Alabama Football Recruiting: Nation’s top offensive lineman commits to the Crimson Tide

There’s been plenty of hand-wringing from Alabama fans worried that the 2021 recruiting class has been off to a slow start. Well, that’s officially no longer the case. JC Latham, a 5-star prospect out of IMG Academy, picked Alabama over close pursuit from Ohio State and LSU.

In 247Sports’s rankings, he’s the #3 overall player and #1 overall offensive tackle. ESPN has him the #9 overall player and #2 offensive tackle, while Rivals for some reason still thinks he is a 4-star and #75 overall.

The 247 composite between the three services ranks Latham as the #17 player in the nation.

The disparity in rankings likely comes from Rivals being a bit conservative. Latham was a defensive lineman in Wisconsin for two years before moving south to IMG Academy before the 2019 season and making the switch to offensive line. He absolutely dominated, but has still only played on offense for a single season.

At 6’6” 305, Latham is a natural tackle with very little body fat. He looks like more like a giant tight end than an offensive lineman. He’s a balanced player who can work out of a 3-point stance, get downfield to lead block, and drop into pass protection on the edge without missing a beat.

With his commitment, Alabama vaulted up nearly 20 spots in the rankings, up to #28. The Tide still only has 6 total commitments, but every one of them are top-notch players. Alabama’s average player ranking is higher than everyone in the 2021 cycle other than Ohio State and Clemson.

The dominos are falling into place.

Roll Tide!