Should Texas A&M Fans Worry 5-Star Greg Little Visited Alabama and Ole Miss?

Texas A&M sent a resounding message last June by landing a commitment from prized offensive tackle Gregory Little. A year later, the Aggies appear to have some competition from the reigning recruiting king of college football—Alabama.

The burgeoning rivalry between these relatively new conference rivals extends far beyond on-field showdowns. Recruiting clashes are growing more prevalent on a perennial basis.

Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin continues to increase his program's focus on talent-laden territory in the Southeast while the Crimson Tide claim six commitments from the Lone Star State since 2014, featuring a pair of 5-star cornerbacks in Tony Brown and Kendall Sheffield.

Alabama's efforts in that department have reached a new level during the 2016 recruiting cycle. Head coach Nick Saban holds pledges from a trio of Texas prospects after defensive tackle Kendell Jones and quarterback Jalen Hurts jumped on board in recent weeks.

Now the Crimson Tide have turned their attention to the state's top-rated recruit. 

Little, a 6'5 ½", 305-pound lineman from Allen High School, traveled to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. He tweeted a photo of him and Alabama assistant Billy Napier.

Courtesy of Greg Little's Twitter account.

His visit precedes the anticipated Friday arrival of No. 1 prospect Rashan Gary, a 5-star defensive tackle from New Jersey.

Gary and Little rate first and second overall, respectively, in 247Sports' composite rankings. Needless to say, this week looms large for Alabama's latest recruiting efforts.

The Crimson Tide, riding an unprecedented five-year streak atop national signing day ratings, have overcome a slow start by Saban's standards. Alabama surged to eighth overall in national class rankings with nine new pledges since April after sitting outside the top 15 for quite some time.

Earlier this spring, the program seemed primed to finally fall from its top perch on signing day. Entering the summer, that sentiment now seems far from a foregone conclusion.

Momentum in College Station isn't quite as strong right now, but Texas A&M is piecing together another impressive class. The 11-player group rates 14th nationally, putting the team in position to potentially secure its third top-10 class in four years.

Of course, things won't look quite as rosy if you remove Little from the equation. Without him in the mix, Texas A&M would tumble to 23rd overall in national recruiting rankings and 10th among SEC squads.

The sight of Little wearing a Crimson Tide jersey may send shivers down the spines of Aggies faithful, but this should simply be viewed as an exploratory phase of his recruitment—for now.

When you're the top player at your position, and perhaps in the nation, it makes sense to expand your collegiate horizons. 

Alabama isn't the only SEC team to host Little on campus this week. He traveled to Ole Miss on Monday.

Trips to Oxford and Tuscaloosa show Little and his family are at least curious about what options may lie beyond College Station. Given the unsteadiness of college staffs—the Aggies' offseason overhaul included the dismissal of offensive line coach B.J. Anderson—it's smart to be diligent and identify alternatives.

"He's obviously committed to Texas A&M, but kids may have a change of heart. I think he just wanted to check a couple of things out," Allen High School head coach Tom Westerberg told Drew Champlin of AL.com.

If things work out the way Aggies fans envision, Little will compete for playing time at Texas A&M in 2016 and reunite with 5-star 2015 quarterback signee Kyler Murray. He protected the promising passer at Allen during unbeaten state title runs in 2013 and 2014.

These same fans surely remember the uneasy moments they endured last winter when Murray—an Aggies legacy—visited Austin and flirted with the idea of flipping to Texas.

This situation shouldn't induce the level of panic that development brought, but as long as Little is spending time on the campuses of conference rivals, there will be some lingering doubt about whether he ultimately lands at Texas A&M.

If Alabama secures an official visit this fall, things get a bit more dicey. Texas A&M hosts the Crimson Tide on Oct. 17, and it would be a surprise if Little isn't in attendance.

Bookmark that matchup and this recruitment as intriguing storylines to monitor for these SEC foes.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.