Could Alabama Land 2021 Four-Star ATH Sage Ryan Right Out of LSU's Backyard?
The University of Alabama football program has had a knack for landing some of the best players in Louisiana and convincing them to play in Tuscaloosa under Nick Saban.
Landon Collins, Cam Robinson, Tim Williams, DeVonta Smith, and Ishmael Sopsher were all rated by the 247Sports Composite Rankings inside the top three in their respective classes inside the Pelican State.
That does not include players like Eddie Lacy, Bradley Sylve, Denzel Devall, Hootie Jones, Syheim Carter, Irv Smith Jr., and Cam Sims who all left their mark on the program in some form or fashion.
The 39th ranked overall player in the 2021 cycle and No. 2 player in Louisiana is four-star athlete Sage Ryan who recently announced his final 10 schools that included the Crimson Tide, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, TCU, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Ole Miss.
Ryan is one of the more versatile players in the nation that can line up anywhere on the field — safety, cornerback, wide receiver, a return man, or even running back. But his bread and butter and where schools want him is in the defensive backfield.
He has often been linked to the reigning national champion Bayou Bengals because of his family connections. Ryan's cousin is Kevin Faulk, former LSU tailback and current assistant for Ed Orgeron, and his uncle is Trev Faulk, former Tigers linebacker.
Growing up an LSU fan, Ryan says it is pretty easy to throw aside any bias he has had during the recruiting process.
"At the end of the day, it comes down to my decision," Ryan said. "Wherever I choose to go, it does not matter about the connections. It is about where I can be successful at."
The two aforementioned Faulks have given Ryan sound advice through it all.
"Just to choose which school makes me happy," Ryan said. "I am going to be there for 3-4 years. They do not want me to base it off of trying to continue the legacy and all of the political stuff. Just to pick wherever I feel home at."
Due to the in-person recruiting dead period, Ryan had visits to LSU, Clemson, and Florida State planned but those will have to be rescheduled.
LSU is doing whatever it can to keep the elite talent at home, Ryan notes that the Crimson Tide, TCU, Georgia, Clemson, and Tennessee are among the schools going at him the hardest currently.
After earning a scholarship offer back in January, he was in attendance for Alabama's second Junior Day event of the year back on March 7. The 5-foot-11, 195 pound prospect looks back at his trip to Tuscaloosa.
"I liked it," Ryan said. "They introduced us to the new strength and conditioning coaches and then they had a cooking class. I really like how everything was set up over there."
His main takeaway from meeting David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea was the new technology the duo is bringing to the Capstone.
"They have these cameras they put on the bars in the weight room that measure speed," Ryan said. "So it is not about how much weight you have on there but how fast you are moving the bar which translates to the field."
Ryan says it is hard to determine a group of leaders inside his top 10 because each school brings something new to the table that stands out among the rest.
In regards to Alabama, Ryan says he likes the structure of the program most of all.
"Everything is so organized," Ryan said. "It is not just about football. They set you up for life after football. Even if you do not make it to the NFL,you are still going to be successful. The way they care about players. It is not all about winning championships which they do, but the players are the main priority."
His primary recruiter is Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Pete Golding. He also checks in with the head man himself — Saban.
"It is a good relationship with Coach Golding," Ryan said. "We are just trying to get to know each other better. He is a very cool dude. Me and Coach Saban talk sometimes, too. He checks in on me and my family and see how we are doing. He makes sure I am still able to work out right now and how my online classes are going."
As far as a commitment goes, Ryan says that a decision could come any day but it is more likely it happens between the summer and the start of his senior season with Lafayette Christian Academy after he gets in those rescheduled visits.
