Alabama offers a scholarship to an eighth grader

The Alabama Crimson Tide took an unorthodox method to recruiting by offering a scholarship to an eighth-grade linebacking prospect.

Move over, Jim Harbaugh. You may be setting up satellite camps all over the country and climbing trees for kickers, but you’re not offering scholarships to someone that’s not even old enough to play at the high school level. No, that distinction belongs to Nick Saban and Alabama, as ESPN is reporting that they have made an offer to linebacker Jesus Machado. Because the Crimson Tide start them young, apparently.

It’s not his size that makes him unique, he’s only 6-feet and 195 pounds, but his upside. That may not be impressive for a linebacker, but clearly he’s got talent, since Alabama aren’t the only school that’s reached out to him. According to Machado’s coach, he’s also been approached by Michigan State, Iowa State, NC State, and West Virginia.

Perhaps Alabama are taking a page out of LSU’s book, when they gave Dylan Moses a scholarship offer as an eighth-grader. While he accepted the offer, he has since backed off the pledge, meaning Alabama could still land him yet.

However, Nick Saban is more persuasive than Les Miles, and there’s a good chance that Machado might accept that offer and stay. After all, it’s better to know your future ahead of time. And as long as he gets to play alongside one of the most successful coaches in college football history, he has a better shot at winning the National Championship than the aforementioned schools.

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