There has been a lot of angst from Alabama fans over the 2027 recruiting cycle, but Kalen DeBoer and his staff have intentionally gone with a smaller, less expensive group in this class. The reason is that roster retention is at the forefront of what the Crimson Tide wants to do for the 2027 roster. There are only nine seniors on the entire roster, so Alabama doesn't have room for a large crop of freshmen. Any major needs that pop up, they'll address in the Transfer Portal.
But the 2028 class is a different story. DeBoer is showing an early aggression to position Alabama well in that cycle, and it has paid early dividends. Alabama has the No. 1 class in the composite for 2028 with seven commitments, highlighted by elite in-state QB Kingston Preyear.
Alabama is in the driver's seat for several other elite prospects, including 5-star in-state OL Joey Fleming. The in-state class for 2028 is at the forefront of the plan, and while it's still early, the Crimson Tide has a significant leg up on Auburn for the top prospects in the state.
That appears to include 5-star LB Nehemiah McCary, the No. 2 LB in the country and the top-ranked player in the state for the 2028 cycle. He's coveted by all the top programs, including Auburn, but On3's Chad Simmons clearly likes where Alabama stands for the Maplesville native. He logged an expert prediction into the Rivals Prediction Machine on Thursday for McCarry to choose Bama.
He also joined Steve Wiltfong in logging a prediction in Alabama's favor for Fleming.
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama have the edge over Auburn for 5-star LB Nehemiah McCary
McCary has called Alabama his "dream school" and appears to have developed a nice rapport with OLB coach Christian Robinson. McCary is a versatile piece, but appears to be being recruited by Alabama to play the Wolf spot in Kane Wommack's defense.
If Alabama lands McCarry and Fleming, to go along with Preyear, that would give DeBoer the top three players in the state of Alabama in the composite rankings so far. They are also in pretty solid shape with No. 4-6, too: OL Samuel Bailey, TE Kaleb Ballard, and S CJ Craig-James.
A dominant in-state cycle in 2028 would go a long way to quell the momentum Alex Golesh has built on the recruiting trail in 2027. Golesh will obviously make a concerted effort to avoid the optics of Alabama going six-for-six on the top prospects in the state, but while there's a long way to go between now and the early signing period next December, you have to like where Alabama sits with its top targets in 2028 right now.
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