Tide gets commitment from Georgia lineman

Darius McKeller, an offensive tackle from Jonesboro, Ga., committed Wednesday morning to the University of Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound prospect visited Tuscaloosa the week preceeding the A-Day Game.

“The visit to Alabama went real good,” McKeller said. “I talked to Coach [Nick] Saban, Coach [Kirby] Smart and Coach [Joe] Pendry. They told me how I would fit in their system. They want to help make me a better person. They said they would help me get better on every play.

“That was my fourth visit down there. They have a lot of fancy stuff. They have a lot of tradition. They have won more national championships than any other team, and I know with Coach Saban they are going to win more.

“I really like Alabama a lot. I like the fact my family can come to all the games. I have also been an Alabama fan since I was little. My mom fell in love with it.”

McKeller and his family returned to Tuscaloosa for the A-Day Game.

“The game was great,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. They had around 80,000 fans at the game. They had a picnic afterwards. We took advantage of all the food.

“During the game I was really watching [tackle] Andre Smith. He really impressed me. He is a beast. He is a lot bigger than I thought he was. He is a great player.”

McKeller is the son of Keith McKeller, who played 12 years for Marv Levy with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League.