Alabama lands Rivals250 OL Olaus Alinen
Rivals250 offensive lineman Olaus Alinen announced his commitment to Alabama on Friday morning. The Crimson Tide were the early leader for the Windsor (Conn.) Loomis Chaffee School star but were challenge by Ohio State and Miami along with Georgia and Oregon. Alinen, a native of Finland, took official visits to all five schools in June, which helped him come to his final decision.
*****
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
IN HIS OWN WORDS...
"Coach Wolford and I have been building a relationship since he got there and it's been really good," Alinen said over the weekend. "I feel pretty comfortable with him and I know he's going to work hard everyday for me. It's a pretty nice town. I've lived in big cities like Atlanta and I used to live in a small city in Finland so I'm kind of used to both type of cities. It's a really pro-style program. They do everything in a very similar way that a NFL team would operate."
RIVALS' REACTION...
Alinen brings a solid skill set to the table and the Alabama coaching staff shouldn't have too difficult a time helping Alinen get ready to play on a consistent basis. Of course, Alabama has a lot of talent across the offensive line and they're hoping Alinen can play a lot later in his career. He's a very good run blocker who drives defenders off the ball and keeps his balance so he can find other defender to block down the field. Alinen has the tools to be a very good pass blocker but he lacks experience against top level competition. This will be his steepest learning curve when he gets to the next level but he could progress quickly if he's able to show more patience and a more natural feel as a pass blocker.