Good morning.
As things stand on Friday, December 2nd, Alabama has the No. 1 class in the country for the class in 2023 by a rather comfortable margin.
With the contact period now officially underway, the staff is looking to close strong, and among their stops today will be a visit with five-star Fla., DE Keon Keeley.
There is also an Alabama presence today at LB target Suntarine Perkins' state championship matchup.
After speaking with sources close to the situation, I am still feeling rather confident in my FutureCast I entered back when he first re-opened his recruitment months ago. Alabama is in a good place with him right now.
The Crimson Tide are preparing for their first official visit weekend of December, a month that will make or break the Tide's chances at a recruiting crown.
OFFICIAL VISITORS
Pebblerbook (Ga.) CB Tyler Scott
Eufaula (Ala.) defender Yhonzae Pierre (commit)
Ocean Springs (Miss.) S Bray Hubbard (commit)
Florence (Ala.) CB Jahlil Hurley (commit)
Anniston (Ala.) OL Ryqueze McElderry (commit)
Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) DL Hunter Osborne (commit)
This weekend's visitor list is smaller than most, but that appears to be a strategic move more than anything else. All but one of the visitors are currently committed to the school, with Pebblebrook (Ga.) CB Tyler Scott.
Scott has a busy December ahead, with trips to USC and Texas to follow his latest trip to Tuscaloosa.
Having the first OV in a stretch of three straight can go one way or another. Alabama hopes, per my sources, to set the bar so high this weekend that both USC and Texas have a hard time matching.
With Scott, the Vols remain in high-regard. While the officials are going to be important in determining his landing spot, the in-home visits are where I believe things will go one way or another.
Read into that what you will.
Auburn's new coaching staff wasted no time making sure that James Smith and Qua Russaw felt like a priority, stopping by Madhouse Training first thing on Friday with several coaches.
As the month progresses, these two feel like it could come down to Auburn and Alabama. Florida remains the wild-card, but sources feel like Auburn is set to make a big push for several of the state's top recruits. That (obviously) includes Smith and Russaw.
