re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — It all started when Alabama recruit Jaylen McCollough was around 3 years old. His father, Eriles, gave his son the nickname “Tank.”

“I was just bigger than everything and I would knock everything down, like a tank,” McCollough said. “I broke a lot of things in the house. I know I broke some picture frames and vases, so the nickname stuck with me.”

Since then, those who know McCollough well enough have called him Tank. While walking in the hallways of Hillgrove High School, two people who he came in contact with didn’t call him Jaylen. They called him Tank.

But when he’s on the field, the name Jaylen may not cause him to even look your way.

“When I’m on the field, people call me Tank. That’s it,” McCollough said. “I’m a physical player. That’s how I grew up playing. I have a great football IQ and that puts me ahead of the game, too.”

The nation’s No. 4 safety in the 2019 class always played an age group up when he was participating in youth football. When he was 4 years old, McCollough was playing with 5- and 6-year-old kids. That has helped him develop that football IQ he talks about.

It wasn’t that McCollough was the biggest kid growing up. His parents just decided that it would be best for their son to play better competition at an early age. McCollough said it helped him adjust to the speed of the game playing against kids who were older and sometimes bigger.

Because he was playing against better competition at an early age, McCollough developed into quite an athlete. Hillgrove coach Phillip Ironside said in the 10-plus years he’s been coaching at the school, only a handful have played as a freshman.

While most schools want him as a defensive back, it’s his play at running back that most resembles his nickname.

“Seeing his play with us, you can understand why that’s his nickname,” Ironside said. “He’s a very physical player. He’s a very physical running back, too. He refuses to get tackled, sometimes to a fault. He won’t quit in times where he could take care of his body a little better. It’s a fitting nickname.”

South Carolina and Michigan State have expressed interest in Tank as a running back. Alabama wants him primarily on defense. He prefers to play defense because he “would rather do the hitting like a tank instead of getting hit.”

Hillgrove will be in the spotlight this upcoming NFL draft as former defensive end Bradley Chubb is projected to be a top-5 pick. Chubb was back at Hillgrove the day after his performance at the NFL combine last month. Chubb will join New York Giants tight end Evan Ingram and Miami Dolphins and former Alabama running back Kenyan Drake as Hillgrove standouts to make it to the league.

Tank is hoping to be the next man up.

“I’m following in some big footsteps, but I’m going to continue to play my game and listen to the coaches,” he said. “I just need to do everything they say. That’s how the guys before me got there [to the NFL], and that’s how I plan on getting there.”

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Inside linebacker is one of Alabama’s top needs in this recruiting class.

The Tide signed one inside linebacker in the 2018 class in 3-star prospect Jaylen Moody, but it was clear he was a last resort as he was offered just days prior to National Signing Day after it was clear that JJ Peterson and Vernon Jackson weren’t going to sign with Alabama.

Alabama has several top 2019 inside linebacker targets interested in the team: 5-star prospect  Nakobe Dean from Mississippi, top Juco linebacker  Lakia Henry, 4-star in-state prospect Vonta Bentley, and 4-star prospect  Christian Harris from Louisiana.

More names likely will emerge as the team starts hosting camps this summer, but for now, I think the Tide will land Dean, Henry and Harris.

Dean told SEC Country earlier this year that Alabama and LSU were two teams that he knew would make his top group if he were to compile one. Dean has been to Tuscaloosa several times and is one of the team’s top overall targets.

I spoke with Henry a few days ago and I got the vibe that Alabama is the team to beat. He can’t take any visits until his semester at Dodge City (KS) Community College is over in May, but one of the first stops he plans on making is in Tuscaloosa. You can read the full update on Henry here.

Harris named Alabama his leader after visiting Tuscaloosa for the first time last month. He quickly backed off those comments after he was offered by LSU. That was an important offer because he’s from Baton Rouge. Alabama is still in good shape for Harris, and I expect his decision will come down to the Tide and Tigers like many recruitments do for elite players from Louisiana.

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Alabama's 2020 class now sits with two commitments as four-star linebacker Jackson Bratton gave the Crimson Tide a verbal pledge on Saturday afternoon during a visit to Tuscaloosa.

Jackson Bratton
@Jackson_bratton

COMMITTED! #RollTide
12:27pm · Mar 24, 2018

The Muscle Shoals (Ala.) product picked up an offer at Junior Day last month and didn't wait long to make his decision, opting for UA over schools like Auburn and Ole Miss. New Tide defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski is the lead recruiter for Bratton.

At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Bratton is rated the No. 4 inside linebacker and the No. 131 overall player in the country, per the 247Sports rankings. With the addition, UA now sits with the No. 3 class in the country for 2020, per the 247Sports Team Composite rankings.

Stay tuned to BamaOnLine for more on this breaking story.

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