Alabama a finalist but not a contender for 5-star DB ahead of announcement

Things can change rapidly in recruiting, as anyone who has followed it for any length of time can tell you.

A few months ago, Kalen DeBoer and Alabama were right in the thick of the race for 5-star CB John Meredith III, and it looked like it was a battle between the Crimson Tide and Texas A&M for the Lone Star State native.

Alabama was seen as A&M's biggest threat. Fast forward to now, and there's been little smoke surrounding the Crimson Tide and Meredith, and it now appears likely that he's going to end up with the Longhorns - not the Aggies.

Meredith announced a final three that included Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama, and will make his public commitment on Friday:

That pick won't be Alabama.

5-star CB John Meredith won't be part of Alabama's 2027 recruiting class

Meredith is one of the most coveted players in the 2027 recruiting class. He's ranked as the No. 1 CB and the No. 2 overall player in the 247 composite rankings.

Alabama was right in the thick of this recruitment back in the spring, but a lot has changed since then. The most obvious sign that the Crimson Tide is not a real factor in his decision is the fact that he didn't take an official visit to Tuscaloosa this summer. He took two visits, predictably to Austin and College Station, the real contenders in his recruitment.

So why is Alabama still on his final list?

The same reason you see recruits whom Alabama was never seriously pursuing keep the Tide hat on the table when they make their picks. There's value for these other programs to "beat" Alabama on the recruiting trail.

Regardless of the current perception of the program under DeBoer, there's still no bigger brand in college football than Alabama. There's value to both Texas and Texas A&M in getting to celebrate a win over Alabama on the recruiting trail, even if that doesn't reflect the reality of the situation.

To be clear, Alabama would have loved to land Meredith. But they weren't going to break the bank to do so with the obscene amount of talent they already have at CB. Alabama has signed 5-star CBs in three consecutive classes with Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee, and, most recently, Jorden Edmonds in the 2026 cycle.

CB was not a huge priority for this class, and Alabama turned its attention to 4-star Hayden Stepp a while ago, though they are probably facing an uphill battle in his recruitment after his recent Oregon visit. 3-star CB Darrius White is another player the coaching staff covets in this class.

DeBoer and Courtney Morgan have a roster-building strategy, and they aren't going to deviate from it, regardless of how talented a player is. Meredith is a guy who will make an immediate impact in college, but Alabama would have to pay him more than Brown, Lee, or Edmonds are making, perhaps combined.

That was never going to happen.

And it's a big part of the reason Meredith didn't take an official visit to Alabama. Morgan said it in an interview not long ago. If Alabama can't get close to a compensation agreement, they'll just cancel a visit or never schedule one to begin with.

They were never on the same wavelength with what Meredith was going to get from others.

So Texas or Texas A&M (likely Texas) will celebrate their recruiting win "over Alabama" on Friday, but the truth of the matter is that the Crimson Tide backed out of this recruitment a while ago.

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