Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee has started taking notice of fast-rising offensive tackle Stanton Ramil of Alabaster, Ala.
The Thompson standout is a three-star and boasts over 20 offers at current standing. Tennessee jumped in the mix in late February following his impressive showing at the Under Armour Camp.
“The talks with Tennessee are going really well. I’m actually about to go on a visit there and I’m looking forward to it,” the prospect told Volquest. “I’ve been in contact with coach Elarbee a lot. It’s going great and I’m building relationships with all of the coaches.”
Ramil has never been to Knoxville, but that will soon change tomorrow as the 2023 prospect is planning to be in town. At 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, there’s a lot to like about the long offensive tackle and how he could fit into the Volunteer scheme.
“The one thing that they really like is my ability to move, being this big,” Ramil said. “That’s been big in my recruitment. They like my grit and how much I get after it.
“I like the idea of going fast, too. That’s the type of player I am. We run a lot of it [pace] here at Thompson, so I’m used to it. That fastball pounding type of offense is something I’m about.”
The three-star has been busy this spring, having already checked in at Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. He stopped by Virginia, Pittsburgh and Duke recently. He'll be at Tennessee tomorrow and North Carolina potentially this weekend as well.
Springtime will be a crucial period for the offensive lineman as he continues to gain the necessary information about each program who could be in the final running. But don’t expect a decision any time soon.
“I am thinking about doing some official visits over the summer, but I don’t think I’ll be near a decision until sometime in the season,” the prospect said. “I really want to look into how these programs do during the season – to see where they are at and to see if what they are saying is really happening. You can see a lot during season.”
Ramil is relatively new to the South. Growing up about an hour south of Syracuse, he and his family moved to Alabama this past summer. As a junior in 2021, the All-State offensive lineman won a 7-A state championship with Thompson.
“It was really crazy. I got down here and I started practicing against some of the best defensive ends in the nation. It was insane,” the prospect reflected. “I got to see how I was compared to them, and I kept getting better and better each week throughout the season.”
The move from Binghamton, N.Y. to the state of Alabama was nothing short of a football business decision for the future Power 5 athlete.
“Coming from up north, it’s [recruiting] really different. I remember being up there and thinking how lucky I’d be to see Syracuse have interest,” Ramil explained. “We have family here and recruiting is really difficult in New York. Once COVID hit, football almost shutdown. My dad just wanted to give me the best opportunity.”
The area isn’t new, however, for the Ramil family. Stanton’s aunt lives in Birmingham, his dad played for the Crimson Tide in the late 1980s and both of his sisters are currently playing basketball at Samford. Alabama has shown interest in the prospect but hasn’t offered to date.
Ranking as the 23rd overall prospect in the state and the 35th offensive tackle in the 2023 class, Ramil is excited about his stop at Tennessee’s tomorrow.
“Football wise, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the relationships are with the players,” the tackle said. “I want to see how the coaches are coaching. I want to see if it’s like a family atmosphere and if they are pushing themselves to be a top-tier SEC team.”
And the coaching staff is making a good first impression.
“I think he’s a great coach and a great guy. I’ve enjoyed talking to him,” Ramil said of Josh Heupel. “And from my conversations with coach Elarbee, he’s really a family guy. The first time I talked to him, he said he was getting out of church with his offensive linemen. That’s a huge thing for me.”
Ramil owns a Rivals rating of 5.7.
