Five-star ’24 OT shares the latest in Alabama’s pursuit

It does not take long to scan the 2024 On300 to find the highest-rated uncommitted prospect left on Alabama’s big board: Jordan Seaton.

Seaton, who is the top-ranked offensive tackle according to On3, has been a priority for the Tide for quite some time. The five-star recruit landed an offer from Bama last October, and has gone on to take three total trips to the Capstone in 2023.

Following IMG Academy’s game versus Bartram Trail on Friday night, Seaton spoke with BamaOnLine about the latest with the program.

“It’s been going good with Alabama,” Seaton told BOL. “I’ve been talking with Coach [Eric] Wolford almost every other day. I talked with Coach Saban recently. The relationship has always been there. Bama has been interested since the start; ever since they made that decision to offer me, they’ve been on it hard.”

With three interior offensive linemen committed and in their 2024 class, Alabama has made it clear to Seaton that he is their top target at the tackle position.

Receiving the full-court press from the staff has made a strong impression on Seaton, who last visited for the Texas game in September.

“Being the guy for Alabama and them pursuing me as hard as they are — they’re coming full throttle. Bringing the tank truck and all,” Seaton said. “Just being the top tackle and them making it known I’m that top tackle for them… I see it in person. When I go on visits, they treat me as one of their guys already. Just having that treatment for a top program with endless years of success, I don’t know what more I can ask for.”

Seaton still has his top 14 from March intact — Florida State has replaced Michigan — and could take his recruitment out to the Early Signing Period.

Even though a commitment may be over two months away, is one school leading the way in his recruitment right now?

“Bama,” Seaton replied. “It’s Eric Wolford. He’s done it at all levels. Saban, his name speaks for itself. If you get the approval from him, you’re a guy. He’s highly respected. A lot of stuff in the world is based off connections. I feel like there’s no guy that has more connections than Coach Saban.”

Seaton also noted that he is between Alabama (vs. Tennessee) and Miami (vs. Clemson) for a visit on Oct. 21. Where he’ll be on that day is still up in the air.

Alabama is making it known that Seaton is a priority

As mentioned above, Jordan Seaton recently had a phone call with Nick Saban. A theme in Seaton’s previous interview with BOL was the opportunities he’ll have at Bama, and that was reiterated by Saban in this conversation.

“That had to be last Wednesday,” Seaton said of his talk with Saban. “During that conversation, he said he loves my film and my athleticism. He definitely wants me up there. His words are, ‘It’s never going to be an open spot for me, but there is definitely a lot of opportunity there for me at any position, especially at the tackle spot.’”

The possibility of playing for a Nick Saban-led program is piquing Seaton’s interest.

“Coach Saban is the coach, they say,” Seaton said. “Everybody wants to play for him. Having an interest from him… it would mean a lot to play for him. He’s been in this game for so long. Just the knowledge that he has, I feel like you cannot pass that opportunity up.”

Jordan Seaton during his April 22 visit to Alabama.

The coach keeping that line of communication strong with Seaton is position coach Eric Wolford, who continues to be held in high regard by the IMG Academy product.

“Coach Wolford is a good dude. Straightforward guy,” Seaton said. “He likes to keep it real, keep it basic. He’s a consistent coach and does everything by the book.”

Seaton has taken three trips to Tuscaloosa this year: Once in April, an official visit in June, and then a game day visit for the Texas contest on Sept. 9.

The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder had the following to say about his most recent visit.

“That visit was definitely an eye-opener,” Seaton said of the Alabama vs. Texas game. “Sometimes, you don’t always get to see the glamour of things; you get to see the good and the bad. I’ve seen that they can use help on both sides of the ball, but they’re definitely on the right path.”

Seaton discusses recruitment, decision timeline

This weekend, Seaton took his official visit to the University of Florida. That was the only visit he had set in stone when our conversation took place on Friday night.

He says that Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Tennessee are some of the schools he’s communicating with the most. Along with Bama and UF, Colorado and Tennessee have hosted Seaton on campus this fall as well.

A narrowed down top schools list is expected to be released sometime in the coming weeks.

“I’m looking to drop something by the end of October or early November. Have it chopped down to maybe five or six schools,” Seaton said.

A commitment on the first day of the Early Signing Period (Dec. 20) is currently tentative. Seaton did note, however, that if he feels the time is right, then he’s open to committing before that day.

Alabama target Jordan Seaton earns five-star status on On3

Last month, Seaton made a big jump in the Class of 2024 On300 rankings.

Seaton was one of five prospects to earn a fifth star, and he is now the No. 7 overall senior on our network.

“Just being a five-star and seeing the work is paying off is very good,” Seaton said. “I feel like my name is starting to buzz more and people are starting to realize the buzz is real. Sometimes hype can be perceived differently and sometimes hype goes away; this is not hype. This is the real deal.”

BamaOnLine got to see Seaton live up to his five-star status on Friday. You can read our first half analysis of his performance HERE.

Seaton cited his accountability and discipline in practice when asked about his development as a player.

“When we’re in practice and if I do something, I roll,” Seaton said. “Coach [Lee] Grimes and Coach Billy Miller hold me and David Stone to a higher standard because we’re leaders on both sides of the trenches. Just having that accountability from those coaches is very good for me and it holds me to the standard I hold myself to.”

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