Recruiting Rundown: Alabama's 2024 QB Commit Impresses at Elite 11 Finals

A snapshot look at the latest in the Crimson Tide recruiting world as things continue to heat up this summer.

Joe Gaither | Jun 16, 2023

Photo | Julian Sayin's Instagram account, @juliansayin

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The summer is heating up in the football recruiting world as the 2024 class takes visits and jockeys for scholarship offers. The top 2024 quarterbacks stole the national attention this week as the annual Elite 11 Finals got underway in California.

Alabama quarterback commit Julian Sayin has, thus far, owned the event, winning the competition's first two nights. He looks to follow former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Blake Barnett in winning the prestigious competition.

Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats landed a major win this week. On Monday several prominent basketball journalists reported that North Dakota State forward Grant Nelson is expected to transfer to the Crimson Tide.

Securing Nelson gives the Tide a fighting chance at repeating as double-SEC champions as he fills a much needed void in the Alabama front-court.

Oats and company still have two more scholarship spots available and will continue to scour the nation for big-bodied help.

News and Notes

• 6-10 forward Jarin Stevenson is still weighing his options as it pertains to reclassifying into the 2023 class, but for now the 2024 5-star prospect takes to social media to narrow his list down to a final three. Alabama finds itself in a three-way battle with North Carolina and Virginia for his services. Reports indicate Stevenson could be nearing his decision by the end of the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who has recruited me. 🙏🙏🙏
My top 3 are @UVAMensHoops ⚔️ @UNC_Basketball 🐏 and @AlabamaMBB 🐘 pic.twitter.com/nhWJ7V8136
— Jarin Stevenson (@JarinStevenson) June 16, 2023

• Louisiana forward Jordan Brown entered the transfer portal last Friday. The 6-10 former 5-star recruit will be immediately eligible to play in 2023 as a graduate transfer. He averaged 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 2022-23 in the Sun Belt and was named Lou Henson Player of the Year by College Insider, honoring the best D1 player in a mid-major conference. Could Oats and company lure Brown to Tuscaloosa and solidify the 2023-24 roster?

Tide-Bits

• 2024 WR prospect Amari Jefferson told BamaCentral this week that he wants to play both baseball and football in college. Jefferson is already committed to Tennessee baseball but has Alabama as one of his final six schools for football.

• 2024 Offensive lineman William Sanders told BamaCentral last Friday that he was down to his final three schools in Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU.

Checking Out The Capstone

It's the third major recruiting weekend of the summer for the Alabama Crimson Tide football program and it's the biggest so far of the summer. The Crimson Tide is hosting a whopping 10 official visitors, according to On3.

Three players on the visit are already committed to the Tide in the 2024 class, however one visitor (Demarcus Riddick) is a Georgia commit.

• Jaylen Mbakwe, CB, 5-11, 170, Pinson, Ala.

• Colin Simmons, EDGE, 6-3, 225, Duncanville, Texas.

• Demarcus Riddick, LB, 6-2, 212, Clanton, Ala.

• Jeremiah Beaman, DL, 6-4, 265, Birmingham, Ala.

• Jameer Grimsley, CB, 6-3, 185, Tampa, Fla.

• Sterling Dixon, EDGE, 6-3, 211, Mobile, Ala.

• Keylen Adams, WR, 6-1, 175, Virginia Beach, Va.

• Weston Davis, OT, 6-5, 275, Beaumont, Texas.

• Daniel Hill, ATH, 6-1, 220, Meridian, Miss.

• Solomon Williams, EDGE, 6-3, 250, Tampa, Fla.