Making the Case: Aeryn Hampton
Aeryn Hampton is down to two schools, and by the end of June the four-star athlete from Daingerfield, Texas, should be ready to make his final decision.
A Texas commit earlier in his recruitment, the Longhorns are back among his finalists, along with Alabama. He will see both schools in June – Texas first and then Alabama – as he figures out if he wants to recommit or whether the Crimson Tide will win out in his recruitment.
One school is going to get a really talented player in Hampton, who caught 55 passes for 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns in his junior season. He also posted 74 tackles with nine interceptions including five pick sixes.
In today’s Making the Case, experts from the Rivals network make an argument for a particular school and then national recruiting director Adam Gorney issues his verdict as to where he sees Hampton ending up.
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ALABAMA
Hampton has do-it-all capabilities. In most of his conversations with Alabama it has been regarding playing on the offensive end. Hampton expressed toward the end of last year and at the beginning of this year that Alabama was the favorite. He also mentioned his relationship with 2022 WR commit Jalen Hale is strong, and the opportunity to play together is something that he's discussed with Hale since last year.
Alabama has continued to prioritize him, even when other schools "fell off." If he chooses Alabama, it's because of his relationship with receivers coach Holmon Wiggins, the opportunity to play with Hale and OC Tommy Rees opening up the offense leading him to believe that he will have an opportunity to contribute. - Brandon Howard, TideIllustrated.com
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TEXAS
Hampton’s a versatile player who could wind up on either side of the ball, but in conversations with him in the past he’s specifically talked about the appeal of playing in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Furthermore, he’s expressed excitement about the possibility of playing with a guy like quarterback Arch Manning, particularly if Hampton winds up playing wide receiver at the next level.
Hampton is a one-time Texas commitment and an in-state prospect, so there’s an obvious draw there. Hampton was pretty open during his commitment that he wanted to enjoy the process and take some other visits, so him opening up his recruitment wasn’t a big shock. Seeing him recommit to Texas at some point, for many of the same reasons he chose the Longhorns initially, wouldn’t be a surprise, either. - Jason Suchomel, Orangebloods.com
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THE VERDICT
This one could still go either way, because Texas will make this interesting down the stretch. Recommitting is absolutely not off the table and staying closer to home as an in-state prospect could have significant pull.
But I would be surprised if Hampton is not leaning toward Alabama at this time. He has talked about the development of its players and getting them ready for the NFL, the coaching staff is highly respected and many times it’s more difficult to get a top prospect recommitted than committed in the first place.
Hampton was already committed to the Longhorns and backed off, and now Alabama is making him a top priority. It’s hard to say no to the Crimson Tide. - Adam Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director