3 Sports told Chad Simmons in late September that his top three consisted of Arkansas, Ohio State and South Carolina.
Top commitments elsewhere remain in heavy contact
Alabama remains in strong communication with several recruits who the Crimson Tide hopes it can flip. Five current players in Alabama’s No. 1 ranked class were once committed elsewhere including Eli Holstein (Texas A&M), Tony Mitchell (Tennessee), Ty Lockwood (Ohio State), Ryqueze McElderry (Georgia) and Bray Hubbard (Southern Miss baseball).
BamaInsider will give a complete breakdown this upcoming week on Alabama’s top remaining flip candidates and where things currently stand with each target. Clemson commitment Peter Woods has remained in weekly contact with Alabama, but insists that it will take a lot for him to reconsider.
“I feel like the contact with Alabama has been picking back up especially with the edits and just with them seeing where I’m at with everything,” Woods said in a recent interview with BamaInsider. “We definitely talk a lot. I talked to Coach Roach today (Woods said on Thursday).
“We just still have that relationship. We’ve had it the whole time. I mainly talk to Coach Roach- that’s how it’s been the majority of my recruitment. We just hit each other back and keep in touch. It’s like a daily routine type thing.”
Lawson Luckie, four-star tight end from Norcross High School in Georgia, has visited Alabama three times since his commitment to Georgia. He is a UGA legacy (father played for the Bulldogs), but his interest has continued with the Tide. Luckie attended Alabama’s game against Texas A&M earlier this month, and is considering a return for the Iron Bowl.
“It’s Alabama,” Luckie told BamaInsider. “You’re going to win there. They’re recruiting hard. They don’t say anything negative about Georgia, though. They do their own recruiting game. It’s not them calling me knocking Georgia down. It’s just staying in their own lane.”
More Alabama recruiting content
Analyzing Alabama’s top remaining offensive targets
Breakdown of Alabama’s top remaining defensive targets
