Cam Akers to Alabama: Crimson Tide Land 4-Star RB Prospect

Alabama bolstered its future offensive attack Tuesday with the addition of running back Cam Akers to its 2017 recruiting class.    

Akers announced the news himself via his Twitter page:

The 5’11 ½” and 210-pound Akers is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and the No. 54-ranked player nationally, No. 5-ranked running back and No. 1-ranked Mississippi prospect in the class of 2017. The Mississippi native drew plenty of interest from other SEC schools throughout the recruiting process, including Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia and LSU.

It is no wonder that so many marquee programs recruited Akers. He is a dynamic athlete who plays some quarterback in high school and can make defenders miss in open space. His speed projects well to the college level as a potential running back or even a slot wide receiver depending on matchups. 

John Talty of AL.com noted that Akers is no stranger to the spotlight, which is important for a future member of the Crimson Tide:

Akers attended camp at Alabama and commented on the experience and his relationship with head coach Nick Saban and the rest of the Crimson Tide coaching staff, per John Garcia Jr. of Scout.com:

"

I had a great time, I participated in the camp and everything and I got the chance to talk to coach Saban and I really enjoyed talking to him and coach (Bo) Davis. I got to work with (running backs) coach (Burton) Burns while at camp and he’s an extraordinary coach. He pushes you to the limit and definitely gets you better.

I definitely learned a lot of things from the running back position. Coach Burns taught me a lot.

"

Alabama will eventually have to replace star running back Derrick Henry when he makes his way to the NFL, and adding Akers to the class of 2017 will help it do just that.

Akers’ versatility alone makes him a difficult cover for any defense, and his ability to blow past defenders, line up all over the field and even throw the ball will translate to the Crimson Tide offense.

SEC defenses are officially on notice.