Evaluation: What Justin Okoronkwo brings to Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s football program is continuing to go international. On Sunday, Bama picked up a commitment from Germany-based linebacker Justin Okoronkwo. Okoronkwo, who camped at Alabama last month, becomes commitment No. 11 for the Tide in their 2024 class.

This was a fast development for Bama as Okoronkwo just decommitted from the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. He also held offers from the likes of Nebraska, Michigan, Penn State, South Carolina, and others.

On3 Scouting and Rankings Director Charles Power provided a breakdown of what Okoronkwo brings to the table and where he excels at on the field. BOL also takes a look at some key Alabama targets set to commit in the near future.

Analysis of Okoronkwo: “There is certainly a lot to work with.”

“With Justin Okoronkwo, I think you have to start with his athleticism and size, which registers on the high end and up there with as good as you’ll see among linebackers in the 2024 cycle. He’s 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Really tested extremely well at college camps. Running in the 4.5s, vertical is north of 35 inches… just very explosive.

“He has a lot of projectable, natural tools to work with at the position. In terms of the size, speed, physicality, and overall athleticism, there is certainly a lot to work with. I think there are some very promising building blocks.

“This is a very interesting evaluation. Okoronkwo, relative to most of his peers in the 2024 cycle, has not played high-level football… but he’s played all over the field. He’s shown to be very explosive. He’s played safety, which is a positive since he gets to play in space. A guy who is explosive, physical, and a striker.

“Getting him in person was very informative. I’m interested in seeing how he develops and picks up the nuances of playing linebacker and seeing how Alabama uses him. I can see him providing value on special teams as well, given his speed, physicality, and size… I can no doubt see him flying down on kickoffs and making a lot of plays there.”

“He’s probably going to need time at Alabama. I think it’s going to be really interesting to see how Alabama can develop a guy who is starting from a lower place relative to football experience and technique. How they develop him will be very interesting to watch.

“It’s also important to note he’s much older for the cycle. From an age perspective, he’s much more of a junior college prospect. So, he’s much more physically mature than a lot of 2024 prospects at this stage.” – Charles Power

Could Alabama land even more targets in the near future?

Okoronkwo may not be the last player to commit to the Crimson Tide on Sunday. This afternoon, two targets for Saban and his staff are set to come off the board: 2024 cornerback Zabien Brown and 2026 offensive lineman Zykie Helton.

Helton is slated to announce his decision at 2:30 p.m. Central on Sunday. His offer sheet features Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, and others. Helton earned an offer from Bama after camping last month.

Meanwhile, Brown will commit an hour and a half later at 4:00 p.m. Central. His three finalists are Alabama, Ohio State, and USC. Alabama is viewed as the overwhelming favorite (94.5 percent) to land Brown, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Here is a look at other targets slated to announce their decisions this month.

Casey Poe, No. 1 Interior OL, Lindale (Texas)
Decision Date: July 12
Contenders: Alabama, Auburn, UGA, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas Tech

Caleb Odom, Top 100 TE, Carrollton HS (Ga.)
Decision Date: July 15
Contenders: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Ole Miss

William Sanders, three-star interior OL, Brookwood (Ala.)
Decision Date: Sometime in July
Contenders: Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State

Jamie Ffrench, ’25 Top 100 WR, Mandarin HS (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Decision Date: July 22
Contenders: Alabama, Florida, FSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State

Georgia commit Demarcus Riddick, Top 100 LB, Chilton County HS (Clanton, Ala.)
Decision Date: July 26
Contenders: Alabama, Auburn, UGA

Find out more on where Alabama stands with each of these targets HERE!

The post Evaluation: What Justin Okoronkwo brings to Alabama appeared first on On3.