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

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The Crimson Tide is back in Mississippi once again with its latest offer to four-star defensive end Jaren Handy.

Blessed to say my DREAM school Alabama has offered me my 13th offer#RollTide pic.twitter.com/cfmdgrmokd

— Alm!ghty Turbo (@Jarenhandy2) March 2, 2018

As noted in his Tweet, the New August (Miss.) Perry Central product calls Alabama his dream school.

The Tide has been active in the Magnolia State in the 2019 cycle thus far. Two other defensive line targets reside in the state in Nathan Pickering and Byron Young, the latter of which named UA his leader after a visit for Junior Day last weekend. Several other notable names in regards to Tide recruiting are Alabama commit Brandon Turnage, five-star inside linebacker Nakobe Dean, three-star athlete John Rhys Plumlee, and Ole Miss running back commit Jerrion Ealy (among others).

At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Handy is rated the No. 7 strong-side defensive end and the No. 94 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

The Crystal Ball currently favors Ole Miss after a Junior Day visit to Oxford last weekend.

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Returners/newcomers: Joshua Casher (RS SR), Ross Pierschbacher (RS SR), Lester Cotton (SR), Richie Petitbon (RS JR) Dallas Warmack (RS JR), Matt Womack (RS JR), Elliot Baker (RS JR), Jonah Williams (JR), Deonte Brown (RS SO), Brandon Kennedy (RS SO), Scott Lashley (RS SO), Chris Owens (RS SO), Alex Leatherwood (SO), Jedrick Wills (SO), Hunter Brannon (RS FR), Kendall Randolph (RS FR), Tommy Brown (FR), Emil Ekiyor (FR)

Departures (or possibles) before or after 2018 season: Pierschbacher, Casher, Cotton, Williams.

How many Alabama plans to sign: 4 to 5

Importance of additions (1-10): 7

How many commits: 1 (5-star tackle Pierce Quick)

Main targets: 5-star center Clay Webb, 5-star tackle Darnell Wright, 5-star tackle Kenyon Green, 4-star tackle Amari Kight, 4-star tackle Xavier Truss, 4-star tackle Tyler Johnson, 4-star guard EJ Ndoma-Ogar, 4-star guard Deyavie Hammond

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The breakdown: The plan, as always, when it comes to Alabama’s offensive line, is to start the best five players. Specific questions entering the season: Who will take over at center for Bradley Bozeman? Will Jonah Williams slide from left tackle to center? Before Lane Kiffin left, I was told that the plan was going to be to move Williams to center and Bozeman to guard, so there has been some talk of Williams making the transition already.

Alabama also has an influx of talented tackles. It’s going to be interesting to see if Alex Leatherwood can parlay his impressive National Championship Game performance into a starting spot. As interesting to watch will be the battle at right tackle that likely will feature Matt Womack and Jedrick Wills. Wills, like Leatherwood, made some eyebrows raise as a freshman.

Looking at the 2019 class, this will be a bigger group than 2018. The Tide signed two offensive linemen in the last cycle in 4-star tackle Tommy Brown and 4-star center Emil Ekiyor. I expect Alabama to sign 4 or 5 linemen this year.

Heading the group is 5-star tackle Pierce Quick (Hewitt-Trussville/Trussville, Ala.). Quick is the leader of Alabama’s 2019 class regardless of how many visits he takes elsewhere. It would be shocking to see him flip. Quick is very tight with 5-star center Clay Webb (Oxford, Ala.). I think that will help the Tide a lot when it comes time for Webb to make his decision. Another priority for the Tide is 4-star tackle Amari Kight (Thompson/Alabaster, Ala.).

I expect Quick, Webb and Kight to sign with the Tide. Who will be the fourth and possibly fifth offensive linemen is a toss-up.

Five-star tackles Darnell Wright (Huntington, W.Va.) and Kenyon Green (Atascocita/Humble, Texas) are very high on the Tide. I can see one of them signing. Four-star tackles Xavier Truss (Bishop Hendricken/Warwick, R.I.) and Tyler Johnson (Oak Ridge/Conroe, Texas) visited Tuscaloosa last weekend. Both of them are early priorities.

This is going to be a very elite offensive line class and could rival the 2017 offensive line class, which featured Leatherwood and Wills, when February rolls around.

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MISSION VIEJO, Calif. - Alabama had been talking with four-star cornerback Mykael Wright but when he got offered by the Crimson Tide it still came as a shock.

They’re the national champs and that’s huge to the four-star cornerback from Valencia, Calif.

“That’s like the biggest offer I got,” Wright said at the recent Under Armour Camp. “The No. 1 school, that’s pretty amazing.

“The first time they contacted me they told me to call them and then the linebackers coach (Tosh Lupoi) said he was talking to the coaching staff and they all liked my film. He told me I should be getting an offer in the next week or so. That week came and he called me and it was a surprise they came back and offered me.”

Wright is one of the best defensive backs in the West, if not the country, and the four-star standout said he will definitely take a much closer look at Alabama in the coming months.

Arizona, Oregon, Washington and USC are four Pac-12 schools to watch when it comes to Wright’s recruitment but things have taken off recently and the Crimson Tide will be taken seriously.

“That’s a school I will be looking at more,” Wright said. “That’s the No. 1 school so I’ll be staying in contact with them and try to take a visit there.”

The Valencia defensive back said after the camp that Michigan and Texas had also started to seriously recruit him. Over the next couple days, both the Wolverines and the Longhorns offered as well.

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