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Alabama flips four-star Ohio State commit Ty Lockwood

47377776_10156854436900775_2208546246019252224_nby:Clint Lamb•08/02/22•

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Ty-Lockwood-by-Chad-Simmons-on3
Ty Lockwood is commitment No. 18 in the Class of 2023 for Alabama. (Chad Simmons/On3)

The temperature isn’t the only thing that’s been scorching hot in the state of Alabama this summer. The Crimson Tide have been setting the recruiting trail ablaze since the middle of June, and that continued on Tuesday with a commitment from four-star tight end Ty Lockwood out of Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence.

In fact, this latest pledge wasn’t just a huge get for Alabama; it was also a loss for Ohio State.

Lockwood had been committed to the Buckeyes for almost a year, but he had recently received his official offer from Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Ultimately, that offer proved to be too good to pass up for the 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end, and now he makes commitment No. 18 for Alabama’s top-rated 2023 class.

Per the 2023 On3 Consensus, Lockwood is the No. 132 overall recruit in the country. He’s also being labeled as the No. 9 tight end and No. 2 player from the state of Tennessee. In addition to Alabama and Ohio State, he held offers from other prominent programs such as Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, Michigan and Penn State.

Alabama loaded up on the tight end position in its 2022 recruiting class. Amari Niblack, a five-star hybrid pass-catcher per On3, led the group, but the Crimson Tide also signed four-star Elijah Brown, three-star Danny Lewis and a JUCO player in Miles Kitselman.

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Adding Lockwood may seem like overkill, but it isn’t.

Saban has shared his concerns about the depth at tight end in recent months, and with current starter Cameron Latu set to move on after this season, more competition is needed for 2023 and beyond. Brown, Lewis, Kitselman and, of course, Robbie Ouzts, will all be involved in that battle to replace Latu, but imagining a long-term combination of Niblack and Lockwood is appealing.

In that scenario, Niblack could act as a “move” option who can flexed out to create mismatches. Meanwhile, Lockwood would theoretically be more of the in-line option who provides quality blocking, but can also be a viable threat in Alabama’s passing game.

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One thing is for sure: despite previous concerns after Peter Woods committed to Clemson back in early July, the Crimson Tide are killing it on the recruiting trail right now. In addition to Lockwood, here are the other 14 commitments Alabama has secured over the last six weeks:

There are a lot of attractive names, including James Smith, Jordan Renaud, Kelby Collins, Edric Hill and several others, still available, too.

If you’re not a subscriber to BamaInsider yet, I would highly suggest jumping on board. Andrew Bone and Joseph Hastings are now teaming up to deliver the absolute best Alabama recruiting coverage in the industry. Right now, it’s just $1 for an entire year, but that deal will only be available for a limited time. Go sign up!

Quick thoughts on Ty Lockwood from On3

“The On300 tight end was the focal point of Nashville’s Dream Team running crisp routes underneath and making contested grabs over the middle and along the sidelines. Lockwood is sure-handed and impressed as the obvious top target on this 7-on-7 squad.” – Sam Spiegelman, On3 National Recruiting Analyst, back in February

Andrew Bone provides commentary on Ty Lockwood

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