2028 Alabama DL target flies up the board with huge rankings update after Tide offer

The 2027 recruiting cycle is far from over. Classes are still in the early stages of construction as we head into the official visit season. However, coaches, general managers, and their staff already have to have one eye on 2028. The same goes for the recruiting services. 

So, on Monday, Rivals released a major rankings update for the 2028 class. With offers being extended, visits being set, and camps upcoming this summer, the recruiting industry is getting more insight into how the top programs view 2028 recruits, which helps inform their rankings. 

That’s not to say that Prince Che received a “bama bump” when he shot up from 172 to 31 in the update just a few days after receiving an offer from Kalen DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and the Crimson Tide, but their interest may have played a role. 

Prince Che makes massive jump as one of the biggest risers in Rivals Rankings update

Alabama offered Prince Che on May 7. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound interior defensive lineman from Thomasville, Georgia, is receiving attention from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. With that offer, it seems as though the Tide are looking to get involved in the increasingly crowded proceedings. Oregon offered him on Monday, and the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers extended an offer at the beginning of the month. 

Che is still a four-star, but ranks as the 14th overall player by 247Sports, and now Rivals is catching up to his massive rise. That indicates it likely wasn’t a “bama bump” for Che, a theorized phenomenon in the recruiting industry where a player receives an offer from or commits to a big-time program, such as Alabama under Nick Saban, and suddenly shoots up the rankings. Some of that may have been rooted in bias, but much of it was deference to obviously superior evaluators, like Saban himself. 

This doesn’t appear to have much to do with Alabama’s offer, if the Tide even hold that type of weight with the recruiting services at this point. Not the most nuanced pass-rusher, Che uses his explosiveness and strong hands to penetrate the backfield, and his massive frame helps him to eat up blockers in the run game. He’s going to be a useful player along the defensive line, and if he can continue to add strength and refine his pass-rush player, he could be a game-changing type of player. 

How he would potentially fit into Alabama’s roster or a 2028 class is somewhat irrelevant at this point in the process. The roster will change dramatically by the time a commitment comes around for a highly-touted prospect like this. Still, any big-time addition in the trenches is valuable to any roster, so Che will likely remain a priority for many programs as he sorts through the process and favorites emerge. 

If Alabama emerges remains to be seen, but in speaking with Alabama Crimson Tide On SI about the Tide’s offer, Che said, “I was excited when I received the offer," Che said. "Alabama is a big-time program, so the offer meant a lot. I’m looking forward to learning more about the coaches and the culture.”

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