Mal Waldrep is an Alabama legacy. The No. 34 interior offensive lineman in the On3 Industry Ranking grew up watching Alabama, he dreamed about playing in Bryant-Denny Stadium and that dream will become reality. His father played for the Crimson Tide from 1998-2002 and the younger Waldrep will follow in his footsteps.
“It is like a dream come true,” Waldrep told On3 about his commitment. “This has been my dream since I was little. I have been a fan all my life, I have grown up going to games and I have been associated with Alabama since I was born. It is a great program, I get to play where my dad did and I feel I can succeed there. I have one of the best opportunities to fulfill a dream of mine at Alabama.”
Waldrep saw the coaching change, he took his time with the new staff and he kept the door open for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama. Their consistency paid off.
“It was chaotic since Alabama offered back in October. It was coach Nick Saban and coach Eric Wofford at the beginning. Then it went to coach DeBoer and Coach Scott Huff. I didn’t know a lot at first, then coach Huff left, so I sat back, I took my time and I am thankful I did.
“Things developed really well with coach Chris Kapilovic, things picked up with the staff and being around the players was great and things started picking up.
“It took some time for it to develop, but at the end of the day, Alabama is where I want to be. I have a really good feeling about the place and the new staff showed they really wanted me.”
Waldrep’s official visit to Alabama closed the deal
The three-star took an official visit to Clemson last weekend. Auburn was on his radar too. On the official visit over the weekend, Waldrep got that feeling about Alabama.
“This process has been a rollercoaster and I was close to committing to other places, but Alabama was always in the back of my mind,” Waldrep said. “On the official visit, I saw the guys are real and that is when I knew.
“I went into the official visit and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Then I got around the players, the coaching staff, the people at Alabama and I knew those were the guys I want to be around. It was always about where I felt the most comfortable at.
“I saw the people I was around on the official visit and they reminded me of myself. The decision is about business, but it is about being part of a family too. I knew on the visit that those people could be my family.”
Waldrep believes in the Alabama coaches
Coach Kapolivac was the lead recruiter for Waldrep. After coaching at Michigan State the last few years, he joined DeBoer’s staff in February. The new commit is excited about working with him in Tuscaloosa.
“Coach Kap has had a lot of success,” Waldrep said. “I know he will coach me hard and he takes nothing lightly, so he is my kind of guy. I like how he is very detailed and how he knows what he is doing. Back in the spring, I saw that in him when we met and had a meeting. We went over things, we talked about his career and he is a guy I want to be coached by.”
Who DeBoer is on and off the field appealed to Waldrep.
“Coach DeBoer is a winner and a great man. He has been very successful everywhere he has been and I love how he interacts with players and staff. Who he is was a game-changer for me. I like the type of person he is , how he is a family guy and he gave me that family feeling I was always looking for.”
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