Shortly after Alabama beat Michigan at the Citrus Bowl in early January, Crimson Tide assistant coach Karl Scott sent a text message that was sent not only to Tommy and James Brockermeyer, but also to their parents.
11-2 is a disappointing season here. This is not the standard.
It left an impression.
“That text really stood out to us,” said Brockermeyers father Blake. “He really played a chord.”
Now, that combination of Tommy and James Brockermeyer will try to help Alabama avoid having to play in future Citrus Bowls.
The Brockermeyers, two of the top-ranked offensive linemen in the recruiting class of 2021, made official on Friday what they reported to the Crimson Tide coaching staff earlier in the week.
They’re going to play college football in Alabama.
It’s a significant, high-profile recruiting victory for Scott and his fellow Tide assistant Kyle Flood, who helped Alabama beat schools like Texas despite the fact that the Brockermeyers are Fort Worth natives who have strong family ties to the University of Texas and its soccer program.
In addition to their father, grandfather, and older brother playing soccer for the Longhorns, the twins have also had several other family members attend school in Texas, including their mother.
However, the brothers are now heading to Tuscaloosa.
“I’ve always held Coach Saban in high regard,” said Blake Brockermeyer, who was an American offensive tackle in Texas, an NFL first-round pick and a nine-year NFL veteran. “I love mastery. I love the teams that year after year can do it. The Patriots and Alabama seem to do it every year. There is a formula and a recipe for that and it all starts with Coach Saban. …
“To constantly win and win great national championships is obviously very attractive. It is that and then the development they have with their offensive linemen. All of Coach Saban’s offensive tackles have been a first-round pick, except one (Cam Robinson) who slipped to the second round. Not only that. The strength and conditioning coaches they hired are great fans of us. There’s really nothing you don’t like about Alabama. “
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At Tommy Brockermeyer, Alabama is getting a 6-foot-6-inch, 285-pound five-star left tackle prospect who ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle and fifth-best overall player in the 2021 recruiting class by ranking 247Sports. Composite.
“Tommy is long and very explosive and very athletic,” said Blake Brockermeyer, who was inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor in 2015. “He is probably the weirdest, most flexible flexible guy I’ve ever seen. His body can contort. and twist and turn in areas that you see a lot of great linemen who can’t squat, like squatting with body weight, you can literally rest with your butt touching the ground. He’s a really good athlete and he has advanced techniques for his age. He should get stronger and keep improving, but he has a very good advantage and has excellent feet. “
At James Brockermeyer, The Tide is gaining a 6-foot-3-inch, 275-pound four-star player who is rated the best center and 188th overall prospect in the 2021 class within those 247 composite rankings.
“James is like the center you map out as your prototype center,” said Blake Brockermeyer. “He is very intelligent. He has a 4.0. He is very aggressive and a psychopath in the field. His techniques are also advanced. He understands that leverage is slightly smaller than many of the linemen who are being recruited now. They both have a high football IQ, but I think James’ is exceptional. “
Collectively, the Brockermeyers add to what is shaping up to be a kind of elite offensive line for Alabama.
The Tide now has commitments from two five-star tackles (Tommy Brockermeyer and JC Latham), the nation’s top center (James Brockermeyer) and is in a position to possibly add a commitment from the nation’s No. 2 offensive guard on Sunday ( Terrence Ferguson)
It is a group that can help Alabama avoid more of those disappointing seasons of two defeats.
“There is so much work that you do as a player that you want to win,” said Blake Brockermeyer. “At the end of the day, if you’re not winning and they kick your butt every day and you break your butt, it’s not much fun. We know it ourselves, but a lot of the people we talked to were a great point on their part. They said, ‘Listen man, you’re going to be doing this all day every day. You have to go somewhere where you can win or it’s not fun. ” And when you think of Alabama, you think of excellence and greatness. The expectation there is national championship or bust. We are excited about that. “
Matt Zenitz is a senior soccer reporter for the SEC for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.
