UAB scores commitment from Rivals250 DL Emmanuel Waller
Oak Mountain (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Emmanuel Waller hit the reset button on his recruiting process back on June 19th when he stepped back from his three-month commitment to BYU.
Mississippi State was recruiting him hard. Indiana and Georgia Tech had also offered and were in contact. Alabama wanted to him to return to campus this past weekend after camping in June.
However, UAB was a program that had always been in the picture since the beginning. The Blazers were Waller's first offer and when the Rivals250 prospect returned to campus last Wednesday, he was ready to be a part of their program.
The 6-foot-4, 241-pound prospect goes in-depth on why he's now committed to UAB.
IN HIS WORDS...
"I'm going to UAB. They were the first school to offer me and they've been loyal to me since the beginning. All the coaches and staff there, it feels like a true family and that's what I was looking for."
"They've also put out two defensive lineman in the past two years. Jordan Smith in the fourth round (2021) and Alex Wright in the third round (2022). I can see myself leading this class and being one of those guys that could potentially get drafted."
"I've been there probably around 8, 9, or 10 times now. It's super-close to my house. I went Wednesday this week and Friday as well. I canceled my other visits to Mississippi State and Alabama to go ahead and commit."
"Coach (Bryant) Vincent, he's a really good guy taking over for Coach (Bill) Clark. He's a players' coach and that's something I was looking forward to. He's definitely a guy I can see myself playing for. Also, Coach (Kyle) Tatum, he's my guy and we have a pretty tight relationship and I see that growing over the next three to four years."
"He thinks I can come and play as soon as day one and be effective year one. I have the potential to play at the five or the three-technique and be pretty versatile."
RIVALS REACTION: UAB continues their in-state recruiting momentum in a big way with the commitment of Waller, who visited the Blazers twice last week and ended up canceling his visits to Mississippi State and Alabama. His Wednesday visit with UAB helped secure his verbal pledge while he was on campus. With Waller in the fold, the Blazers continue to recruit the state of Alabama well with Orange Beach 3-star safety Christopher Pearson, St. Paul's defensive back Christopher Bracy, and Vigor defensive end Michael Towner already in the 2023 class. UAB also landed a recent commitment from quarterback Jaxon Potter out of Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.).