Alabama made headlines over the summer when they landed German linebacker Justin Okoronkwo. Okoronkwo was quite a surprise commit but after his camp performance in front of the staff, it was clear that he had the tools and measurable to be an impact player given the right coaching.

Okoronkwo had already garnered the attention of several power five programs and was committed to Maryland before he ultimately decided to flip his commitment.

Listed at 6’3 205 pounds right now the staff plans to start Okoronkwo at inside linebacker but they also believe he has some skills that can be used in other areas as well.

With very few people having actually seen Okoronkwo it makes for a difficult to evaluate but as we’ve come to learn over the years. If Coach [Nick] Saban feels that you can play on his defense, he knows what he’s talking about.

At the moment, Alabama has several linebacker commits in Sterling Dixon, Cayden Jones and Quinton “QB” Reese. Looking at this class and the depth at the position, Okoronkwo is a project player that the staff expects to really come into his own as a playmaker for the Tide.

As this class continues to fill out there will be a few more spots that could be filled but expect the German backer to stay firm to his commitment to the staff with potential being that he will early enroll.

For the time being, we may not see the full extent of what this commitment will mean for a year or two but sometimes patience yields good fruit and Okoronkwo could end up being very fruitful.

More to come.