Since Terrell Hall's decommitment from Ohio State last month, Alabama has surged among the candidates to land the 2016 4-star defensive end.
According to Hank South of 247Sports, the 6’5”, 250-pound Washington, D.C., native will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Crimson Tide’s huge showdown against Ole Miss.
Hall also has plans to return to the Tide’s campus later for an official visit and confirmed to South that Alabama is his leader heading into his official visits.
“I like (Alabama’s) versatility on defense and then the fact that with their academics that all their majors kind of fit me,” Hall told South. “I like the way they coach; it’s basically like a player’s-type dream school. You could go there and it’s a school that fits you as a player. I wouldn’t say they have the biggest edge, but that’s the leading school that I’ve seen.”
Given that Alabama is in the driver's seat with Hall, does that make the nation’s No. 8-ranked weak-side defensive end a safe bet to end up in Tuscaloosa on signing day?
Nothing is ever final in recruiting until a prospect signs his letter of intent or enrolls at his school of choice. With that said, Tide head coach Nick Saban and his staff have put themselves in a strong position with Hall at this stage in his recruitment.
Still, programs such as Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCLA are vying to get Hall on campus for an official visit.
Of that group, only the Gators have been able to lock in a date with him. As South notes, Hall will make his way to Gainesville next weekend when Florida hosts Tennessee.
Hall, who noted that he has "high interest" in Florida, likes what he sees from new Gators defensive line coach Chris Rumph. He's also a fan of the plan Rumph has in place for him should he choose to head to Gainesville for college.
“I like the way Coach Rumph coaches, and I know they want to use my versatility as an athlete so I can drop back or come off the edge--kind of like I do in high school,” Hall said. “I like the versatility they show in their defense.”
It’s tough to completely count out schools such as Florida State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. All three schools signed a top-15 class in 2015 and each program holds a spot in the top 25 of the current cycle.
Hall is clearly using his official visits as a barometer to help him land on a conclusion in his recruiting process.
Still, it's hard to envision Saban and his staff coming up short with a player they have targeted as a priority.
Given that the Tide have already made a favorable impression on Hall, as well as his plans to see Tuscaloosa at least twice before making a decision, Tide faithful have good reason to feel optimistic about landing the elite pass-rusher from the nation’s capital.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2567280-is-alabama-a-lock-to-land-former-ohio-state-commit-terrell-hall
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