Recruiting is not for the faint of heart. There are always twists and turns that nobody sees coming. This particular twist is one in favor of the good guys.
4-star WR Kenny Darby, committed to LSU since November, will take a surprise official visit to Alabama this weekend:
Darby's decision to visit Alabama comes out of nowhere. He evidently took an unofficial to Tuscaloosa recently that was kept quiet, and Alabama WR coach JaMarcus Shephard has made several trips to Louisiana to see Darby.
Darby, a one-time commitment to Mississippi State, flipped to LSU in November and then announced his recruitment was completely shut down in January. He had no plans to take any visits. Now, he's headed to Tuscaloosa along with a loaded crop of talented players this weekend for a pivotal weekend for the Crimson Tide.
The Bossier City native has been steadily moving up the recruiting rankings over the last year. He's currently a consensus 4-star and the No. 155 overall player in the country, per the 247 Composite Rankings.
Darby is coming off of a massive 2024 season where he caught 100 passes for 1764 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Alabama's 2026 WR class is shaping up to be a big one
It's no surprise to see Alabama in contention for some of the best high school receivers in the nation. Shephard is one of the best receiver coaches in the country. He's a master recruiter and talent developer. He's also got a keen eye for talent.
Shepherd was the lead recruiter for Lotzeir Brooks in the 2025 cycle, a player who flew under the radar but is likely to earn an immediate role in Alabama's WR room as a true freshman.
The talent level at WR had taken a step back in Tuscaloosa after the "Ryde Out" era. Alabama's recruiting and talent development had not been the same in recent seasons. It's the main impetus for why the Tide's WR room was flipped in December.
Talent will not be an issue moving forward with Shephard on staff. Along with Darby, Alabama is scheduled to host another elite WR this weekend in Boobie Feaster.
Along with those two, Alabama is trending heavily in the recruitment of 5-star in-state WR Cederian Morgan, who will take his official visit to Tuscaloosa later in the summer.