4-Star OL Miles McVay Has Familiarity With New Alabama OL Coach

Recent hire Eric Wolford already had a relationship with the four-star recruit prior to his hiring.

Coaching changes in college football will always affect recruiting, whether it be assistant coaches or head coaches moving on to new jobs.

In the case of 2023 offensive lineman Miles McVay, a recent coaching move may actually end up being a positive for Alabama. The Crimson Tide moved on from offensive line coach Doug Marrone this offseason, replacing him with former Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford. 

McVay, a 6-foot-7, 365-pound offensive tackle from East St. Louis High School in Illinois, is already familiar with Wolford, as the assistant coach recruited him at Kentucky prior to joining Alabama. If anything, the switch has helped the Crimson Tide in its pursuit of the mammoth lineman. 

"I was talking to coach Marrone a lot," McVay told BamaCentral. "Then they ended up calling Coach Wolford, who I had been in contact with at Kentucky a lot. We text almost every day. When you know somebody, and he wanted me at Kentucky, he called and talked to me a decent amount. ... I was important to him at Kentucky, and to see that transfer over to 'Bama, it feels good." 

McVay also visited Alabama last weekend and spoke to BamaCentral about his visit. 

"I liked seeing the players, and actually talking to them outside of football," McVay said. "That was a real moment because you know [...] when you see them in person with regular street clothes on, laughing and joking like kids, it takes the pressure off you."

McVay noted that he enjoyed getting to know 2022 Crimson Tide signees Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell. The Illinois native said he feels at home at Alabama and wants to visit Tuscaloosa again to see the school outside of football after touring the facilities on his recent visit.

"The school kind of feels like East Side," McVay said. "Coach Saban and Coach [Darren] Sunkett act very much alike. They're going to push you to try to get the best out of you. It's kind of like being at home."

McVay is currently ranked as the No. 134 overall player and No. 13 offensive tackle in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Alabama added the first member of its 2023 class last week when it received a commitment from four-star defensive back Elliot Washington II. The Crimson Tide added three offensive linemen in this year's class, including SI99 members Elijah Pritchett (No. 17) and Tyler Booker (No. 24) as well as three-star recruit Dayne Shor.