Zach Whitley Commits to Alabama: Tide Land Stud 4-Star LB

Nick Saban is breaking barriers in recruiting once again, as he landed one of the country’s best linebacker prospects in the 2014 class with a Skype call (h/t AL.com).

Zach Whitley is a 4-star linebacker out of North Shore High School in Texas. He chose the Tide over a number of top offers that included Texas A&M, LSU and Florida, to name a few.

Whitley took an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s spring game on April 20 and obviously walked away impressed. He talked to BamaOnline after the visit and had this to say about the Capstone:

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Their graduation rates for the last three years have been very high. That’s what I was mostly focused on, because my academics are something that I’m going to be focused on when I go to college. I liked the engineering program. They have tutors for every player. That’s going to be my main focus. I know they have a thing for winning and all the national championships, but that’s not all I was worried about.

"

This is the sixth commitment for the Tide’s 2014 recruiting class and the second linebacker added to the mix.

At 6’2”, 220 pounds, Whitley is a college-ready body that has great speed for his size. He plays well inside the tackles and is a nasty striker in the box. He also loves to hit, and it shows with his explosive play.

Whitley is a great fit for the Tide defense in a number of ways. He could continue in a middle linebacker role once at Alabama, or he could transition into the “Jack” position for the Tide. His explosiveness in traffic makes him a great fit there.

Over time, Whitley's ability against the pass has to improve as he becomes a complete player.

The Tide snagged a rising star in Whitley and reloaded the best linebacker corps in the country with the commitment. 

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