Alabama Summer Enrollee Spotlight: Isaiah Hastings

Hastings was the top prospect out of Canada and ranked an impressive 6.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries over seven games at Clearwater Academy International.

After welcoming in a dozen early enrollees in January, the rest of Alabama’s 2022 class arrived on campus over the weekend. The Crimson Tide is joined by 11 freshmen summer arrivals as well as junior college transfer Miles Kitselman, who committed to Alabama earlier this month.

BamaCentral will break down the arrivals one by one. Next up is defensive lineman and top Canadian football talent Isaiah Hastings.

The player

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Hastings is considered Canada's top football recruit for the 2022 cycle. After leaving Ontario in the summer of 2021, Hastings played his senior season at Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, Fla..

Before finishing his first season in the United States, Hastings' offer sheet totaled over 30 schools. In only seven games, Hastings tallied 6.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries.

Hastings is a big, athletic interior pass rusher with tons of upside. While he is still learning the game after coming to the U.S. from Canada, he has the potential to be a difference maker with the Crimson Tide. With his tall frame with an 84-inch wingspan, he uses his wide base to wedge himself through gaps and overpower offensive linemen. He also shows great initial burst and overwhelms opponents with his bull rush.

How he fits into Alabama

When comparing Hastings to previous Alabama talent, many often measure up his talents and size to Christian Barmore. With his burst and ability to use his arms to wrestle past offensive linemen, Hastings brings with him a nice skillset that complements his other Crimson Tide teammates well.

Hastings brings a lot of versatility with him to Alabama's defensive line, making him able to play most interior d-line positions. Whether it be nose-tackle, left or right defensive tackle, Hastings has the potential to do it all.

With him still settling into the game, Hastings will benefit greatly from learning behind senior D.J. Dale. Combine Dale with other interior defensive linemen in juniors Tim Smith and Jamil Burroughs, and Hastings will no doubt be in good hands during his development.

What to expect next year

With Dale, Smith and Burroughs locking down the defensive interior this season along with redshirt-freshman Tim Keenan III, Hastings has a ton of talented teammates ahead of him in the depth chart. That being said, he can only benefit from the experience that this year's Crimson Tide team brings with it.

Hastings will likely not provide any immediate impact to his position due to Alabama's depth, but gathering experience will be how he benefits most this season. He will no doubt eventually work his way into the rotation with the Crimson Tide, it's just unlikely that he will receive much playing time this year.

Given his size, Hastings will no doubt progress after spending some time in the Alabama weight room. While it might be a disappointment for him that he won't gather much on-field experience this year, his addition to the team will most likely be felt in 2024 or even as soon as 2023 depending on which players depart for the NFL Draft. With Hastings on the line alongside linemen like Keenan III and true freshman Jaheim Oatis, the Crimson Tide's defensive line is looking set far past 2022.

Key quote

"What I really like about Alabama is that they're winners and they want to be the best," Hastings told SI All-American. "That's something I want to be as well. But when you meet them it's more of a family feel. From the outside looking in it's like, 'oh 'Bama, they're very serious and militant.' And they are very serious about the game, but it also has a family appeal."

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