Kalen DeBoer and Alabama have hit the ground running in the 2028 recruiting cycle. The 2027 class was a smaller, cheaper class by design, with the roster retention goals that the Crimson Tide has for this coming offseason. But next year is expected to look similar to 2025 and 2026 in terms of investment and where the class ultimately finishes.
As things stand, Alabama has the No. 1 class in the country for 2028 with seven total commitments. The 2028 cycle is going to have a major in-state flavor, and the Crimson Tide already has two in-state commitments from 4-star QB Kingston Preyear and 3-star LB Ryquan Butler.
There are many others to come.
One of them could end up being 4-star Birmingham safety CJ Craig-James, with whom Alabama has put itself in a strong position. Craig-James is the No. 73 overall player in the composite and the No. 6 player in the state.
Per Bama Online's Blake Byler, Craig-James has set up at least three game-day visits with the Crimson Tide this fall, beginning with this weekend's season-opener against East Carolina:
Top-10 safety CJ Craig-James will be back in Tuscaloosa this weekend for a visit, the first of at least three games he'll be on campus for this season.
— Blake Byler (@blakebyler45) September 3, 2026
"I hear from them just about every single day. ... We’re super close. I rock with them hard."https://t.co/9fAbnwe3Yu (On3+) pic.twitter.com/aLaMM2L2A0
4-star safety CJ Craig-James could be part of a dominant in-state showing for Alabama in 2028
DeBoer has a chance to make a massive recruiting statement head-to-head against Alex Golesh and Auburn in the 2028 cycle.
As things stand, Alabama has a real chance to land the top six players in the current composite rankings.
Alabama is in the driver's seat for the top two players, 5-star LB Nehemiah McCary and 5-star OL Joey Fleming. Multiple recruiting predictions have come in favor of the Crimson Tide for both.
The No. 3 player in the state is Preyear, who committed to Alabama two months ago.
At No. 4 is offensive lineman Samuel Bailey, who is from the Huntsville area like Fleming. Auburn will make a push with him, but Alabama is going to be tough to beat there, too. The same can be said for 4-star TE Kaleb Ballard from Wetumpka, who comes in at No. 5 in the composite rankings.
Craig-James is No. 6, and Alabama looks like a significant favorite with him as things currently stand. Getting him on campus for three game-day visits this fall is a big deal.
It sounds crazy, but when you really dig into it, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Alabama locks up the state like never before and signs all six of the top players. That would be a significant statement, not just to Auburn, but to teams like Georgia and others who feel like they've built a pipeline into this state.
There's still a long way to go between now and the early signing period next December for 2028 prospects, but Alabama is off to the best start of the DeBoer era in any recruiting class and is showing no signs of letting up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google