Believe the Dylan Moses hype

Dylan Moses has been a prized recruit since he was in eighth grade, and recently enrolled at Alabama. When it comes to the hype, believe it.

His journey started at a very young age.

At only nine years old, Dylan Moses would be up at the track three days a week with his father. The workout consisted of pushups, situps, jumping rope and running one mile, all of this before heading off to school. As a youngster in Alexandria, Louisiana, Moses was put on a path to stardom, one that would see him gain national attention by the time he was in middle school.

While most eighth graders are battling through puberty, or trying to navigate using a school locker for the first time, Moses was out there running a 4.4 40-yard dash. The incredible feat would grab the attention of a certain university in the state of Louisiana, one with a rich football history. By the time the LSU Tigers offered Moses a scholarship, he was all over ESPN, though his journey certainly would not end with him wearing the purple and yellow.

LSU would not be the only school to notice. Of the three big schools to offer the middle-schooler a scholarship, one was Alabama, the biggest power in college football. Head coach Nick Saban has turned the Crimson Tide into a football factory, and while his stature with the school is legendary, the future of LSU head coach Les Miles was not set in stone. By the time Moses made his decision on which school to attend, Miles was on his way out in LSU, while Saban was battling for another national title.

As Moses began to grow in stature, his family made the decision to enroll him at the prestigious IMG Academy, which is known for churning out incredible athletes. During his time at IMG, Moses would develop into the best high school player in the country, finishing up his high school career by being named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. During the summer before his senior year, Moses was still planning on going to LSU, but that all changed in a heartbeat the first time he met Saban.

During a visit to Tuscaloosa, Moses saw the kind of impact Saban has on his players. While the players were all laughing and having a good time one minute, the second the door swung open and Saban walked in, you could hear a pin drop. It was at that moment, according to Moses’ article in the The Players’ Tribune, that he knew he would be committing to Alabama. While LSU lost their prized recruit, the Crimson Tide would be gaining another one of the best players the country had to offer.

It sounds funny, doesn’t it. A middle school child being verbally offered to play football by some of the best programs in the country. But is it too young? Head coaches at these programs run a multi-million dollar operation, where the future of the program hinges on the talents of teenagers or players in their early 20s. For a child to be recruited before they even step foot in high school is crazy, for ESPN to make it a national story is even crazier. But for as crazy it is for someone on the outside looking in, imagine being 14 years old and having to deal with that kind of pressure.

For Moses, everything worked out. The incredible talent he showed as a middle-schooler turned into him being the best high school player in the country. Earlier this month, Moses was a January enrollee at Alabama, and is already beginning to forge his place in Crimson Tide history. For a kid who has had to deal with much pressure from such an early age, choosing Alabama had to be a no-brainer. Moses will now get to play for arguably the best college football coach in history, and one who is never going to let Moses’ head get too big.

At Alabama, Moses is going to be afforded every opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL. Saban is a master at turning high school kids into grown men, ready to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Moses is a special kid, one who has had incredible expectations ever since he was working out three times a day with his Dad in Louisiana as a nine-year old. It is one of those rare situations where a young prodigy finds the right fit, though only time will tell whether the combination of Saban and Moses can bring Alabama another title.

There will be hype surrounding Moses, as there has been his entire life, and he has the physical ability to make good on that hype. Moses projects to be an All-American during his time in college, and he has the size and speed to be an incredible pro when the time comes. But let the time come. Luckily for Moses, his head coach has led some of the best high school talent in the country during his time at Alabama. While Moses most certainly is not just your ordinary five-star recruit, he will be treated as such with the Crimson Tide.

Whether or not Moses goes on to win national titles for the Crimson Tide is irrelevant. Recruiting players in middle school should not be allowed, and we have seen some big names come out against the process. LeBron James has already let colleges know they cannot recruit his son until he is high school, and those who try will be eliminated from the opportunity to get him to sign with their school. Give the kids time to be kids, as they have their entire life to try to prove to the world they are the best football player in the country.

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Unfortunately, this is the way recruiting will go from now on. Getting the best players in the country is what fills seats, as well as the pockets of the coaches on the sidelines.