Alabama Recruiting Update: A-Day Visitors

Another Alabama A-Day is in the books and to say it was a rousing success would be an understatement. Despite a cost of admission ($5-10) and assigned seating, the Crimson Tide played before 47,218. This total is the highest at any U.S. sporting event since the start of the Captain Trips hysteria, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The Alabama fandom was not lost on the recruits who were in attendance. Many of them were blown away by the large crowds and the “Game Day” experience that was felt across campus and onto the Strip.

ATTENDEES

According to Andrew Bone of Rivals.com, the following players were in attendance at the A-Day game (listed with my editing).

2022 Commits:

• Ty Simpson 5-star QB
• Emmanuel Henderson 5-star RB
• Robert Woodyard 4-star LB

Recruits:

(all are 2022 unless noted)

• Jeremiah Alexander, 5-star weakside defensive end Thompson High School in Alabaster
• Mykel Williams, 5-star defensive end Hardaway High School in Columbus, GA: “It was good. What really stood out to me was the stadium, I ain’t gonna lie. I first walked to like the first row, almost to the field. I was just like ‘wow.’ I ain’t ever seen a stadium like that. I liked the stadium a lot. The second thing I liked the most was how Nick Saban acted. Like Agiye Hall and Kool Aid … Kool Aid was locking up. Agiye was going crazy. They ain’t even true freshmen yet; they’re early enrollees. He was just so unimpressed. That’s what stood out to me. Like that’s what they do I guess. He was used to it.”
• Justice Finkley, 4-star defensive tackle from Hewitt-Trussville High School brought the whole family.
• Antonio Kite, 4-star safety Anniston High School
• Shemar James, 4-star athlete Faith Academy in Mobile - traveled with his family. He and his father both raved about the trip. The younger James said “the visit was awesome,” and “it was pretty fun.”
• Omari Kelly, 4-star wide receiver Hewitt-Trussville: “It felt really good being able to get back on campus and experience a somewhat game-day environment.”
• TJ Dudley, 4-star linebacker Montgomery Catholic said he had “an awesome time” at the spring game.
• Dayne Shor, 4-star offensive tackle King’s Ridge Christian in Alpharetta, Georgia
• Elijah Prichett 4-star OT, #128 overall from Carver in Columbus, GA
• Anthony Hill 2023 5-star linebacker from Denton, TX made the trip with his family and some teammates. He got a chance to hang with some of the players including Jaylen Moody and his friend from back home in Kendrick Blackshire. “He enjoyed the campus, the fans, he was like: this is a spring game and it’s packed liked this?” his father said.
• Peter Woods, 2023 5-star defensive end, #2 overall from Thompson HS
• Tony Mitchell, 2023 5-star cornerback, #11 overall from Thompson HS: “It was all good, really. The weather, the fans were great. The players, I feel like both teams did well yesterday. It was a good experience being back in Tuscaloosa.” He continued “Just the legacy they have. Saban’s always going to put guys in the league in the first round or second round, it doesn’t matter. Just getting coached by the best coach of all time. Just the program how they run it. They’re always winning. Why not Bama?”
• Kelby Collins, 2023 4-star defensive end, #44 overall from Gardendale High School
• Jamel Johnson 2023 4-star CB, #85 overall, Arlington, TX was part of a Texas contingent.
• Braxton Myers 2023 4-star safety from Coppell, TX.

2021 Alabama Signees in Attendance

• LB Dallas Turner
• DB Kadarius Calloway
• DL Anquin Barnes
• DL Tim Keenan

THE REVIEWS ARE IN

Many of the visitors and their families came away highly impressed. The word “awesome” popped a lot in quotes. Some of the things that impressed the most were the large crowd of fans and the noise they made, the returning players from recent teams many of whom are in the NFL or headed there, the coaching and structure, the intensity of the game, and hanging out with some of the current football players AND basketball players!

DEAD PERIOD IS DEAD!

FINALLY after over a year of separation, the NCAA has relented and is ending the no-contact period June 1, 2021. Alabama camps (TBA) will be held and you can expect a rash of official visits.

It is interesting to mention that the Alabama staff was not pressing for recruits to attend A-Day. They would rather they wait until the Dead Period ends. These recruits who did travel to Tuscaloosa did so of their own volition.