4-star WR Amari Jefferson was prioritized by Nick Saban on Alabama official visit
For the fourth time in the span of less than a year, Chattanooga (Tn.) wide receiver Amari Jefferson made the trip out to Tuscaloosa. The Tennessee baseball commit was treated to a more in-depth experience this time around on this weekend’s official visit to Alabama.
His father, Mario Jefferson, spoke with BamaOnLine about their time on campus, conversations with Nick Saban, interest in the Tide, and more.
“It was a really good visit. We had a really good time,” Mr. Jefferson said. “Got to know the staff and we got to see Alabama more in depth. It was kind of what we were looking forward to… we actually got to see Tuscaloosa. The other times, we came straight to the facility. Just got a more intimate look into Alabama and more of an intimate feeling with the coaches and the city of Tuscaloosa.”
From the very beginning of their multi-day stay at Alabama, Saban made it clear that spending time with the Jefferson family was a priority.
“Our first night, when we first went out to dinner, they had Amari sitting next to Nick Saban on his right side,” Mr. Jefferson said. “My wife and I were sitting at the same table as him and Mrs. Terry. That was very eye-opening… kind of showed us the importance that Coach Saban and his wife put on Amari and our family.”
Throughout the weekend, Nick and Terry Saban were around the Jeffersons, with those conversations going beyond the football field. Coach Saban also carved out time for one final message before they departed.
“I really felt like he was always around us,” Mr. Jefferson said. “[In the final conversation], he just wanted to reiterate that we’re a priority. Amari is the type of player and person that Alabama needs. Alabama could help him get to where he wants to get to. That was the constant refrain all weekend from Coach Saban.
“It was what we needed to see to think about Alabama as a potential fit for our son to come play football,” Mr. Jefferson added. “The football aspect is great, but relationships and the people our son would be around is, for us as parents, just as important as what happens on the field.”
Wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins also talked with them before they left, offering the following comparison for Jefferson.
“We sat down with Coach Wiggins about 30 minutes before we went back to Chattanooga,” Mr. Jefferson said. “He cut up some of Amari’s clips and showed how he’d be utilized in the offense based on what he does at the Baylor School right now. One of his comps was a more explosive John Metchie.”
All in all, the pursuit from Joe Cox, Saban, Wiggins, and the rest of the staff has been much appreciated by Jefferson’s family.
“I will say that Alabama has done an amazing job recruiting our son,” Mr. Jefferson said. “It’s the top-tier organization. They showed us why they’ve been so successful and why I think they’ll continue to be successful. We had a great time. It was an awesome place.”
Amari Jefferson and his family have “pretty high” interest in Alabama
Due to Alabama being in the NCAA Super Regional, Amari Jefferson was unable to meet with their baseball staff this weekend. This opens up the door for the dual-sport athlete returning to T-Town before his final decision is made.
“We didn’t get to meet with Alabama baseball because they’re playing Wake Forest right now,” Mr. Jefferson said. “We’ll probably have to come back down and at least have some conversations and discussions with that side of it.”
Looking at it from the football side of things, how Bama has recruited him, the proximity to home, and development have put Saban and Company in a good spot for Jefferson.
“Our interest level is pretty high, from a family perspective,” Mr. Jefferson said. “We’re really impressed with how Alabama has gone about recruiting him. The attention to us as a family. It’s a university that’s pretty close to our house. It’s not the main thing, but it’s a part of the decision.
“I mean, it’s Alabama,” Mr. Jefferson continued. “They win. They’ve done a good job of developing receivers. We can potentially see him playing at Alabama and thriving. And ultimately playing for Coach Saban.”
Jefferson recently announced a top six that featured Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. At this juncture, no program is the outright leader in his recruitment.
“Obviously, we like all six,” Mr. Jefferson said. “Until the official visits are completed, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and say one is standing out over the other ones. Alabama just had the opportunity to host us for a whole weekend, but the other schools haven’t had that opportunity. We want to make sure that before we lean one way or the other, we’re able to visit the schools we wanted to visit.”
A final baseball and football commitment will likely come well before the Early Signing Period arrives.
“The decision, we don’t really want to put a time frame on it,” Jefferson said. “But it will probably come late summer/early fall.”
Alabama fans, also be sure to join the discussion about Amari Jefferson on the The BOL Round Table. There’s always a lot of great team, recruiting, and off-topic conversations going on. So, we look forward to talking with you all there!
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