If you asked most local recruiting experts over the last couple of years to predict what school four-star offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson would pick one day — they would have said Georgia.
The Rivals100 talent plays at Peach County High in Fort Valley (Ga.), a school that has sent many players to play between the hedges. This time though, Alabama edged out the home-state school among others for Ferguson, the No. 8-ranked offensive tackle in the 2021 class.
If you were tight with Ferguson though, and really knew him, then this news wouldn't have come as a surprise.
"I have really just been navigating through the recruiting process the whole time. I never was really leaning towards Georgia or another school, then Alabama kind of came in and moved to the top," said Ferguson.
"Within my last two or three visits, I would say that is when I really started thinking Alabama could be the school for me, but it was really about the process for me. It started last year when I was there a couple of times, then again when I visited this year.
"Every time I was there, coach Nick Saban and Alabama made me feel like a priority and that showed me a lot. Coach Saban would take the time to talk with me and my family in his office for 20-30 minutes each visit, and with other recruits out there, that showed me a lot.
"That has continued this year with everything that has been going on with the virus. He would sit down with me and my family on FaceTime once a week and we would have one to two hour conversations. He answered all our questions, he put effort into getting to know me and my family and not just me, but my whole family feels Alabama is the right school for me."
The decision was made a few weeks ago. Ferguson thought about waiting, taking visits if allowed in the future, but with the uncertainty with visits and feeling how he was feeling about the Crimson Tide, he felt there was no reason to put this off.
"I was laying in the bed one night and it really just hit me. I was in my room at night back in June, and Alabama was hard on my mind, so that is kind of when I started thinking about this decision.
"Then a couple of weeks later, on July 7, that is when I made the decision. It was very similar. I was in my room, thinking about it, and I knew it.
"I told my parents about it the next day. Before I told them, my dad had asked me if I had to make the decision today, who would it be, and I told him Alabama. He said he would have said the same if he was me seeing how the process was going and how they recruited me.
"My mom and sister said the same seeing how it was going. My family saw how the process went, how Alabama was treating me, and we all feel Alabama is the right school."
Ferguson had many options, and it came down to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State and Georgia, so he knew he was in a situation many just dream of being in.
He sees a a great opportunity in Tuscaloosa playing for arguably the best college football coach of all time.
"Alabama is losing four starters on the offensive line, so the opportunity is there for me to take advantage of that. Then, the way coach Saban took so much time with me and my family every week, that meant a lot. Alabama made all of us feel at home and those things helped me make this decision."
"I have never been stressed about recruiting because I knew when it was time, it would click in my head," said Ferguson. "It does feel good to say I am committed to Alabama. It feels more real now too.
"Over the last three years, I have been going on visits, getting offers, and all that, but to now be committed to Alabama, it is a different feeling. It is hard to believe that I am now about to do this at Alabama. It is exciting."
He has tripped to Tuscaloosa half a dozen times over the years and he knows he is going to love putting on the pads and playing inside Bryant-Denny stadium.
"Every time I have been to Alabama, I see die-hard fans. They love their team and the school at Alabama. The tradition is real, the fans are real, and every time you get to Tuscaloosa, you will see the 'A' along with fans everywhere. I loved it there."
