Isaac McNeil's Alabama troll during Auburn commitment ignored a key recruiting reality

Heading into Tuesday night's commitment decision for 4-star Vigor LB Isaac McNeil, his recruitment appeared to be down to Auburn and Georgia with most of the smoke connecting him to the Plains after his visit with the Tigers over the weekend.

Of course, that didn't stop Alabama from becoming the main character of his commitment announcement, in peak little brother fashion.

McNeil "trolled" Alabama by initially picking up the Crimson Tide hat on the table to pretend as if he was committing to Kalen DeBoer and company. He then put the hat down before ultimately choosing Auburn:

Auburn fans got their laughs in, and this will be something they point to as a recruiting win for Alex Golesh over DeBoer. That would be ignoring an obvious reality, however.

Alabama had moved on from Isaac McNeil after landing elite LB Kenneth Simon II

If McNeil still wanted to come to Alabama, the Crimson Tide probably would have taken him. He's a good player, there's no doubt. This is a good addition for Auburn.

But the reality is, the troll of Alabama doesn't work as well when you think for two seconds and remember that DeBoer and company landed their top priority at the position with 4-star Kenneth Simon II last month.

In the aftermath of Simon's commitment, Alabama stopped pushing for McNeil. In this era of college football, you have to work within a set budget, and the Crimson Tide wasn't going to offer McNeil what Auburn and others did. That's just the reality. It doesn't make for the same kind of story, nor is it conducive to a "troll," but it's the truth.

Alabama may have only had room for one prep LB in the 2027 cycle. There's only one senior in the room, Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson. Everyone else is an underclassman, and the Tide's priority will be roster retention this offseason. If they lose a player or two to the Transfer Portal, they might peruse the portal for replacement options themselves.

Golesh is trying to build momentum for a program that desperately needs it, and nothing fires up the Auburn fanbase more than a perceived "win" over Alabama. Hypothetical wins over Alabama are all they can point to, considering how the last six Iron Bowls have gone. They've got to have something to grasp onto. There's a pretty good chance that McNeil's stunt was orchestrated by the Auburn staff to begin with; they know nothing generates buzz like the Alabama brand.

Let them celebrate the win, even if the reality doesn't fit the narrative.

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