Alabama Recruiting Mailbag: NIL talk, thoughts on Bama commit Justice Haynes, the Carver duo, and much more!

Wednesday marks exactly three weeks from the beginning of the Early Signing Period. This year’s Early Signing Period begins on Dec. 21 and ends on Dec. 23, with top Alabama targets in the 2023 class slated to announce their decisions on that first day.

The Crimson Tide will enter December with the No. 1 overall class on the 2023 Consensus Football Team Recruiting Rankings. Bama, which landed a pledge from wide receiver Jaren Hamilton on Monday, holds commitments from 24 recruits, 15 of them being members of the On300.

BamaInsider‘s Andrew Bone and Joseph Hastings wanted to answer our subscribers’ questions with the home stretch now underway.

The story below features three questions we answered in depth on the Talk of Champions message board. To read our responses to all of the questions on our Q&A thread, click HERE!

Is there an area of the country that you are surprised Alabama hasn’t gotten a little more of a foothold in this or previous recruiting cycles?

Bone: I am surprised to see Alabama has not targeted the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia area) as much this year. It could be more from the lack of ‘Alabama’ caliber players in this cycle outside of Nycholas Harbor. It’s an area where Alabama has been successful in the last decade, but not a hot spot in this cycle.

Alabama tends to have success in most areas throughout the country. The two spots where the Crimson Tide haven’t been able to get a strong foothold includes Las Vegas and the Pacific Northwest. There hasn’t been as many targets in those areas, but to not add any players from those regions during the Nick Saban era is a a little surprising.

Hastings: As someone who’s covered a few different schools in years prior, I guess I was expecting Bama to add at least one elite prospect from out near the West Coast. That could’ve been a Duce Robinson (still in play technically, but likely not Bama), Nico Iamaleava, or Matayo Uiagalelei. I was in the camp — when I first started covering Alabama in March — that with all the California natives on the roster, there would’ve been a good chance that the Tide got a blue-chipper from that area in 2023.

I could’ve been totally wrong for assuming that, but Bama did get Julian Sayin and may flip Jordan Lockhart in the 2024 class. We’ll see how it continues to go next cycle and beyond.

My first year being on any insider board. Does this overall crop of top recruits seem harder to read than in years past? Seems like so few hands are being tipped.

Hastings: It’s definitely been tougher. Each year I do this, getting in touch with recruits themselves has been more difficult. And I don’t even blame them; they’re constantly flooded with DMs, texts from coaches and reporters, receiving mentions on social media, etc… At the end of the day, they’re just high school kids who have school, then practice, then personal time for themselves, their families, and friends. Definitely not easy to dedicate time to everybody who wants to speak with them.

There are also a lot of things being kept close to the vest with Name, Image, and Likeness. Whether people like it or not, NIL is something that always needs to be considered from here on out. On3 even has a section (fantastic by the way) dedicated specifically to NIL. That has further muddied the waters with some recruitments.

NIL has made recruiting tough to cover/follow. Recruiting has always been fluid, but this is just nuts. What is true one minute can be completely wrong the next.

— "EJ Holland" (@EJHollandOn3) November 30, 2022

Bone and I attempt to do the best we can. He’s been right on every single RPM pick he has submitted since he arrived. We try to be very thorough and check with all sources before making assertions. It’s definitely a time of change, but we’re adjusting and staying alert at all times.

*** Recruiting Roundtable Q&A (Three weeks away from Early Signing Period!)

Bone: I think it’s much harder. NIL has a lot to do with that. Collectives around the country continue raising more money. It may not be an ultimate factor for some, but it is something that has started to play into a lot of decisions. It makes a lot of recruitments unpredictable.

I also think coaching staff changes, rumors, etc… play a role. A lot of schools competing against Bama for top end guys are pushing the ‘dynasty is dead’ narrative because of the 10-2 record, even if that’s their record (or worse).

It’s gonna be a wild ride to the finish line. The next three weeks may feel like three years.

Does Georgia go in home with [Justice] Haynes? Do we go in home with Lawson Luckie/Anthony Hill?

Hastings: To answer your first question, I would imagine that UGA does conduct an in-home with Haynes.

Not exaggerating here, but Justice Haynes is one of the nicest people I’ve met in my five years doing this. Grounded in his faith, mature beyond his years, and always respectful in each of our conversations.

I mention all that to say that he’s not going to burn any bridges. I believe he’ll give Georgia and maybe Ohio State/any others the courtesy of conducting an in-home with him. He’s known these coaches for years and won’t cut communication off with them just because he’s committed elsewhere.

Of course, people will be concerned if he does an in-home with another program, but I’m not going to read too much into it. Bone just spoke with Haynes and he sounded as locked in as you’ll get at this stage in the recruiting process.

ICYMI: Justice Haynes talks Iron Bowl, addresses status

I’d be pretty shocked if an in-home isn’t done with Luckie. Not so certain on Hill yet; it’s possible, but we have not confirmed if that will transpire or not.

To read what we had to say on the five-star duo of James Smith and Qua Russaw, Alabama’s likeliest 2023 cornerback options, and much more, click HERE!

Bone: There is no doubt UGA along with Ohio State will have an in-home visit with Haynes. They will likely also stop by his high school a few times before signing day. He sounded very solid in our recent interview, but also will allow schools those two schools to continue recruiting him.

I certainly expect Alabama to go in-home with Luckie. He visited Alabama twice during the fall including the Iron Bowl. The interest in very real on his side. Alabama has pushed hard to flip him for several months. Several Alabama commitments including Justice Haynes are also recruiting him. I expect Alabama to see him at least twice in December.

Alabama hasn’t given up on its pursuit of Anthony Hill. He has kept things very quiet regarding any interest in the Crimson Tide. Alabama will see several recruits during the course of the next few weeks. It will shock me if Hill is not on the in-home visit list.

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