Alabama football threw its hat in the ring for highly-touted 2023 offensive lineman, Payton Kirkland Wednesday.
God works in mysterious ways…
I am blessed to announce that I have received an offer from The University of Alabama #RollTide @HolmonWiggins pic.twitter.com/ZAU14diV4K
— Payton ”PKAY“ Kirkland🐣 (@paytonkirk55) January 19, 2022
Kirkland is rated as a four-star recruit on most recruiting sites, and he holds more than 50 D1 offers. His offer list continues to grow despite him having a top seven.
The Orlando, Florida product posted offers from Alabama, Purdue, Missouri and Florida on Wednesday morning. The Crimson Tide’s offer post came after Alabama’s wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins stopped by Dr. Phillips High School.
“Coach Wiggins came by my school, and we talked about it,” Kirkland said. “He said he was excited to have me as an option, I am excited to have them as an option as well. He told me the moment Nick Saban laid eyes on me, Saban told him that is how we want them to look.”
Alabama hosted Kirkland for an unofficial visit in November, but they did not offer him. It still was a great visit, according to Kirkland.
“It was beautiful, to be honest,” Kirkland told Touchdown Alabama in November. “I really enjoyed myself there. Their program is second to none, and I can see myself being a part of it. The coaches and the support staff treated me well. I got an opportunity to meet with coach Saban a couple of hours before the game. We talked a lot about leadership. He feels I am a great player, and he wants to continue to build a relationship with me.”
Now that Alabama has officially offered, Kirkland said it ‘means a lot’ to him to have an opportunity to play football at the University of Alabama.
“I feel I have earned their respect, and I have worked hard for it,” said Kirkland. “It is always great to have another option on the table. I will definitely take them into consideration. It means a lot. I know they recognized me as one of the top guys in my class. I feel I will fit in no matter where I go, but it would be amazing to work under a coach like coach Marrone.”
Kirkland is listed at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds on Dr. Phillips’ official roster. He started at left tackle during his junior season and is projected to play the same position at the next level.
Watch Payton Kirkland Highlights Below:
Kirkland has Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson and Penn State listed in his top seven. He is interested in visiting Alabama again but has not scheduled a visit yet.
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
