Top-rated OT Elijah Pritchett Eager to Prove Himself at Alabama

The SI99 offensive lineman is set to join the Crimson Tide this summer.

It’s been a while since Elijah Pritchett has found himself in a position to prove someone wrong on the football field. The nation’s top offensive tackle doesn’t deal with many doubters anymore. In fact, he’d have to look hard to find any criticism surrounding his name amid the profusion of praise he’s received in recent weeks.

Pritchett, who signed with Alabama on Early Signing Day in December, is a month removed from a dominating performance at the All-American Bowl that helped him solidify his status as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the SI99 while picking up a fifth star from both 247Sports and Rivals. The Columbus, Ga. native has also added 20 pounds of muscle over the past year, filling out his 6-foot-6 frame at 300 pounds — a weight that should allow him to lock horns with bigger defenders at the college level.

Still, the immediacy of Pritchett’s bright future at Alabama is somewhat clouded by the fact that he won’t join the Crimson Tide until May 29 as a summer enrollee.

During the Nick Saban era, only three true freshmen have secured full-time starting roles on the offensive line. Cam Robinson started at left tackle during his freshman season in 2014, while Jonah Williams manned the right tackle position during his first season in 2016 and Evan Neal began his Crimson Tide career as the starting guard in 2019.

Each member of that trio enrolled early at Alabama, getting a head start on their first seasons by participating in spring camp. That’s an advantage Pritchett won’t have this offseason, causing some to question his ability to make an instant impact in Year 1.

That hesitation is all the motivation he needs over the next few months.

“I love proving people wrong,” Pritchett said. “When people tell me I can’t do something, I have to go out of my way just to prove them wrong. All my life, people told me I couldn’t do this or I couldn’t do that. People who didn’t think I could make it this far are now congratulating me. It’s a good feeling.”

Pritchett’s road to five-star fame had a humble beginning. Academic struggles in middle school limited his time on the field, stunting his early development. One week into his freshman season of high school, he was “fired” from his role as a defensive lineman as his struggles prompted coaches to flip him to the offensive side of the ball.

Even after finding his footing as an offensive lineman, Pritchett faced uncertainty heading into his sophomore season as he was nearly passed up by a freshman teammate for a starting role. Undeterred, he vowed not to go down without a fight.

“He battled for that thing all summer long and, quite frankly, he just outworked the other guy,” Carver High School recruiting coordinator Johnny Garner said. “The rest has been history. He has always had a chip on his shoulder ever since.”

Pritchett’s insistence on proving himself this offseason isn’t solely centered around earning a starting spot on next season’s offensive line. Sure, he’d love the opportunity to block for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner during his freshman year. Who wouldn’t? However, he says he’s content with putting his head down and working his way into the role if need be.

Either way, he’s looking forward to showing he belongs at the elite level this fall.

“I really like to compete,” Pritchett said. “That’s what sets me apart from everybody else. I mean, I just love to compete and hate to lose. It doesn’t matter who I go against, I’m always trying to better myself. I’m always trying to figure out in my head how I’m going to beat the person standing in front of me.”

Pritchett won’t join the Crimson Tide for another three and a half months, but he’s already receiving a few pointers from a future teammate in rising junior Javion Cohen. Pritchett refers to Cohen as his mentor and said the starting left guard has already warned him of the hard workouts ahead of him at Alabama. The incoming freshman is hoping that the adaptation period won’t be too severe given his already rigorous schedule this offseason.

For the past few weeks, the majority of Pritchett’s waking hours have been spent in either the classroom or the weight room. Looking to make up for lost time away from his future team, the lineman is working out six days a week, lifting weights at his high school before refining his skill set at Impact Performance RX, a local fitness and training center.

“I’m not training with [Alabama], so while they’re training I want to train, if not harder than them, at least at the same level,” Pritchett said. “I’m working day in and day out to make sure I’m ready. I’m still training to get even better.”

While Pritchett aims to make a solid first impression upon joining Alabama, he’s already caught the eye of first-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford. Interestingly enough, Wolford was the first college coach to extend an offer to Pritchett, recruiting him to South Carolina in March of 2020 while serving as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach.

“He saw potential in me and said I was going to be the next greatest lineman,” Pritchett said. “I always see him as a real coach. He’s one of the realest coaches out there and one of the realest coaches you can be coached by. He’s always believed in me, and it’s crazy that he’s going to be my position coach now.”

Pritchett says he can’t wait to join up with Wolford and is determined to live up to his high praise this fall. Add that to the list of things he’s looking to prove upon joining the Crimson Tide.

“I’m just ready to compete,” Pritchett said. “I’m ready to bring them another natty.”

A look at Elijah Pritchett

Photo | Elijah Pritchett's Instagram, pritchett._

Elijah Pritchett's Instagram account, pritchett._

Elijah Pritchett's Instagram account, pritchett._

Elijah Pritchett's Instagram account, pritchett._

Elijah Pritchett's Instagram account, pritchett._