Alabama lands a commitment Casey Poe, On3's top-ranked IOL

Four-star offensive lineman Casey Poe kept busy this spring and from the end of May through June has made it way to each of his top contenders one last time.

Now, a decision is in for On3’s top-ranked IOL in the 2024 cycle.

After official visits to Georgia, Clemson, Texas Tech, Auburn, and then Alabama — including stops in between to both Oklahoma and LSU — Poe has given a commitment to the Crimson Tide. The four-star lineman has been to Tuscaloosa on several occasions dating back to last summer when he worked out for Nick Saban and Eric Wolford, and Alabama has been finding ways to capture Poe’s attention ever since.

“I can remember last year when I went to Alabama camp in the summer and when I went back for the spring, each time I remember as soon as Nick Saban walks in, you get a buzz. You can feel it from the other side of their indoor (facility) … it’s like Moses parting the Red Sea. He walks in and people split. There’s a hush that falls over everybody. His reputation and everything he’s built falls into that moment. He isn’t necessarily a loud person; his voice isn’t booming, but it was so quiet that you could be 100 yards away and still hear him.”

Alabama’s head coach has played a pivotal role in Poe’s recruitment — dating back to the time he offered the 6-foot-4.5, 285-pound multi-sport athlete from Lindale (Texas) High School in East Texas through his official visit in June.

One theme in the Crimson Tide’s push for Poe has been the structure of Saban’s program.

“He’s had such a huge platform with big success and he’s done it over and over and over again,” Poe said of Saban. “He’s instilled that culture so that it runs on its own. The coaches, the recruiting staff, and the players all know where to go. It’s like clockwork and it’s impressive to see. It’s fluid and everyone knows what they’re doing, and it starts at the top with Coach Saban and it trickles on down.”

“He’s like the God of College Football when he walks in the room,” added Poe, the No. 38 recruit in the On300 for 2024. “It’s easy to see it with all the success he’s had, the coaches he has have a very high standard and his presence is like an aura — it’s something that breeds success and the competition to be successful. It’s been a really cool thing to see in person.”

After working out for Wolford ahead of his junior season, Poe returned to Tuscaloosa to get better insight into his coaching style this spring.

“Coach Wolford is really excited to recruit me and is trying to get me to commit whenever I can,” he continued. “His coaching style is very cool and unique. Whenever he’s in the meeting room, he’s guiding his players to find the correct answers themselves instead of just giving it to them. He’s setting them up to be extremely successful at the next level. I feel like he’s a coach that can definitely prepare me to achieve my dreams and aspirations.”

“He thinks I would be a great fit for the program,” Poe went on. “He knows how hard I work and how I am willing to do anything to get the job done. That’s the type of player he’s really looking for at Alabama.”

“This was a different level,” he added. “The players are so hungry and eager to get better, and it’s impossible to stay stagnant while you’re on the team. Everyone’s pushing everyone else to get better and make a name for themselves, and the coaches are certainly helping with that. Everyone is fighting their own position battle and no one spot is safe. That’s making everyone work as hard as they possibly can to secure that spot. That’s something special and not found at other places.”

And it’s what swayed Poe to roll with the Tide.