Lyndell Wilson to Alabama: Crimson Tide Land 5-Star LB Prospect

The rich got richer Wednesday as defending national champion Alabama landed one of the 2016 recruiting class' top prizes in linebacker Lyndell Wilson.  

Hank Wilson of 247Sports passed along word of Wilson's commitment.

Per 247Sports, Wilson is a 5-star prospect who ranks as the No. 15 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 2 outside linebacker. The Carver High School standout also rates as the No. 2 player from the football-rich state of Alabama.

Wilson is a do-everything linebacker in every sense of the term, which is why many of the top programs in the country were in hot pursuit of a commitment. According to 247Sports, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia were major players for his services, with the Crimson Tide ultimately managing to keep him in state.

As pointed out by Carver High School head coach Bill Gresham, Wilson excels in essentially every area of importance for a linebacker, per Ben Thomas of AL.com:

"

Lyndell is a freakish athletic kid. He's 6'3", runs like a 4.5 40. His football IQ is really high. He has a knack for rolling his hips and making big hits. He does everything you want in a linebacker. He can cover, can run, can hit, can rush the passer and, most importantly, he just makes play.

"

After catching a live glimpse of Wilson's playmaking ability, Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network agreed with the sentiment:

The Montgomery, Alabama, native, who is affectionately referred to by many as "Mack," possesses a unique skill set. There is less and less need for one- or two-dimensional linebackers in major college football, but Wilson doesn't fit that description whatsoever.

In fact, Wilson is so impressive that Lemming has placed him in some elite company already:

Since he is one of the most highly touted recruits in the class of 2016, expectations will be high for Wilson once he makes the leap to the college ranks. He has been so dominant in high school that many will figure he'll do the same at the next level.

Wilson may prove to be a great player, but he likely won't be head and shoulders above everyone else as a freshman. He may be able to contribute to some degree, but it is rare for a freshman linebacker to be elite from day one.

In that respect, Bama is a strong landing spot for Wilson. With so much talent on defense, the Tide can afford to allow him to come along at his own pace.

While head coach Nick Saban did lose some top-end talent to the NFL draft, including defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed, as well as linebacker Reggie Ragland, there shouldn't be much pressure to rush Wilson.

If the explosive linebacker does see extended playing time in 2016, though, he will be helped by the quality players who will surround him.

Recruit star ratings and rankings via 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.

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