Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are swinging for the fences with receivers in the 2027 recruiting class.
5-star Monshun Sales is the Tide's top target, but the Crimson Tide is involved with several others, including 4-star Deshawn Hall, the top WR in the state of Alabama for the 2027 cycle. Both Sales and Hall are bigger receivers, both being listed at 6-foot-5.
But DeBoer likes to find complementary, smaller, and shiftier receivers as well. There may not be a better option in this class than 4-star Osani Gayles, a California native who transferred to IMG Academy last season.
Gayles is 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, currently ranked as a consensus 4-star recruit and the No. 48 overall player in the composite.
On Wednesday, Gayles trimmed his list down to just five schools, per Hayes Fawcett. The Crimson Tide made the cut:
NEWS: Four-Star WR Osani Gayles is down to 5 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 6, 2026
The 5’11 185 WR from Tracy, CA is ranked as the No. 51 Recruit in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings
He’s locked in official visits to each of his finalists https://t.co/3q99w9XxGX pic.twitter.com/UqCPSX6DBw
Alabama one of 5 schools left in the running for elite 2027 WR Osani Gayles
The smoke around Gayles' recruitment has been mostly centered around Alabama and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide and Volunteers are also duking it out for Deshawn Hall, as DeBoer goes head-to-head with Josh Heupel for several recruits in this cycle.
Fawcett reports that Gayles has set up officials with all five of his contenders, but for now, only Alabama and Tennessee are listed on either his 247 or On3 profile.
DeBoer and company are set to get the first crack at Gayles over the Memorial Day Weekend at the end of this month, which is going to be a monster recruiting weekend for the Crimson Tide.
The summer has been kind to Alabama under DeBoer, with back-to-back huge runs on the recruiting trail allowing the Crimson Tide to sign consecutive Top 5 classes. We could see lightning strike for a third year in a row in Tuscaloosa, though a Top 5 class may not be realistic from a sheer numbers standpoint. Alabama isn't expected to sign as big a class this year after taking 27 in the 2026 cycle and adding 17 transfers, the bulk of whom were underclassmen.
DeBoer and Courtney Morgan still want to retain as much of their roster year-over-year as they possibly can.
With fewer spots available this year, recruits like Gayles could be incentivized into making quicker decisions to ensure they have a place in the class.
Add us as a preferred source on Google