Alabama welcomed in 14 early enrollees from its record-breaking 2021 class in January. With the Crimson Tide set to open its spring camp this month, BamaInsider will pass the time by examining each of the newcomers set to begin their college careers this spring.
Today we continue the series with five-star offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer.
What he offers
Tommy Brockermeyer represents a sizable win for Alabama on the recruiting trail. Nick Saban didn’t just pull the Fort Worth, Texas native and his four-star twin brother, James, from deep in Longhorns territory but also convinced the duo to break family tradition in a household that otherwise bleeds burnt orange.
The twins’ father, Blake Brockermeyer, is a former All-American tackle at Texas. He’s the son of Kay Brockermeyer, who also played tackle for the Longhorns in the late 50s. In addition, Blake’s wife Kristy also went to Texas while the couple’s second son, Luke, currently plays linebacker for the Longhorns.
Outside of family ties, Tommy's signature should also prove influential due to his talents on the field. The top player in the state of Texas comes to Alabama rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall player in this year’s class. He serves as the Tide’s second-highest rated signee, trailing only fellow five-star lineman JC Latham.
Tommy added roughly 40 pounds since his sophomore season and comes to Alabama listed at 6-foot-5, 292 pounds. He doesn’t carry any bad weight and should be able to add to his frame this spring. During the 2019 Rivals Camp Series stop in Dallas, he measured in with an 80.5-inch wingspan and 36-inch arms. He also clocked a 5.1 time in the 40-yard dash.
While Tommy’s built like a prototypical tackle, he has the versatility to move inside to guard if called on to do so early in his career. He is one of the most technically polished linemen in this year’s class and pairs those skills with a mean streak that routinely sees him overpower opponents on the line.
Tommy missed all of his junior season with a shoulder injury but was able to return to the field last year for a dominant senior campaign.
Where he fits in next season
Alabama has plenty of options as it looks to replace three starters from last year’s offensive line. Tommy’s ability to play both the guard and tackle positions should increase his ability to compete for an immediate starting spot.
Two-year starter Evan Neal will lock down one of the tackle positions, presumably on the left side where he can fill in for departing Outland Trophy winner Alex Leatherwood as the Tide’s blindside blocker. The other near-certainty on next year’s offensive line is that Emil Ekiyor Jr. will keep his starting spot at one of the two guard positions.
There is less certainty at the center spot. However, Chris Owens, who filled in for Rimington Trophy winner Landon Dickerson during Alabama’s playoff run, returns for his sixth year as the favorite for the role. That likely means Tommy will likely be competing for either the tackle position opposite of Neal or the guard spot opposite of Ekiyor.
Alabama has several quality returning options including Tommy Brown, Javion Cohen, Darrian Dalcourt and Pierce Quick. Because of that, the Tide might opt away from starting two freshmen on the line next season. If that’s the case, Tommy Brockermeyer might have to battle Latham to be the lone freshman starter up front.
What they’re saying
“Brockermeyer's length and arm extension allows him to keep quicker edge-rushers at a distance and formulate a pocket around his quarterback. He is excellent with his hand placement and continues to expand his knowledge of the position on his own time. On the other hand, he has enough power to make quick work of certain defensive linemen as he tucks them into the turf. Brockermeyer's feet and pass-protection tools allows him to dominate at the TAPPs level and against elite competition in camp settings.” — Rivals South Central recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman
Today we continue the series with five-star offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer.
What he offers
Tommy Brockermeyer represents a sizable win for Alabama on the recruiting trail. Nick Saban didn’t just pull the Fort Worth, Texas native and his four-star twin brother, James, from deep in Longhorns territory but also convinced the duo to break family tradition in a household that otherwise bleeds burnt orange.
The twins’ father, Blake Brockermeyer, is a former All-American tackle at Texas. He’s the son of Kay Brockermeyer, who also played tackle for the Longhorns in the late 50s. In addition, Blake’s wife Kristy also went to Texas while the couple’s second son, Luke, currently plays linebacker for the Longhorns.
Outside of family ties, Tommy's signature should also prove influential due to his talents on the field. The top player in the state of Texas comes to Alabama rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall player in this year’s class. He serves as the Tide’s second-highest rated signee, trailing only fellow five-star lineman JC Latham.
Tommy added roughly 40 pounds since his sophomore season and comes to Alabama listed at 6-foot-5, 292 pounds. He doesn’t carry any bad weight and should be able to add to his frame this spring. During the 2019 Rivals Camp Series stop in Dallas, he measured in with an 80.5-inch wingspan and 36-inch arms. He also clocked a 5.1 time in the 40-yard dash.
While Tommy’s built like a prototypical tackle, he has the versatility to move inside to guard if called on to do so early in his career. He is one of the most technically polished linemen in this year’s class and pairs those skills with a mean streak that routinely sees him overpower opponents on the line.
Tommy missed all of his junior season with a shoulder injury but was able to return to the field last year for a dominant senior campaign.
Where he fits in next season
Alabama has plenty of options as it looks to replace three starters from last year’s offensive line. Tommy’s ability to play both the guard and tackle positions should increase his ability to compete for an immediate starting spot.
Two-year starter Evan Neal will lock down one of the tackle positions, presumably on the left side where he can fill in for departing Outland Trophy winner Alex Leatherwood as the Tide’s blindside blocker. The other near-certainty on next year’s offensive line is that Emil Ekiyor Jr. will keep his starting spot at one of the two guard positions.
There is less certainty at the center spot. However, Chris Owens, who filled in for Rimington Trophy winner Landon Dickerson during Alabama’s playoff run, returns for his sixth year as the favorite for the role. That likely means Tommy will likely be competing for either the tackle position opposite of Neal or the guard spot opposite of Ekiyor.
Alabama has several quality returning options including Tommy Brown, Javion Cohen, Darrian Dalcourt and Pierce Quick. Because of that, the Tide might opt away from starting two freshmen on the line next season. If that’s the case, Tommy Brockermeyer might have to battle Latham to be the lone freshman starter up front.
What they’re saying
“Brockermeyer's length and arm extension allows him to keep quicker edge-rushers at a distance and formulate a pocket around his quarterback. He is excellent with his hand placement and continues to expand his knowledge of the position on his own time. On the other hand, he has enough power to make quick work of certain defensive linemen as he tucks them into the turf. Brockermeyer's feet and pass-protection tools allows him to dominate at the TAPPs level and against elite competition in camp settings.” — Rivals South Central recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman
