In-State, Gordo Standout 2022 QB Tanner Bailey Lands Offer From Alabama
Gordo High School's Tanner Bailey got the call he has been waiting his whole life for on Monday afternoon.
University of Alabama coach Nick Saban phoned the 2022 signal caller to extend a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide, joining the likes of Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Mississippi State, among others to offer the in-state standout.
"It is awesome," Bailey told BamaCentral. "I am honestly just ecstatic. When Coach Saban told me I had an offer, it was kind of a blur after that for the rest of the call. This one is really special since it is so close to home. It is a really big one for me."
In two seasons as a starter with the Green Wave, Bailey has thrown for a total of 3,847 yards and 39 touchdowns. BamaCentral spoke with him earlier this year ahead of his February visit to the Capstone which one can read here.
Being a quarterback is in Bailey's DNA. His father, Lance, was quarterback at Auburn in the 1980's, his grandfather, Ken, played under Paul W. 'Bear' Bryant as a member of his first signing class in Tuscaloosa.
Bailey has weekly contact with Crimson Tide assistant Steve Sarkisian and offensive analyst Aj Milwee, but the fact that the offer came from the head man himself, blew him away.
"I think since it came from Coach Saban, it shows that I am a priority for them," Bailey said. "I have had other graduate assistants or other coaches tell me I have an offer, which is special, but to hear it from, arguably, the greatest coach in college football history is extremely special."
The 6-foot-1, 195 pound prospect details what Saban sees in his game:
"One of the main things was that he likes is how I manage games," Bailey said. "My motion, my mechanics, my delivery, and my quick release. He pointed out to me that he really admired how I handled the game at a young age as a freshman and then a sophomore last year."
Bailey notes that the offer from the Crimson Tide is a milestone for him in his recruitment.
"I can not get complacent now that I have an offer from Alabama," Bailey said. "It actually motivates me even more. It is good to know that you have worked for something so hard all your life and I have that opportunity to play for them now."
Had the COVID-19 outbreak not shut down in-person recruiting, Bailey would have taken the short 30 minute drive to Tuscaloosa from his home, multiple times this summer to visit campus for different camps.
Along with being a star on the gridiron, Bailey excels on the diamond as well. A few SEC programs have expressed interest in him playing both sports, but as of now, the Crimson Tide has not.
Alabama has now positioned itself among Bailey's top choices but he is in no rush to make a decision. He hopes to travel on unofficial visits as much as possible this fall, and after the end of his junior season, begin to narrow down his selections.
"I just want to take it one day at a time," Bailey said. "Step by step. I do not have any favorites at the moment, but of course Alabama will be up there. My recruiting process will be business decision driven. I will know when the time is right for me to decide what school I want to go to."
