Prized Alabama Defensive End Hunter Osborne Talks Top Six, Recruitment Process, & Game

2023 Trussville (Ala) Hewitt-Trussvile High School defensive lineman Hunter Osborne is one of the most sought-after prospects in the nation, regardless of position. With over 50 Division 1 offers in hand, Osborne recently made the decision to narrow his focus to six schools. He discusses the top group, his game and more here with Sports Illustrated All-American.

"I play with a very high IQ in my opinion," Osborne said of what he believes sets his game apart at this stage. "At my age, I understand the game really well and I am very versatile. You can put me on the line at any spot and I'll get the job done. Really just being a leader on the D-line, the high motor, the good hands, and I play the run game really well. I've been working on getting better with my bend, but I do think that's what makes me the player I am. Definitely just how I read the game, break down the game and use my brain to play football."

So what is the coveted prospect looking at when he lines up between those white lines?

"First thing I do is look at personnel," he said of this. "What personnel is it, how many receivers are out there, how many running backs do we have in the backfield, is there a tight end on the line or not. If there's a tight end, line up in the correct alignment with the tight end. Say there's not a tight end, and I'm looking at a tackle. I'm looking at his knee, where his feet are at, and if I'm going into a game I've watched film on that tackle. I know how his stance is, when he's pulling, when he's trying to reach me, just regular base block, all of that. So when it comes to the game I'm prepared."

Still, despite already having experienced ample success at the prep level, Osborne is hungry for more. Heading into his senior season, Osborne is focused on becoming more of a force as a pass rusher.

"Definitely my pass rush," he said of where he wants to see his game improve the most. "That was my main thing over the summer and in the off-season. And when I get to a college, they'll put the weight on and get me into the size they want me to be at. So I would say my pass rush."

Osborne and family worked diligently to narrow their focus to a select group of program. 

"I am working through the process one day at a time," Osborne said of handling his recruitment. "I am really taking my time with it because I don't have anyone in my family that has been through this process, so we are new to all of this. We are very fortunate to be in this process. I was ready to narrow this list of schools because these are the main schools that have built a relationship with me, so we were ready to start narrowing it down to one eventually. That is where we were at."

With six schools in focus, Osborne offered insight as to why each school made the list for him. 

On Auburn: "Just the relationship I have with the staff. I believe in Coach Harsin and the vision he has. Also, the relationship I have with Coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh makes them a top-six school for me."

On Alabama: "The relationship I have with Coach (Freddie) Roach is great as well. Also, people say, 'why not Bama,' and that is true. They are always developing people, and year in and year out, they are on top of the college football world. Having the chance to play at Bama, I had to include them in my final schools."

On Texas: "They recently came in the mix. They offered me about three weeks ago, but Coach Bo Davis told me he was really going to try to recruit me and was sorry he was late. And he has been doing a great job of that. We have been on the phone multiple times. He talks to my parents all the time, and I can see the vision Coach Sark has for Texas. I do believe they will be back on top of football very soon, so I had to put them in my final six."

On LSU: "I already had a great relationship with Coach (Brian) Kelly when he was at Notre Dame. So when he came down to LSU and brought Coach (Jamar) Cain with him, in my head, I was like, this is perfect. When they got down to LSU, we instantly started talking because the relationships were already there. I believe in Coach Kelly, he knows how to win, and I have been down there a few times since he got the job, and you can tell the program is already focused on getting back to where they were when they won the national championship. I truly believe in LSU, how Coach Kelly operates, and Coach Cain as a coach and a man, so I had to put LSU in my top six as well."

On Clemson: "I would say, Coach Swinney, I love how he is as a man. He is obviously a good football coach, but he is a good person above everything. The tradition that Clemson has and the culture, it is a family team, and they treat you like family every time you go up there. Coach Hall and Coach Eason are two of the best defensive line coaches in the game right now, and they are putting guys in the league all the time. Coach Eason is new up there, but he also played up there, so I am excited to see him be back at his old school and see what he can do. Coach Hall with the D-ends has put a lot of guys in the league, but it is really just the relationship I have with the staff. I talk to them every single week, and I talk to Coach Goodwin almost every week. I really love the culture Clemson has."

On Tennessee: "I told them as soon as I dropped my top ten (in March) that I was still considering them, but I just had to choose one school or the other. I am not going to say which school I chose over them at the time, but as soon as I dropped it, I was texting Coach Garner and told him, 'I want to keep this relationship going.' He agreed with me and said he understood. We have been talking almost daily ever since then. I love Coach Heupel, and we talk weekly. I see the vision that he has there, and he is already bringing Tennessee to other places after his first year. With Coach Garner, everyone respects him in this industry as a great coach, so it is always in the back of my head that if I go to Tennessee, I will be developed. With Nico coming there and starting off that big class for 2023, I can see several others going there as well and thinking the same things.

Osborne will be in Knoxville this weekend for an unofficial visit, then he will start using official visits in June. He knows for sure that Tennessee, Clemson and LSU are getting an official visit from him. With only five trips to use, one program will not receive an official visit, and he has not decided which program that will be yet

"I haven't really decided on that yet," he said. "I am still talking with my parents to see how we will go through that and determine which five schools will get the official visit. When the time is right, I will know who will get my last two officials.

Ideally, Osborne would like to make a decision by the second game of his senior season. With that in mind, he knows what it will take for one school to separate themselves from the rest.

"Definitely just the relationships I have with the coaches," Osborne said of this. " Showing I am a want and a need for their program. The relationship they have with my family. My parents have to feel comfortable with me going to a program for 3-4 years. It is my decision, but I want them to feel comfortable with it—the development and how they plan to use me for the next three to four years."