It's not often that schools offer a scholarship to a kid who hasn't even hit his growth spurt, but Alabama did just that Wednesday when it made an offer to eighth-grade linebacker Jesus Machado of Hialeah Champagnat Catholic School (Fla.).
Machado, a 6-0, 195-pound prospect, has also received verbal offers from Iowa State, Michigan State, N.C. State and West Virginia, his high school coach, Dennis Marroquin, told ESPN.
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Machado is not the first eighth-grader to receive a scholarship offer recently. Miami (Fla.) coach Mark Richt extended quarterback Harrison Bailey an offer to play for the Hurricanes in February, and LSU offered QB Zadock Dinkelmann in 2014.