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The latest news and notes involving the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday morning.
Good Tuesday morning and welcome back to another edition of Alabama Morning Drive. I hope everyone had a good start to the workweek and is ready to take on whatever today can throw at us.
In today’s edition, we are going to look at which two Alabama men’s basketball players are now transferring, how the Alabama softball team did in the series finale, and also a couple of football recruiting nuggets.
Let’s get right to it!
First…Softball suffers loss in game three…
Florida will “definitely be an official visit” for this blue-chip linebacker over the summer.
A trio of high-profile, in-state recruits will be making their college commitments on July 23, and Florida is doing its best to secure a clean sweep. Malik Bryant, a four-star linebacker out of Jones High in Orlando, is the highest-rated recruit of the bunch and is planning an official trip to the Swamp, according to 247Sports.
“They’ll (Florida) definitely be an official visit in June,” he said.
Bryant visited the University of Florida over the first weekend of April for his second meeting with the new staff. He was impressed by the culture change at UF under Billy Napier and is likely to name the Gators as one of his top four schools on May 1.
I Will Be Announcing My Final 4 Schools May 1st 🚨
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) April 5, 2022
Alabama finally got to host Bryant after two other trips fell through, and he left Tuscaloosa saying the Tide “separated themselves” from the rest of the group. He wouldn’t commit to naming them No. 1 but it’s clear that Napier has strong competition for the top-50 recruit.
He’ll be back at Alabama in June for an unofficial visit and will likely take an official trip over the season, post-commitment. The plan is to take three officials over the summer and save two for the season.
The 247Sports composite ranks Bryant as the No. 35 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and the No. 2 linebacker.
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Florida sits in the driver’s seat in four-star defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc’s recruitment.
Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag] has visited Florida and coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s staff five times so far this year. No other prospect has visited the Gators nearly as much as he has. Because of how often he has been to the Swamp, 247Sports Florida recruiting reporter Blake Alderman elected to submit a crystal ball prediction for LeBlanc on Thursday.
LeBlanc is ranked as the 81st overall prospect and as the ninth-best player at his position, according to the 247Sports composite. He hails from nearby Osceola, Florida, and isn’t the only talented defensive lineman at his high school. His teammate [autotag]John Walker[/autotag] is considered the 94th best player overall and the 14th best at his position.
LeBlanc visited the Swamp again on Thursday and plans to come back for the Orange and Blue Game next week. He has been around so much that defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] started quizzing him on Florida’s scheme.
“I really know everything they like to do and what their coaching calls are and a lot about their defense already,” he said. “I pick up things fast. Coach Spencer was trying to quiz me on their defense, and a lot of the things I already knew. It was really good just watching him coach his guys and sitting in the position meetings again. It was really nice.”
LeBlanc, however, doesn’t plan to make a decision anytime soon. He set a commitment date for July 23 along with Gators targets [autotag]Malik Bryant[/autotag] and [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag].
Florida seems to have a significant lead, but Alderman considers Oklahoma and Miami as the Gators’ biggest threat at his point.
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Florida is set to host one five-star and nine four-star recruits this weekend. Many recruits want to see the Gators in action this spring.
Coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and staff have brought a boatload of top recruits to campus the past couple of weekends to check out Florida’s spring practices. The Gators will continue that trend this weekend, bringing in one five-star and nine four-star prospects.
This weekend’s visitors list is headlined by five-star linebacker [autotag]Malik Bryant[/autotag] out of Orlando, Florida. He’s ranked as the 27th overall prospect and as the second-best at his position, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. This will be Bryant’s second trip to the Swamp this year after he made one in January. He plans to make his commitment known to the public on July 23.
Four-star teammates [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag] and [autotag]John Walker[/autotag] will also be in attendance this weekend and plan to stop by UF’s campus on Friday. For LeBlanc, this will be his fourth trip to see Napier and Co. since they’ve taken over at Florida. He will also make his commitment known publicly with Bryant on July 23. Then this will be Walker’s second visit to the Gators in 2022.
The University of Florida is hosting the Florida Relays this weekend, which means many high school football prospects across the state who also run track will be in Gainesville. Napier and his staff are using that to his advantage for four-star wide receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], who is also considered a legacy recruit for the Gators because his parents both ran track at Florida.
Additionally, five-star running back [autotag]Richard Young[/autotag] is also competing at the Florida Relays and could stop by and see the coaching staff, but 247Sports and On3 haven’t reported on his official plans as of publishing.
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Georgia is expected to be in the running for five-star linebacker prospect Malik Bryant, who received a recent visit from Kirby Smart via helicopter.
Georgia football has the nation’s fourth-ranked class for the 2023 recruiting cycle. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs currently have commitments from seven 2023 prospects.
Now, Georgia is expected to be in the running for five-star linebacker prospect Malik Bryant. Bryant set his commitment date for July 23 along with fellow elite Orlando area recruit Payton Kirkland.
Malik Bryant has previously visited the University of Georgia. Will he commit to the same school as Payton Kirkland?
Bryant is ranked as the No. 27 linebacker in the class of 2023 per 247Sports. He is the second-ranked linebacker in the recruiting cycle and the eighth-ranked player in Florida.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker Orlando native was a MaxPreps sophomore All-American. Bryant played for IMG Academy for two seasons before returning home to Jones High School in Orlando, Florida.
Malik Bryant must have been impressed with Georgia’s 2021 national championship season and the Bulldogs’ performance at the NFL combine. Bryant received a special visit from Georgia coach Kirby Smart, via helicopter, on Jan. 20. Nick Saban has also visited Bryant.
Stop By Presidential Style Today #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/t7ZxiUlRKA
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) January 20, 2022
Bryant has released a list of top schools:
All of it is a blessing knowing where I come from AGTG @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/4uay2pzN7V
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) November 22, 2021
The five-star is considering Arizona State, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Maryland, Oregon, Florida, and Miami. Where will Malik Bryant play college football?
The Bulldogs finished with the No. 3 class of 2022. Georgia is one of the best programs in the country in recruiting and developing elite linebacker talent.
I Will Be Announcing My College Decision On July 23rd #AGTG 🙏🏾 @paytonkirk55 @getrightderrick
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) March 6, 2022
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Could Florida earn a clean sweep with its top three targets on July 23?
July 23 will be a make-or-break day for Florida’s 2023 recruiting class because three of its top targets are set to announce their commitments on that Saturday. Five-star linebacker Malik Bryant, four-star offensive lineman Payton Kirkland and four-star Derrick LeBlanc announced Sunday night that they are planning to make their pledges known publicly on July 23.
As of Monday, the Gators and Miami are the only common denominator with each prospect. Kirkland and LeBlanc also just wrapped up their unofficial visit to the Swamp the day prior. However, Bryant hasn’t stepped foot in Gainesville since Jan. 15.
July is obviously a long way away but Swamp247’s Blake Alderman reported that his Florida sources feel good but understand there is a lot of recruiting left to do. He also elected to drop a crystal ball prediction for Kirkland with medium confidence of four because of how much he raved about the Gators following his visit.
247Sports also reported that it’s unclear if all three recruits will select the same school, but it’s a possibility.
The key for coach Billy Napier and Co. is to get all three back on campus a couple more times before their decision date.
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The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top contenders for four-star offensive tackle recruit Payton Kirkland.
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The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top contenders for class of 2023 offensive tackle Payton Kirkland. Kirkland is a top recruit in Florida with imposing 6-foot-7, 310-pound size.
Kirkland has set his commitment date for July 23, the same day as fellow Orlando area recruit Malik Bryant. Bryant is a five-star linebacker.
Kirkland plays football for Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, and received a scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs in the summer of 2020.
The four-star offensive tackle announced his commitment date via Twitter:
I will be announcing my college decision July 23rd… God’s timing. 🙏🏾 @Malik5Bryant @getrightderrick
— Payton ”PKAY“ Kirkland🐣 (@paytonkirk55) March 6, 2022
Georgia made Kirkland’s top seven, which he released in Dec. 2021. The four-star puts UGA, Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Miami and Oklahoma in his top schools.
The Florida Gators are also considered a contender to secure a commitment from Kirkland.
Kirkland has taken recent visits to Georgia, Miami and Ohio State. The Bulldogs had two offensive tackles taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft and have NFL draft talent Justin Shaffer and Jamaree Salyer in the pipeline.
Kirkland enjoyed his recent visit to Georgia. He thinks that Georgia stands apart from other teams recruiting him:
It’s clear difference between Georgia and the rest. #GoDawgs @CoachMattLuke pic.twitter.com/9oZBVBkoNU
— Payton ”PKAY“ Kirkland🐣 (@paytonkirk55) January 31, 2022
Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels will try to build a significant bond with Kirkland before his July 23 commitment date.
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Malik Bryant, who also has offers from Alabama, Georgia and Miami (among many others), will be on campus this weekend in Gainesville.
Florida still needs to do a lot of work to finish up its 2022 recruiting class, which ranks just 41st nationally and remains the worst class in the SEC, per the 247Sports Composite. There will be a lot of key visitors from this cycle on campus over the next few weeks, but coach Billy Napier‘s team will also be hosting a few top 2023 recruits in the coming weeks.
One that will be on campus this coming weekend is five-star edge rusher Malik Bryant. An Orlando native who attends Jones High School, the 6-foot-2-inch, 235-pound player is the No. 21 prospect nationally on the 247Sports Composite and the No. 2 edge rusher. He announced that he will be in Gainesville this weekend on his Twitter account.
I’ll be in the swamp this weekend #GoGators 🐊
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) January 10, 2022
Bryant, who played his sophomore season at IMG Academy before returning to his home school, is one of the most coveted players in the 2023 class, and the Gators will have to fend off some other top suitors if they want to keep him in-state. Among his multitude of offers are Alabama and Georgia, which are considered to be his top schools at the moment alongside UF and Miami, who just hired a coach in Mario Cristobal who is known for his recruiting acumen.
Here’s the evaluation of Bryant from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins.
Promising frame with some bulk already showing in the arms. Should only get bigger over the next few years. A twitchy edge rusher that creates plenty of issues for opposing quarterbacks. Uses quick first step to freeze offensive tackles. Well-timed spin move frequently leads to sacks. Fluid in his movement patterns and able to move laterally in space. Spent time the spring following freshman season playing linebacker on the camp circuit. Transferred into IMG Academy as a sophomore and instantly became one of the team’s top players totaling a pair of sacks against a talented Duncanville squad. Will need to keep progressing, but early body of work suggests that he’s one of the top pass rushers in the class of 2023. Could eventually push for five-star status.
Obviously, this was written before Bryant earned his fifth star, but it shows that he’s a very good athlete. As Ivins mentions, he’ll need to add some bulk at the next level, but he would be a massive get for Napier’s 2023 class, which currently ranks 19th in the nation with just two players committed.
A successful visit with Bryant this weekend could go a long way toward being in a good position to land him entering his senior season.
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A five-star recruit in the 2023 class named Clemson among his top schools Monday via social media. Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy outside linebacker Malik Bryant dropped a top 10 featuring the Tigers along with Alabama, Arizona State, Florida, …
A five-star recruit in the 2023 class named Clemson among his top schools Monday via social media.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy outside linebacker Malik Bryant dropped a top 10 featuring the Tigers along with Alabama, Arizona State, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oregon.
Bryant (6-3, 225) is the No. 2 edge defender in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite, which considers him a five-star prospect and the No. 17 overall prospect in the country for his class regardless of position.
Bryant, who lists around three dozen offers, visited Clemson in early June after receiving an offer from the Tigers.
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Michigan State offers 2023 5-star OLB Malik Bryant of IMG Academy in Florida
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Michigan State has joined numerous power programs in extending a scholarship offer to one of the top recruits in the 2023 class.
Malik Bryant — a five-star outside linebacker in the 2023 class — announced on Friday that he’s received a scholarship offer from the Spartans. Bryant is ranked as the No. 15 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2023 class.
Bryant now holds scholarship offers from 34 different schools, including Michigan State, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
Bryant plays for the IMG Academy in Florida, and is listed at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds.
Truly blessed and honored to receive an offer from Michigan state university @dzoloty @SWiltfong247 @ScottieHazelton @247Sports 💚 pic.twitter.com/OPAcfUwhga
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) August 12, 2021
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