Four-Star DL Stephiylan Green Speechless After Receiving Dream Offer From Alabama

The class of 2023 defender visited the Crimson Tide's campus for the first time Saturday.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Class of 2023 defensive lineman Stephiylan Green hadn’t heard a peep from Alabama until two weeks ago when director of football recruitment Daniel Bush sent him an invite to Junior Day.

Green wasted no time sending back an RSVP.

“I texted him, ‘Lock me in,’” Green said. “It was a must to go.”

It turns out that was a good decision. Green, a native of Rome, Ga., visited Alabama’s campus for the first time on Saturday. The trip was a success as the four-star defender left Tuscaloosa with a coveted offer from the Crimson Tide.

“It caught me by surprise,” Green said. “At first the recruiting guy came and got me, and I was waiting outside [Saban’s] office. I was really nervous, but we had a good talk and he offered me a scholarship.”

At that point, the 6-foot-4, 267-pound defender was at a loss for words.

“I was speechless,” Green said. “I about cried in there. It’s always been my dream to get an offer from Alabama.”

Green is the No. 249 player overall and No. 39 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Saturday, Saban told the rising high school senior that he views him as someone who could provide explosion off the end as a pass rusher.

“He said he likes the way I use my hands,” Green said. “He said he needs a defensive lineman who can rush outside, so I would be a strong-side end.”

While initially intimidated by Saban, Green said he quickly warmed up to the head coach, praising him for his no-nonsense approach. While the two didn’t talk long, the defensive lineman said he formed a nice connection during the meeting.

“All I know is he’s a great coach,” Green said. “He was straightforward with me. He didn’t BS me or anything. He just told me about his program, the academics and everything. It was a good talk.”

Green was originally scheduled to attend Alabama basketball’s upset win over No. 4 Baylor. However, he said he was too excited to go. Along with the good news from Saban, Green also enjoyed touring Alabama’s facilities, taking particular interest in the Crimson Tide’s sports science center.

“Everything was great,” Green said. “What stood out to me was all the health and medical care they have for their players. They see everything, so they are able to make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Despite recently turning up its attention toward Green, Alabama has already vaulted up among the defensive lineman’s favorites alongside Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Green said he hasn’t scheduled any upcoming visits but could definitely see himself returning to Alabama in the future. 


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Tony Tsoukalas
TONY TSOUKALAS

Tony Tsoukalas has been covering Alabama since 2016, working for the Anniston Star and Rivals before joining BamaCentral. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Tsoukalas attended the University of Alabama from 2008-12. He served as the sports editor of the student paper, The Crimson White, during his senior year. Before covering Alabama, Tsoukalas covered high school sports at The Meridian (Miss.) Star and the Victoria (Texas) Advocate. He also served as a copy editor for The Tuscaloosa News.