While the 2027 cycle has not been kind to Alabama, it should not be taken as any indication of a recruiting fall off from the Nick Saban era.
Because truth be told, we've already seen what Kalen DeBoer can do on the recruiting trail in back-to-back classes in 2025 and 2026.
If you look at just this decade of the 2020s, DeBoer's recruiting wins stack up head-to-head with Saban's. In fact, of Alabama's top five recruiting wins of the decade, DeBoer has the majority, though Saban has the top two.
The 5 biggest recruiting wins of the decade for Alabama football
Honorable mentions to Dallas Turner, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Ty Simpson, Tyler Booker, Jihaad Campbell, Kadyn Proctor, Yhonzae Pierre, and many others.
5. RB EJ Crowell
Perhaps it's premature to put 5-star RB EJ Crowell on this list, but landing the elite running back seemed like a massive deal last summer before the season-long struggles with the ground game. It seems like an even bigger deal now.
Even after battling an injury throughout the spring, most expect that Crowell is going to be a major part of the Crimson Tide's offense in 2026.
He had offers from everywhere, but holding off Texas and its deep pockets was a major victory for DeBoer.
4. QB Keelon Russell
When Alabama first flipped Keelon Russell from SMU, he was a low-ranked 4-star recruit without much fanfare. But Russell blew up during his senior season and ultimately became a 5-star recruit and the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2025 class.
Now, Russell is the odds-on favorite to be Alabama's starting quarterback next season. He has the highest ceiling of a Crimson Tide signal-caller since Bryce Young. He has a chance to elevate the offense to a new level with his dual-threat ability.
Russell is one of the best examples of DeBoer and his staff's ability to evaluate prospects early, before the recruiting services can catch up.
3. WR Ryan Coleman-Williams
The most important recruit of the DeBoer era. Coleman-Williams originally committed to Nick Saban, but reopened his recruitment after Saban retired following the 2023 season. That led to some tense moments and a flirtation with Hugh Freeze and Auburn, but DeBoer reeled Coleman-Williams back into the boat.
That seemed to stop the bleeding on the trail and showed other recruits that Alabama wasn't going anywhere.
Coleman-Williams was one of the top recruits in the country, and he ultimately reclassified into the 2024 class before going on to a monster freshman season in Tuscaloosa that included a heroic performance in DeBoer's first signature win as the Crimson Tide's head coach, the 41-34 thriller over Georgia in 2024.
After a sophomore slump, Coleman-Williams will look to regain that freshman form and become one of the top players in college football once again.
2. DE Will Anderson Jr.
The top two on this list are both Saban-era recruits, and they really deserve a 1A, 1B ranking.
Alabama fans can thank Kirby Smart for Anderson ultimatley winding up in Tuscaloosa.
The 5-star EDGE rusher grew up a fan of Georgia, but the Bulldogs weren't involved in his recruitment until late. Saban took full advantage, and Anderson wound up being a dominant force for the Crimson Tide before becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft to the Houston Texans.
Anderson earned a starting role for Alabama as a freshman and produced seven sacks as the Crimson Tide won the 2020 National Championship. He was the best player in the country as a sophomore, putting up a ridiculous 34.5 tackles-for-loss and 17 sacks before finishing his college career with an All-American junior season.
Anderson's dominance has continued in the NFL, where he finished runner-up behind Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year last season and just signed a $150 million contract extension with the Texans.
1. QB Bryce Young
Young gets the slight nod over Anderson on the strength of his 2021 Heisman Trophy win, though Anderson had a strong argument for the award, too, if voters didn't prioritize the QB position so much.
But Young was brilliant in 2021, particularly in helping Alabama put up 41 points on an elite Georgia defense in the SEC Championship Game. He and Jameson Williams were an unstoppable pairing. Unfortunately, Williams went down with a torn ACL in the rematch against the Bulldogs in the national title game, costing Saban his 8th national title.
Young became Alabama's first No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and while his career in the pros with the Carolina Panthers has hit a couple of roadblocks, he appears to be on the path to becoming a legitimate franchise QB.
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