Looking ahead: Kendrick Blackshire brings freakish athleticism to Alabama

BamaInsider continues to break down Alabama’s current 2021 commits by taking a look at what they offer and how they will fit in for the Crimson Tide. Today we examine an athletic thumper at the linebacker position, Kendrick Blackshire.

In every class, Alabama seems to bring in at least one recruit who raises eyebrows based on size and stature alone. Kendrick Blackshire is one of those players in the class of 2021. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound inside linebacker already looks like an upperclassman and offers a jaw-dropping amount of athleticism for his size.

Among his impressive athletic feats, Blackshire has cleared a 60-inch box jump and has also recorded marks of 42' 6" in the shot put and 105’ in the discus. He also clocked a 12.12 second time in the 100-meter dash.

Those impressive stats carry over to the football field as well. Blackshire missed his junior season with a torn ACL but recorded 111 tackles, including nine for a loss and one sack during his sophomore year.

Blackshire plays inside linebacker for his high school and is being recruited to play that position at Alabama. While he’s a bit bigger than today’s typical middle linebacker, he possesses a surprising amount of mobility and has the quickness to chase down ball carriers in the flats. Blackshire also has nice vision and plays with great instincts, which should allow him to remain at the position in college.