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142 days after earning its last 2018 commitment, Alabama added a huge piece to its class on Thursday as four-star linebacker Quay Walker committed to the Crimson Tide, the Cordele (Ga.) Crisp County product announced via SEC Country.

Earlier this spring Walker told BamaOnLine the Tide was his leader over Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and LSU, setting the foundation for a potential commitment in the weeks to come.

“What stands out with Alabama is the coaches,” Walker said. “Talking with Nick Saban, out of the all the schools in my top five, Nick Saban is who I talk on the phone with most. Me and him just connect on a lot of things. With Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt and Coach (Derrick) Ansley, too, they just stand out. When I first went there, I went with Markaviest (Bryant), but I never thought I’d be a big target for Alabama, but they’re one of my favorite schools.”

Defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley recruits the four-star Peach Stater, who can play both inside and outside linebacker.

Walker had been waiting to announce a commitment until mid-season, but didn’t rule out the possibility of it coming earlier.

Walker is the third commitment in the class joining Xavier Williams and Jordan Davis, which boosts the Tide to No. 57 in the country, one spot ahead of Georgia, per the 247Sports Team Rankings.

The Crisp County product is rated the No. 11 outside linebacker and the No. 162 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

The Tide held 50 percent of the Crystal Ball selections at the time of Walker’s commitment.

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