Alabama Football Set to Host Two Defensive Backs From Texas on Saturday
The University of Alabama will host four-star safety Corian Gipson and four-star cornerback Jaden Allen on Jan. 28, per numerous reports. The two defensive backs are both from Texas and Allen is already committed to the Longhorns.
Corian Gipson
The 6-foot, 165-pound prospect out of Lancaster High School, Texas, is ranked as the ninth-best junior in the state of and the consensus No. 5 safety in the Class of 2024, per On3 recruiting.
Gipson comes into Tuscaloosa with the University of Texas at the top of his list as he visited Austin yesterday.
The stereotypical downside of Gipson's smaller frame aren't evident in his highlights. Gipson is an aggressive tackler who aims low enough to consistently make his opponent hit the ground.
His height is relatively average for the position, but he could leap with the best of them. Most of Gipson's pass breakups were on deep balls and fade routes where the opposing quarterback could guarantee his receiver would make the play.
One of Gipson's best qualities is his speed. He often lined up as a cornerback and was able to consistently stay with the wide receiver, a position designed to be faster than a traditional safety.
Jaden Allen
The 5-foot-10, 150-pound prospect out of Aledo High School, Texas, is ranked as the 33rd-best junior in the state and the consensus No. 19 cornerback in the Class of 2024, per On3 recruiting.
Despite being committed to the University of Texas, Allen will take the Tuscaloosa tour with Gipson on Saturday.
Allen's highlights show many different attributes where he could excel with the Crimson Tide, but his most notable trait is a controversial debate: route-jumping.
Former Alabama standout and two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs was ridiculed every week of his the 2021-22 season for constantly jumping routes, leading to the most interceptions in the league, but the most yards allowed.
Allen's ability to quickly hawk the quarterback's eyes and sprint in front of the receiver to make a play is supernatural. He's dominated this attribute since his freshman year on varsity.
An underrated asset of cornerbacks is their ability to recover when the opposing receiver gets open. When Allen is faced with a curl route, he swiftly gets back to tackle the receiver, consistently preventing long gains. On most other plays, Allen had the speed to stay with the receiver and was unfazed when facing complex routes.
Allen also showcased his potential to blitz the quarterback, evading blockers and make numerous tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Gipson and Allen are two defensive backs the Crimson Tide could use because of their exceptional speed, pass-breakup and ball-hawking abilities and their aggression despite their smaller frames.
See Also:
Alabama Football Set to Host Top Quarterback Recruit From Arkansas
Recruiting Rundown: Looking at the 2023 Class and What's Ahead