Turns out, quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa wasn't the only the only prospect who made his commitment at A-Day.

DJ Dale, the 320-pound Clay-Chalkville defensive lineman, publicly committed to Alabama earlier this week but said he made his decision when he visited Tuscaloosa for A-Day last month.

"When I went there, I had no plans to commit," he said. "but I just felt like then and there it was time and that was the school for me.

"The atmosphere, I enjoyed it. I just had a great time. I expected to enjoy myself," he added. "but I felt like that was it. After the game, I was talking to my mom and uncle and felt like that was the time to do it."

Dale picked Alabama over Auburn among the finalists. The others are Florida State, Clemson and Tennessee.

Dale became Alabama's 12th commitment in the Class of 2019. A four-star prospect, Dale is also the sixth in-state player to commit to the Crimson Tide.

Dale made 38 tackles, including 14 for a loss, last season and was named Class 6A first-team All-State. Dale also showed off his athleticism by catching a touchdown pass against eventual state champion Pinson Valley in semifinals.

Dale spoke to AL.com on Tuesday to talk about his commitment. Here's excerpts from the conversation:

Q: Why Alabama and why was this the time to make commitment?

"For one, I just felt comfortable. I feel like I'll be well taken care of. Not to say the other schools wouldn't take of me, but I just felt at home.

"The reason I committed now is it gets stressful at times, and I didn't want to go into my senior season and going to visit this school this weekend and the next school the next weekend. I just kind of wanted to relax."

Q: You said you felt comfortable at Alabama. Were there specific things that made you feel that way, and if so, what were they?

"Mostly just the relationships I've built with the coaches. Coach Key, I talk to him about every day. It was just the relationships."

Q: You've been an inside defensive lineman for most of your high school career. Do you expect fill a similar role at Alabama?

"For the most part, I'll be an interior defensive line, so like the nose, the 1 technique, the 3 technique, the 2 technique, stuff like that. I don't think I'll play much defensive end."

Q: At Clay-Chalkville, you guys are mostly using a four-man front, and Alabama's base defense is a 3-man front. Do you worry at all about the transition?

"No, sir, because we run different schemes. In high school right now, I play over the center, and we switch our fronts. It won't be much of a big transition."

Q: Are there players at Alabama or guys who just finished that you developed a relationship in recruiting and what kind of influence, if any, did it make?

"Quinnen Williams, the defensive lineman. He just told me (to go) where I felt most comfortable. He told me, 'When you know, you'll feel it.' "

Q: There a number of in-state guys in this class now. What do you think about that?

"It's good to get a lot of the local guys and in-state come join the program."

Q: You did catch that TD pass in the playoffs last year. What was that like for a guy known for a lineman?

"I was excited. I wasn't nervous. I've been wanting that play since I've been in high school. When I got the signal, I looked at Willie (Miller) and he was like, 'Get ready.' I was smiling before the play. I was excited. I was waiting on that play."

Q: Do you think others were surprised to see how quickly you got into the end zone?

"Yeah, they probably weren't expecting it. Most of the time when we got in that formation, I was blocking, so I think that caught them off guard. Yeah, when I caught it, my eyes got big and just had to get in the end zone."

Q: Since then, have you lobbying the coaches to get you the ball more?

"Yes, sir. I was talking to our offensive coordinator a coupel of days ago, and he said he's going to get me in there (on offense) next week. I'm excited about that."

Q: Looking ahead to your 2018 season, how to you feel about and what kind of expectations to you have for yourself and your team?

"I'm excited. I feel we're going to do some good things. We're going to have a good team this year."

Josh Bean covers high school sports for AL.com. He can be reached at jbean@al.com.