4-star offensive tackle Olaus Alinen sets commitment date

Olaus Alinen is nearing a decision.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound four-star offensive tackle Olaus Alinen out of Loomis (Conn.) The Chaffee School took official visits to Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and Oregon in June and he is ready to commit to one of these schools in the near future.

“I am planning to commit on July 22,” Alinen told On3. “I have taken the visits and I have seen all I need to see. Me and my family will keep talking things over and I still have a lot to think about.

“I want a little more time, but I will be ready soon. Setting a date kind of puts pressure on me to make my mind up and not to keep procrastinating about it. I know I am close.”

The No. 124 prospect in the On3 Consensus had taken a handful of unofficial visits and he had an idea about the schools on his list, but the official visits gave him a much better understanding of what each finalist has to offer.

More than anything, Alinen had his family with him. They were with him on each trip after coming over from Finland for the summer.

“My family is a big help. It is different having them with me to get their input and being able to talk with them about each school. They are helping me a lot, so that was the biggest thing about these visits for me.

“I am with them now, we are still discussing things, and them being able to see everything I saw is really important.”

Alinen is starting to separate the schools on his list

The No. 12 offensive tackle in the country went into each visit with an open mind. Each school had a shot to show him and his family why they are the right school. Communication is still strong with all five schools as Alinen closes in on a decision.

“If I would have had one clear leader over the others, I would probably be committed already,” Alinen said. “The schools I thought I would really like going into the official visits, I did like them a lot.

“I have started to lean towards a few of the options on my list more than others. My list is starting to narrow down now. I am starting to figure out the order.”

With Alabama, it is the winning culture that stands out most to Alinen. How Georgia competes at a high level makes the Bulldogs appealing. The relationships at Miami have the Hurricanes a strong contender. Ohio State’s tradition is big for the No. 1 prospect in Connecticut. At Oregon, it is about what they are building and the opportunities off the field.

Alinen knows he has a tough decision to make.

“I will be doing some soul searching now. I will keep talking with my family, getting their opinions, and hearing their thoughts, but this will be my decision.

“It is about where I want to go. With these schools, I feel I can’t go wrong, so it is a big decision I have to make.”