Alabama Back in the Mix for 2023 WR Brandon Inniss and QB Malachi Nelson
On Sunday afternoon, news broke that current Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley will be taking the job at the University of Southern California. In the wake of this news, multiple high-profile targets in the class of 2023 reopened their options.
Brandon Inniss, a 2023 wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., made the choice to reopen his recruitment to all schools after being committed to the Sooners since August 22.
When Inniss made his decision, he faked out the Alabama faithful by picking up the Crimson Tide hat, but then setting it down and putting on the hat with the OU logo.
So, Alabama was definitely a close second to Oklahoma in Inniss's initial recruitment. His top five consisted of Alabama, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, but he is open to all schools now after the decommitment.
Inniss is a pure athlete, and he proved that this season by playing quarterback for a large chunk of his junior year. However, his future is definitely at the receiver position.
Inniss is an all-around receiver, as he can beat defenders with his speed, leaping ability, or whatever the play requires. He turns short throws into first downs with vision and quickness, and he is a home run threat whenever he is on the field.
Holmon Wiggins, Alabama's wide receiver's coach, will definitely be in contact with Inniss once again now that his options are reopened.
Along with Inniss, 2023 quarterback Malachi Nelson chose to decommit from Oklahoma due to Riley's departure.
"I'm not opening up my recruitment, I just want to see how everything transpires," Nelson wrote in his social media announcement. He had been set on the Sooners since July.
Nelson is a California native, and he plays at Los Alamitos High. Nelson had an incredible junior season, tossing 39 passing touchdowns in his team's 9-2 finish. He also was able to scamper in for two scores throughout the year.
Nelson's throwing motion is a natural one, and he's good at anticipating throws. He has the mobility to keep plays alive, and he has arm strength to throw on the run. Nelson's size is an upside, as he stands at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds.
Prior to his Oklahoma commitment, Nelson released his top seven schools.
@MalachiNelson9 on Twitter
Obviously, Nelson has his pick of college football's premiere programs. USC was already heavily on his radar, and now that Riley is headed there, the Trojans are definitely a candidate to land the premiere QB.
Alabama will be an option for Nelson, though, as the Crimson Tide looks to start building a 2023 recruiting class. Plus, Alabama is no stranger to landing high-profile quarterbacks from the west coast in recent years.
