Alabama Football: Tide land 2 Crystal Balls for nation’s best OT

Alabama football might land a stud in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247.

The 2021 Alabama football recruiting class has not been as strong as it has been in the past, but that just might change. According to 247’s Crystal Ball, the Crimson Tide might land JC Latham, a 5-star offensive tackle.

Latham has been considered a lock to go to Ohio State, but he landed two Crystal Balls to join the Crimson Tide on Sunday. The odds still have him joining the Buckeyes, but the tide might just be turning on Latham.

Latham is expected to be a superstar offensive tackle with the ability to start as a freshman. Despite his size, he has plenty of quickness for the tackle position. By the time he is ready to play in the NFL, Latham could easily be a first-round draft pick.

What would Latham mean for Alabama football?

Alabama football had two star-studded offensive tackles in 2019, and they should have more of the same in 2020. Alex Leatherwood decided to return to college and play out his senior year at left tackle, while Evan Neal is moving to right tackle to replace Jedrick Wills. After this season, Neal will likely replace Leatherwood at left tackle, leaving the right tackle position open once again. This position could be filled by Latham, or he could start for a season at guard before moving back to tackle. This is what happened to both Leatherwood and Neal.

If you want any optimism about Latham choosing to play with Alabama football, Neal recently retweeted Latham’s post about being ready to commit with an emoji of an elephant. Neal might not specifically know where Latham is leaning, but he certainly knows that Alabama could desperately use his talents over the coming years.

Latham isn’t the only player on Alabama’s radar. To make their way up the recruiting rankings, they will need to land over a dozen more prospects. One is Xavian Sorey, a linebacker prospect who recently included the Tide in his final list of teams.

It’s still too early to predict where Latham will choose. He is trending towards the Tide, but he could easily remain with the Buckeyes. However, the pairing of his decision being made at the same time of multiple predictions for him to join the Crimson Tide is a bright sign. We’ll have to wait for his decision, but Tide fans are certainly rooting for him to choose crimson over scarlet.