Four-star DE Hunter Osborne recaps return visit to Alabama

Hunter Osborne, four-star defensive end from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, is one of the more highly sought-after recruits in the Southeast. He opted to trim his list to a top 10 last month and will cut the list to four or six in June.

Osborne's list of finalists currently: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC. He received more than 50 scholarship offers before deciding to turn his attention to a number of contenders. Osborne received an offer from Alabama in January during Junior Day. He returned to Tuscaloosa on Thursday for an unofficial visit.

"The visit went really well," Osborne said. "It was good to watch practice and just see how they operate. I told the coaches it was the most organized indoor practice I've ever seen. You had the whole team out there. It was just really organized and everyone moved in good rhythm throughout practice.

"I had a good time. We do some of the same drills at our school that they were out there doing. It was recognizable. It wasn't new to me. It was a light practice, but they got a lot done. Q (Quandarrius Robinson), at one point, was in the backfield on almost every play. He kept getting sacks."

Osborne has visited Tuscaloosa several times, as a recruit and as a fan. He grew up cheering for the Crimson Tide, but does not expect it to factor much in his recruitment.

"Coach Saban told me that he was glad to have me down there," he said. "He told me that I am always welcomed. He said he really likes me as a player and wants to continue to build our relationship. He said he wants to have me down there more and more.

"I also talked to Coach Roach for a bit. He was basically saying the same thing. We are just continuing to grow our relationship. We talk a lot. We talked prior to me coming down there to visit. We've just had a lot of really good talks and building good chemistry with each other."

Osborne will visit LSU on Saturday and has a trip scheduled to Tennessee on April 9. He will also return to Tuscaloosa for the A-Day game on April 16. He expects the Crimson Tide to remain strongly in the mix for the long haul in his recruitment.

"I like them a lot," Osborne stated. "I have a top 10, but they are definitely on the higher end. I just love the culture there and how they consistently win. I also really like how they develop players. I will always be high on them."

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound lineman recorded 74 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and nine pass break-ups during the 2021 season.

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