National Signing Day 2021: Four-star CB Earl Little Jr. commits to Alabama over Florida State and Miami

Alabama picked up another big-time commitment on Wednesday during the first day of the early signing period as four-star cornerback Earl Little Jr. chose the Crimson Tide over Florida State and Miami. Little is ranked the No. 73 overall player in the class by 247Sports and considered the No. 12 cornerback. His father played at Miami and went on to play in the NFL for the Saints, Browns and Packers.

Little Jr., however, will be forging his own path by suiting up for Alabama following a standout high school career at American Heritage in Four Lauderdale, Florida. Little also ran track in high school and was contributing on the varsity football team as a freshman.

At just 175 pounds, Little is slender. But as he fills out within Alabama's strength program, the expectation is that he could develop into an early-round NFL Draft pick. 247Sports southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins compared Little to former LSU star and current Chiefs corner Tyrann Mathieu. Here is the evaluation of Little's game from Ivins:

Owns a sleek, athletic build. Adequate length. A loose athlete with elite foot quickness that excels as an inside corner given competitive nature and ability to change directions. Instinctive man coverage defender that is quick to read and react. Likes to bait quarterbacks into making bad decisions. Springs out of his breaks as he aggressively challenges routes. Fights for the ball in the air. Eliminates throwing windows. Tough run defender that is more than capable of getting home on a blitz. Must, however, keep getting stronger in hopes of not getting overpowered at the next level. Earned a starting job as a sophomore at one of the top high school programs in the Sunshine State. Missed some time as a junior due to injury, but still helped his team capture a state title. Comes from an uber-athletic family as dad played in the NFL while mom played college soccer. Was labeled by one college recruiter as a future pro when he was just a freshman. Figures to develop into a multi-year starter at the Power 5 level. Advanced coverage skills could get him on the field early on in career, potentially in the nickel. Also versatile enough to line up at safety, if needed. Should eventually play on Sundays.

Read the full article here.