Late Thursday evening, Markail Benton was asked about his college future. He went to bed genuinely uncertain.
Friday morning, the Phenix City, Alabama, 4-star linebacker woke up with his mind a little clearer and his psyche much more relaxed.
After weighing options—and reweighing options on multiple occasions—Benton announced his verbal commitment to Alabama early Friday afternoon in front of family, friends, teammates, mentors and colleagues at Central High School.
The commitment was another big one for the Crimson Tide, as Benton chose Alabama over offers from Auburn and Florida State. He is the 12th pledge in Alabama's 2017 class—which is ranked No.