The battle on the scoreboard took a seismic shift at the portal with the off-season approaching. Players started juggling between schools to judge their best choice for the upcoming one or two years and making zero compromises there. One of the high-octane offensive tackles in the mix would be Immanuel Iheanacho, who will suit up as a promising 2026 aspect of whatever team he chooses to bet a dime.

The lure has been high since he racked up a total of whooping 31 offers on his table so far. With Georgia and Oregon seemingly running the course, let’s take a look at how Alabama is doing.

Can Alabama get an edge over Immanuel Iheanacho?

Coming to Alabama, they have made some significant splash in the recruitment growth but failed to capitalize as it should be. Kalen DeBoer reportedly went low on the new talents and held the card on the existing roster very proudly. Well, he has Keelon Russell, Darrel Johnson, and a few big names as the newbies, but it seems petty in regard to how many they have lost both in Portal and the NFL draft. They have some promising QBs who can take the weight of Milroe’s absence on their shoulder, but to protect and preserve them, DeBoer needs to be more audacious on the O-line embellishment. Iheanacho, the overall No. 2 prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle, can surely be a quality addition. Wrench in the Works: Only if Iheanacho finds the Tide locker room as his ideal home. But the idea is not crazy at all.

”This is kind of the jab slow dance phase of the wooing. So I think Alabama is going to go in there. One thing I have liked about Alabama is they know when to fight and when not to fight. You know when they are just not going to be a factor, so I think they are in that filling out stage because these guys (Immanuel Iheanacho, Zion Elely), I mean, unique, could easily be number one and two in the country definitely probably in consideration for number one at each of their positions.” Josh Newberg said.

The highly touted OT paid a visit to the Bama camp back in March and was quite impressed with the trajectory of their talent handling, leading a slew of players to the lofty NFL draft. Iheanacho also liked Bama’s technological advancement and its locker room culture.

”I think the Alabama staff going to meet them and meet the head coach, you know, the next step is trying to get them on campus for an official visit in the summer,’‘ the On3 analyst added, divulging the brick-by-brick script for DeBoer to follow. But it is going to be a tricky job no matter what. The top power four programs, including Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, and Oregon, are already butting heads for an edge. But seemingly, it’s weight heavy on Dan planning and the Ducks.

Oregon Ducks already sit at the top of Iheanacho’s shortlisted schools 

Just three seasons down and Dan Lanning has already started to showcase his ability to generate some serious NFL talents. They escaped a title merch narrowly after reaching the playoff undefeated. But Daning has been high on his recruiting efforts not to let their shot slip out of hand in the coming year. They have Ante Moore, and Austin Novosan on the QB. Bringing Iheanacho on the tackle can only strengthen their rank.

They are all on their way to get Iheanacho on board. Thanks to his relationship with Oregon’s coaching staff, particularly offensive line coach A’lique Terry. “I like Coach Terry, Coach Lanning, really young coach, they’ve been winning games and have products, Penei Sewell, and they’ve got some other guys coming up in this draft,” he said. The kid is already drawing comparisons with the NFL biggies. If he lands under Lanning, there is a good chance of coming out as a first or second-round pick in the next couple of years.

On Early National Signing Day, Oregon touched a milestone by swooping in the most 5-star recruits in a single class and achieved the highest “rating per commit” of any program in the nation. It’s not for nothing. They have that spaz to attract the future A-listers even without trying and it’s beyond money. “I just love the whole dynamic, the whole campus at Oregon, the practice fields, how the weight room is set up. I love the strength and conditioning coach down there. It was straight love when I got down there. The gear is amazing. That’s not the most important part, but the gear is amazing,” Iheanacho explained the X factor of the school’s primary appeal to him.

He is up for a visit from the Ducks very soon. If everything goes right, better luck next time, Kalen DeBoer!