Thinking back to the 2021 recruiting class, former Alabama All-American offensive tackle JC Latham was considered one of the more elite recruits in the entire class. The 247Sports Composite ranking had Latham rated as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle, and No. 1 player from the state of Wisconsin in the talented group. Only quarterback Quinn Ewers and defensive end Korey Foreman were rated ahead of the mountainous offensive tackle.
After a very good three-year career with the Crimson Tide, including All-American honors his final year, Latham entered the 2024 NFL Draft. He ended up going to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 7 overall selection, and was a first-year starter at right tackle for the team. Latham was just one of the latest examples of former Alabama players going from top recruits to high NFL draft selections.
As it turns out, Alabama actually wasn’t at the top of the list for Latham at first when he was coming out of IMG Academy. In fact, they were pretty late to the party. In an interview on Bussin with the Boys, Latham went in depth on several schools that were initially at the top of his list, and the conversation started with Michigan.
I’m not going to lie, I was real heavy on Michigan,” Latham told the Boys. “I was from a defensive standpoint. I loved Rashan Gary. I loved looking up to him, watching his tape. Them and Ohio State, it was like right hand and hand. Michigan, they offered me my freshman year. When I went to IMG, they followed me and kept up the communication.”
Funny enough, Latham’s final game ended up being against the Michigan Wolverines. He, of course, along with his team, lost that playoff game 27 to 20, which ended his Crimson Tide career. Latham also relived that defeat on the podcast.
“When I made the switch, that’s kind of when we started becoming a little distant,” explained Latham. “When we got the call that we were going to play them, I was like, ‘Damn, I was going to play Alabama or play with Alabama one way or another. I thought we were going to beat the hell out of Michigan home
Tennessee Titans offensive tackle JC Latham (55) looks on after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide All-American reveals that he nearly committed to the team who ended his college career on the biggest stage
Thinking back to the 2021 recruiting class, former Alabama All-American offensive tackle JC Latham was considered one of the more elite recruits in the entire class. The 247Sports Composite ranking had Latham rated as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle, and No. 1 player from the state of Wisconsin in the talented group. Only quarterback Quinn Ewers and defensive end Korey Foreman were rated ahead of the mountainous offensive tackle.
After a very good three-year career with the Crimson Tide, including All-American honors his final year, Latham entered the 2024 NFL Draft. He ended up going to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 7 overall selection, and was a first-year starter at right tackle for the team. Latham was just one of the latest examples of former Alabama players going from top recruits to high NFL draft selections.
As it turns out, Alabama actually wasn’t at the top of the list for Latham at first when he was coming out of IMG Academy. In fact, they were pretty late to the party. In an interview on Bussin with the Boys, Latham went in depth on several schools that were initially at the top of his list, and the conversation started with Michigan.
“I’m not going to lie, I was real heavy on Michigan,” Latham told the Boys. “I was from a defensive standpoint. I loved Rashan Gary. I loved looking up to him, watching his tape. Them and Ohio State, it was like right hand and hand. Michigan, they offered me my freshman year. When I went to IMG, they followed me and kept up the communication.”
Funny enough, Latham’s final game ended up being against the Michigan Wolverines. He, of course, along with his team, lost that playoff game 27 to 20, which ended his Crimson Tide career. Latham also relived that defeat on the podcast.
“When I made the switch, that’s kind of when we started becoming a little distant,” explained Latham. “When we got the call that we were going to play them, I was like, ‘Damn, I was going to play Alabama or play with Alabama one way or another. I thought we were going to beat the hell out of Michigan.’”
In the end, Michigan ended up getting the last laugh on Latham. That season was a magical one for the Wolverines, winning the national championship against the Washington Huskies. While the Boys joked about whether Latham had some regrets not picking Michigan, he didn’t admit to any second guessing.
Obviously things have gone very well for Latham, and he’s hoping for a huge second NFL season after shifting over to right tackle. The 6-6, 340-pound behemoth is extremely talented, and the Titans need him to take a second year leap. He’s certainly talented enough to become a stellar performer.
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