Alabama Football: New commit Wilkin Formby portends outstanding offensive line class

With the Monday night announcement of 2023 class, offensive lineman, Wilkin Formby committing to Alabama Football, anticipation builds about a special O-line class.

Latching onto a 4-Star recruit from Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa should always be a slam-dunk for the Alabama football staff. But in the NIL world of recruiting, nothing can be taken for granted.

Formby is not just a 4-Star, he is a highly rated one, listed in the 247Sports Composite as the No. 83 player overall in the 2023 class. At 6’7″, his frame can carry more than 300 pounds of ‘good’ weight. Like most offensive line recruits, making the transition from high school to a college starter will take time. Formby is a high school right tackle, but recruiting experts state he can play tackle or guard at the college level. It will be interesting to see what position he settles in during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Formby could be the first of a group of elite offensive line commits for the Alabama Crimson Tide. There appears to be considerably more interest from highly rated offensive line recruits since Eric Wolford joined the Alabama football staff.

Wolford did exceptional work with Kentucky’s offensive line, helping boost the Wildcats to 10 wins in 2021.

In recent seasons, Alabama football has had some recruiting disappointments with overall talent at offensive tackle being a team weakness. Wolford appears to be rapidly remedying that situation.

More elite, future Alabama Football talent

So elite prospects are showing high interest in joining Wolford’s rebuilding project. In discussing the 2023 class recently, we estimated the Crimson Tide will add five offensive linemen. If that number fits into the scholarship plan for the 2023 class, Eric Wolford and Nick Saban have four more openings.

Three of those four slots could go to 5-Star recruits.

There is recent buzz the Crimson Tide is in a strong position with the three 5-Stars listed below.

• Francis Mauigoa; 5-Star, No. 1 rated offensive tackle and the No. 9 player overall in the 2023 class. Mauigoa, coming out of the Bradenton, FL, IMG Academy should give the Tide an advantage.
• Kadyn Proctor; 5-Star, No. 2 rated offensive tackle and the No. 10 player overall. It is down to the Tide and Iowa for Proctor. On a recent Tuscaloosa visit, Proctor, and as importantly, his mom were praising the Alabama Crimson Tide program.
• Samson Okunlola; 5-Star, No. 3 rated offensive tackle and No. 20 player overall. Okunola may be the hardest pull because of distance, but he gave the Tide rave reviews after last weekend’s visit.

In addition to the trio above, a couple of 4-Stars, Olaus Alinen and Miles McVay would fit well into the Alabama Crimson Tide, 2023 signing class.