The University of Alabama landed Tommy and James Brockermeyer on Friday in what was a monster announcement in the world of college football recruiting. Tommy, a 6-foot-6, 288-pound offensive tackle, is rated as a five-star and ranked as the No. 10 overall player in the country. James is a 6-foot-3, 273-pound center who is a four-star in the Rivals 250.
The Crimson Tide now has a total of 14 commitments with five coming in the month of July. Three of the commitments come from the state of Texas.
In the video above, Andrew Bone and Kyle Henderson discuss the magnitude of the Brockermeyer brothers joining Alabama's class of 2021.
Brockermeyer twins break family tradition with Alabama commitments
Burnt orange runs deep in the Brockermeyer family. Blake Brockermeyer is a former All-American tackle at The University of Texas and the son of Kay Brockermeyer, who played for the Longhorns in the late 50s. Texas is also where Blake’s wife Kristy attended college and where their second son, Luke, currently plays linebacker.
Naturally, when the two youngest Brockermeyer boys — Tommy and James — came of age, many figured family tradition would see them suit up in burnt orange as well. Instead, the talented twins decided to blaze their own path as they committed to Alabama on Friday.
While Blake might not be quite ready to give up Texas brisket for Alabama ribs, he’s more than happy to root on his sons with the Crimson Tide.
Tommy Brockermeyer, "Alabama is a program I just couldn't ignore"
"Alabama is a program I just couldn't ignore," Tommy said following his commitment to the University of Alabama. “The winning tradition, the O-line development and the coaching staff. The whole program is just far and above everyone else. They are winning nattys every other year.
"It was really tough," he said of turning down Texas. "I grew up a Texas fan. My dad went there, brother is there. I have always been a Texas fan. I had to make a business decision. I wanted to pick the school that would help me the most. I felt Alabama was the best choice for me."
"The coaches were pretty pumped. Coach Flood put his hands in the air and was like 'Yes!' I could also tell Coach Saban was happy in his own way. It was cool to see their reaction.
"I have built a great relationship with Coach Flood in the past year. We talk a couple times a week. We watch a lot of film together. He is a coach I definitely want to be around. He is one of the best coaches in college football."
The 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman expects to play tackle in Tuscaloosa. He is open-minded as to which spot he will play.
"You really don't know until you get there," Brockermeyer said regarding his position. "The five best linemen are gong to be on the field. I'll play wherever they put me. I'll play right tackle if that's where they need me."
Brockermeyer will enroll at Alabama in January. He has returned to 100-percent healthy after shoulder surgery which forced him to miss his entire junior season. He is ready to take on a leadership role in the Tide's class.
"I am very excited about our class," he said. "I know we are going to get some other big-time player soon. I am really going to look into who I need to help recruit starting this weekend. We will 100-percent finish with a top-three class and hopefully No. 1 overall. It should be the best offensive line class in the country."
James Brockermeyer, "Everything about Alabama stood out to me."
“It feels good,” Brockermeyer said after committing to Alabama on Friday. “It definitely removes a lot of pressure. I just kind of figured no more visits are happening and Alabama has been my leader. I couldn’t think of anything that would change that. I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger.
“I spoke with Coach Saban, Coach Flood and Coach Scott (on Thursday). It was exciting. They were excited. They are glad to have me on board and ready for me to get there. It was tough to call the other coaches. I formed all these relationships over the past year. I liked a lot of other coaches. It was hard, but you can’t make everyone happy.
“Just everything about Alabama stood out me. Ever since Coach Saban got there everything about the program has been elite- the coaching staff, the strength and conditioning program, the type of players who are there and the atmosphere. Literally everything about Alabama stands out to me.”
The Brockermeyers plan on graduating in December and will arrive at Alabama in January. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound lineman was recruited by Alabama to play on the interior-most likely center, but also has the ability to play guard.
James believes his recruitment has come to an end and says he is “locked-in” with his commitment to Alabama. He also said he isn’t worried about fans on social media who are disappointed with his college choice. He and his family plan to begin a new journey with Alabama.
Commitment analysis Tommy Brockermeyer to Alabama
In an ideal world, Tommy Brockermeyer would have made official visits to each of his final schools at this point in the calendar as he geared up for a college decision prior to his senior season at Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal.
The five-star offensive tackle had to make adjustments and the decision is made.
Brockermeyer committed to Alabama on Friday, signaling the end to one of the most important recruiting storylines inside the Lone Star State for 2021.
Commitment analysis James Brockermeyer to Alabama
James Brockermeyer hinted a decision could come at any point after trimming his list of finalists to four schools earlier this summer. Now, the nation's No. 3-ranked center has made up his mind.
Brockermeyer committed to Alabama on Friday, signaling the end to one of the most important recruiting storylines inside the Lone Star State for 2021.
Brockermeyer, and his twin brother Tommy, chose Alabama instead of Texas. Auburn and LSU were also finalists for the Rivals250 talent. It's important to note that Brockermeyer's father, Blake, was an All-American at Texas. His older brother, Luke, is currently on the roster for the Longhorns.
