Scott Lashley to Alabama: Crimson Tide Land 4-Star OT Prospect

The Alabama Crimson Tide added another high-profile piece to their 2016 recruiting class on Tuesday in the form of offensive lineman Scott Lashley.

Chris Kirschner of SEC Country reported that Lashley chose Alabama over Mississippi State and LSU at a ceremony at his high school.

Lashley is a 4-star prospect who ranks among the top 20 offensive tackles and top 200 overall players in the 2016 class. He received offers from numerous top programs before making his decision.

The West Point High School (Mississippi) standout briefly committed to Mississippi State in May before deciding to reconsider the landscape.

Lashley decided to play out his senior season while continuing to gather information about the interested programs. He explained to Barton Simmons of 247Sports in December that getting on the field quickly was among his top considerations during the process:

"

Where I feel like I can fit in but not so much building a relationship with the coaches because coaches leave but really a place where I know I can come in and help them contribute. That's mainly the main factor.

I would like to play early. If I redshirt, I redshirt. You can learn from the coaches, learn the position. I'm still new to the game. This is really my second year playing football so I would like to go so somewhere and play early but if I do redshirt that would be OK.

"

His strong play earned him a chance to take part in the 2015 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game alongside several other top prospects. The group included prized defensive end Jeffery Simmons, and Courtney Cronin of the Clarion-Ledger spotlighted that matchup:

Lashley has the raw tools to become a top-tier college tackle. His combination of size (6'6'', 300 lbs), power and athleticism makes him the type of prospect a coaching staff can mold into a special player.

It's going to take a while before he can reach that level, though. He has plenty of work to do in terms of his technique, and there will be an adjustment period as he moves to the college level, where he won't be able to rely on outmuscling opponents.

Ultimately, Lashley becomes the latest in a long line of star recruits to land at Alabama. Perhaps it was that arcade basketball game with head coach Nick Saban that made the difference:

Choosing the Tide does make his path to playing time a little less certain. The loss of senior Dominick Jackson does open up a spot in the starting lineup, but the incoming freshman will have plenty of competition if he's focused on earning that spot.

The likelier scenario is he'll need to wait a season or two before he's able to make his presence felt.

Ultimately, Lashley opted for Alabama in what comes as at least a minor surprise after Mississippi State and LSU pushed hard for his commitment.

Lashley could be given a chance to prove himself right out of the gate, and if he's impressive enough, he may be given a chance to start as a freshman. His comments made it clear he'd like to contribute right away.

We'll see if he ends up getting that opportunity, but his long-term outlook will remain positive either way.