Alabama reels in Texas mauler Jaeden Roberts

The Crimson Tide's continued raid of the Lone Star State with the official announcement that Texas offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts was Alabama-bound.

Roberts, the No. 14-ranked guard on Rivals and a top-50 prospect in Texas, made commitment to Alabama official on Christmas Day.

Roberts, who in May committed to Auburn to team up with his quarterback Dematrius Davis, decommitted from the Tigers last Wednesday on the first day of the early signing window after the news that Gus Malzahn was fired. That coincided with a heightened push from Alabama area recruiter Jeff Banks and offensive line coach Kyle Flood, who signed three-star offensive tackle Dameion George out of North Shore High School last year.

"Jaeden is a great player who has the size of an NFL lineman. The kid is 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds with a flat stomach and he's as strong as an ox. He has become an all-around better lineman mentally since coming to North Shore. He's been able to play more than just one position and he's starting to understand why he does what we ask him to do rather than how to do it."

Galena Park (Texas) North Shore OL and strength and conditioning coach Cory Laxen

With the addition of Roberts, Alabama has signed five from the talent-laden state of Texas, including the top quarterback (Jalen Milroe), offensive tackle (Tommy Brockermeyer), slot wide receiver (JoJo Earle) and middle linebacker (Kendrick Blackshire). The Tide added a pledge from five-star Camar Wheaton on Wednesday night. Wheaton is the top-ranked running back in not only Texas, but the country.

When Wheaton and Roberts become signees, it'll only strength Alabama's grip on the nation's No. 1 recruiting haul with seven signees from Texas.

Roberts also bolsters what is arguably the top offensive line recruiting haul in the nation. He joins five-stars JC Latham and Brockermeyer in the haul along with four-star center James Brockermeyer and four-star guard Terrence Ferguson.

RIVALS REACTION

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Roberts is a massive interior offensive lineman that played the first half of his prep career as an underclassmen at Lenexa (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas High School before relocating to Galena Park (Texas) North Shore High School in 2019 and helping the Mustangs capture a consecutive Class 6A state championship as a junior last winter.

Roberts bolsters an elite offensive line haul for Kyle Flood and the Alabama offense, that should be able to plug and play some of its new signees and also develop others. Roberts should be a candidate for the latter with some technical aspects of his game that still need refining.

Roberts’ college-ready size unsurprisingly coincides with immense raw power. When he’s able to set his feet and extend his arms, he is an immovable force and a true finisher in both the run and passing games. Last year, Roberts struggled in pass protection early on as he filled in outside at tackle. Back home inside at guard, Roberts has been a steady force able to give his quarterback — who moves a lot inside and outside the pocket — ample time to see downfield and distribute to the pass-catchers.

Pass protection has been the biggest area of growth for Roberts since transitioning to Texas 6A football. He has always been a force as a run-blocker.

Roberts can eliminate a defender from the equation if he set his hands and drive him out of the frame or a knockdown. Those are both habitual for him.

When Roberts arrives at Alabama, the focus should be on consistency from play to play. Roberts is a reliable blocker, but offers even more upside. He has the potential to finish and reach multiple layers of the defense. Roberts has flashed there on occasion, giving us a look at what he could look like when he’s decked in crimson and white. Alabama has a potential gem on its hands to develop and plug into the middle of its offensive line in short time.