MORE: Five-star Neal picks Alabama
THE SITUATION
Evan Neal’s second commitment to Alabama comes with a letter of intent. The five-star tackle’s original pledge to Nick Saban was broken prior to the season, but the prodigal son has now, in a sense, returned home. Neal chose the Tide over a late push from Georgia and offers from nearly every major program in the Southeast.
WHY ITS BIG FOR ALABAMA
The Tide held off a late push from Georgia, which counts as a victory these days. The Bulldogs have become Saban’s main antagonist on the recruiting trail, so defending Neal against UGA is significant. And while the three Florida-based power programs aren’t recruiting at the tops of their respective games at the moment, stealing a five-star out of the Sunshine State is a still a major victory.
In Neal, Alabama gets a massive offensive tackle that erased the majority of bad weight over the last year and looks as college-ready as any offensive lineman in America. The 6-foot-7 Neal has the frame of an eventual first-round pick and is getting more athletic with each passing month. If the Florida-born tackle remains committed to slimming down, he seems like a sure thing to be an impact player in Tuscaloosa.
WHICH SCHOOLS IT HURTS THE MOST
Georgia’s push for Neal gained steam late in the process, so it’s not as though the Bulldogs spent much time counting on his commitment. Still, UGA hates to lose an impact lineman to an SEC rival, as Kirby Smart will now have to play against the massive tackle down the road.
As for Miami, the Hurricanes only seemed to be in good standing for Neal for a short time this offseason. Neal passing on UM only stings because Mark Richt and company have struggled to make waves with the truly elite 2019 prospects in the state. This on the recruiting trail seem to be trending the wrong direction for the Hurricanes and Neal’s commitment seems to be more of a biproduct of that than a cause.
Neither the Bulldogs or the Hurricanes will be devastated by missing out here, but the situation is still less than ideal.
