Recruiting Rundown: Arch Manning Headlines Star-Studded List of Visitors for Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After hosting several top talents last week, Alabama welcomes an even more impressive list of visitors this weekend.
The group is headlined by a pair of quarterbacks as Arch Manning will take his official visit while recent Crimson Tide commit Eli Holstein will also be in town on an unofficial visit. In total, Alabama will have nine official visitors, including Manning, Francis Mauigoa (five-star OT), Kadyn Proctor (five-star OT), Anthony Hill (five-star linebacker), Richard Young (five-star RB), Jacobe Johnson (four-star athlete), Wilkin Formby (four-star OL), Raul Aguirre (four-star LB) and Olaus Alinen (four-star OL).
In addition to the visitors, Alabama is also hosting a kicking camp on Saturday that will feature some of the best specialists in the nation. Assuming Will Reichard doesn’t take advantage of his extra year of eligibility, the Crimson Tide will be looking for his replacement at this time next year. That player might very well be on campus this weekend.
BamaCentral will take a look at a few key talking points surrounding the weekend in this week’s Recruiting Rundown.
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The situation behind center
Arch Madness is returning to Tuscaloosa, but is Alabama still in contention to land the nation’s No. 1 recruit? After traveling to Georgia last weekend, Manning will visit the Crimson Tide this weekend before rounding out his three-stop June tour with a trip to Texas next week. Manning announced his visit schedule before Holstein committed to Alabama late last month. However, the commitment hasn’t seemed to scare off the five-star quarterback from considering the Crimson Tide.
This weekend should provide an indication of whether Alabama is still in the running for Manning. Despite adding a top-10 quarterback in Holstein, the Crimson Tide is still looking for another elite option at the position. The question is whether Manning will be fine with sharing the spotlight. Georgia and Texas have yet to add quarterbacks in the 2023 class and likely won’t do so until Manning makes his decision.
The fact that Manning is still making his way down to Tuscaloosa is a good sign for Alabama. If he was no longer considering the Crimson Tide, he could have easily canceled the trip and replaced it with an official visit to a school without a quarterback in its 2023 class. It’s also worth noting that the nation’s No. 1 recruit isn’t likely to be intimidated by competition and has reason to like his odds against any quarterback.
“Should Alabama take two commitments at the position, which it had done twice in the five cycles prior, Manning and his classic pocket style would serve as a complement to the more dynamic Holstein,” Sports Illustrated’s director of recruiting, John Garcia Jr. told BamaCentral last month. “... If any passer would have enough conviction to commit to Alabama despite a talent like Holstein's on board — it would have to be Manning.”
Should Manning choose Alabama, he and Holstein would likely have the opportunity to compete right away for the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback role as reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is projected to be a top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Alabama currently has two four-star quarterbacks in Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson waiting in the wings, but with Young set to get most of the snaps this season, neither of those two would have a significant leg up in experience over Holstein or Manning next year.
As Garcia pointed out earlier this week, Texas will have a returning starter at quarterback in 2023 while Alabama and Georgia likely won’t. That could ultimately factor into Manning’s decision more so than Holstein's commitment.
Regardless of Manning’s decision, Alabama will still be looking to add another elite passer in this year’s class. Last weekend, the Crimson Tide hosted four-star quarterback Dylan Lonergan. Expect Alabama to turn up the heat on him if it falls out of the race for Manning.
Richard Young's Twitter account
Another Young star at Alabama?
While the quarterback position is taking center stage this weekend, Manning and Holstein won’t be the only prized skill players in town. Alabama is also hosting five-star running back Richard Young, who ranks as the No. 24 player in the nation and No. 2 player at his position, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Alabama is thought to be leading the race to land the Florida native. However, he visited Oklahoma last weekend and is set to make a trip to Georgia next weekend.
Young is coming off a junior season in which he averaged 8.95 yards per carry while recording 1,755 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back has demonstrated elite vision at the line of scrimmage and has the necessary burst to blow past defenders after making his cut. Garcia spoke highly of the five-star back during the Under Armour camp in Miami this past February.
“[Young] lived up to the hype in drills and anything else where his gifts were on display with the ball in his hands," Garcia said. 'Young has room to improve his space game, particularly catching the ball out of the backfield, but a strong build and smooth downhill game makes him coveted.”
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A lot on the line
One of Alabama’s biggest priorities in next year’s class is reloading its offensive line. While the Crimson Tide has brought in impressive offensive line classes the past two years, there’s always a need for more talent in the trenches. The Crimson Tide has produced a first-rounder in each of the last four NFL Drafts, and a few mock drafts project Emil Ekiyor Jr. to continue that trend next year.
Alabama could have a few more future first-round picks on its campus this weekend as it will host five-star talents Francis Mauigoa and Kadyn Proctor as well as four-star prospects Wilkin Formby and Olaus Alinen.
Mauigoa and Proctor are rated at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively among the nation’s offensive tackles, according to the 247Sports Composite. Mauigoa, who plays at IMG Academy, will be making his first trip to Tuscaloosa but has likely heard plenty of positive feedback from fellow IMG products in Evan Neal, J.C. Latham and Tyler Booker. Proctor, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, is thought to be leaning toward his home-state Hawkeyes. However, Alabama is still very much in contention for his commitment.
Despite being a Tuscaloosa native, Formby is considered to be an Ole Miss lean by some. That being said, it’s hard to imagine the Crimson Tide letting a top-100 recruit from its own backyard slip out of its grasp — especially when he plays at a position of need.
Alinen is the lineman Alabama is in the best position to land as the Crimson Tide has been considered the favorite for his commitment since November. The Finland native has made three previous trips to Alabama but will be joined by his family for the first time this weekend. Following his most recent trip to Tuscaloosa in March, Alinen told BamaCentral that Alabama’s campus is beginning to feel more familiar.
“I’m starting to recognize places there, and going around places feels easier,” Alinen said. “The football building feels familiar now. It’s a very different feeling to visit someplace for the first time than it is a third time for sure. It was a great trip.”
