Rivals250 OL Elijah Pritchett talks Alabama A-Day
Elijah Pritchett, four-star offensive tackle from Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia, is counting down the days until he can begin taking official visits. He is expected to take all five of official visits in June.
Pritchett will travel to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia and USC. He doesn't know the exact dates other than a visit to Alabama on June 18-20. He was in Tuscaloosa on Saturday for the Tide's A-Day game with his mom and cousin.
"It was really fun," Pritchett said. "It was my first time going to Alabama. The furthest I have been in the state of Alabama is Phenix City.
"The game was good. No. 73 (Evan Neal) definitely stood out to me. I enjoyed getting to see the campus. I saw some of the facilities, but didn't get to go inside. I saw some of the libraries, parks and big fields. I haven't seen anything like it before."
Pritchett has been in communication with Alabama multiple times each week. He also had a Zoom call with Nick Saban after the A-Day game.
"I have been speaking with Sam Petitio and coach (Charles) Kelly. They talk to me every two days. They are just trying to see where my head is and trying to recruit me. They told me just focus on finishing high school and all the college stuff will come after.
"I had a Zoom call with coach Saban yesterday (Monday). It was pretty good. He was really just asking if I enjoyed my visit to Alabama. He asked if I had fun. He was just talking to me about some things. It's just crazy. You are talking to Nick Saban. It's crazy."
The 6-foot-7, 290-pound lineman is high on the Tide's recruiting board. Alabama made a strong first impression even though he didn't get to speak with coaches or go inside the facilities (due to the dead period).
"I mainly like the history of the program," Pritchett said. "Not just the winning aspect, but I like how disciplined they are. They are hungry on the field and in the classroom.
"My relationship with Alabama is pretty strong. Everyone has shown an effort they really want me and I am really high on their chart."
Pritchett expects to make a decision before the start of his senior season. He has a private favorite at this time, but anything can change especially when he begins taking official visits in June.
"I really just want to surprise everyone," he said. "There is a leader in my head. One thing my mom told me is if I go somewhere and don't have the type of connection with the staff that I am looking for then nine times out of 10 it's not going to go good because I don't have a great relationship. That's a key factor for me."
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