The 2027 recruiting class has not been much fun for Alabama fans. Even on days where the Crimson Tide lands a commitment, as it did with 3-star EDGE Tyler Younger pledging earlier in the day (with another commitment expected later), they get bad news that washes away any good feelings.
Alabama was the favorite for Mitchell Turner for the majority of his recruitment. He took his official visit to the Crimson Tide at the end of May, and Kalen DeBoer and company were trending heavily for the No. 1 player in the state of Mississippi.
Unfortunately, Turner continued to take visits. The trip to Ole Miss in June changed everything.
On Tuesday, Turner announced his commitment to the Rebels, dealing Alabama a devastating blow to its 2027 class:
BREAKING: Elite 2027 DL Mitchell Turner has Committed to Ole Miss, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 23, 2026
The 6’3 280 DL chose the Rebels over Texas, Alabama, and LSU
He’s ranked as the No. 3 DL in the 2027 Rivals300
“All glory to God…The work continues.”https://t.co/k5pRvUZLhz pic.twitter.com/ETUZvd0QW5
Alabama loses out on 4-star DL Mitchell Turner to Ole Miss
Alabama had been considered the favorite in this recruitment for quite some time. Tide DL coach Freddie Roach had built a great relationship with Turner, and much like Nolan Wilson in the 2025 class, Alabama's early belief in Turner was expected to win the day.
Alabama was the first Power Four program to offer Turner, the same as it was with Wilson, who was the top-ranked defensive lineman from Mississippi a season ago. Ole Miss was determined not to let lightning strike twice with one of the state's top overall players heading to Tuscaloosa.
Turner was one of the top players left on Alabama's board, and the Tide's hopes of getting anywhere close to the Top 25 in the 2027 recruiting class are fading. Quickly.
This was never going to be a big class, but it's disheartening to see Alabama miss on a player it prioritized. Especially when it appears that they are in danger of seeing that happen with two other top targets (4-star CB Hayden Stepp and 5-star WR Monshun Sales).
Alabama signed a big class of defensive linemen a year ago and appears to have a lot of quality young depth up front. In that way, missing out on Turner isn't a devastating blow.
It is a blow, however, in terms of the program's perception. After signing back-to-back Top 5 recruiting classes, Alabama will sign a class outside of the Top 25. They are prioritizing retaining the roster and the Transfer Portal in this cycle.
That doesn't make the misses feel any better, though. This summer has been the opposite of the last two, where Alabama had major recruiting runs and landed the majority of its top targets.
DeBoer and General Manager Courtney Morgan have a plan with this roster. Only time will tell whether it's the correct strategy or if all these recent misses will come back to haunt the Crimson Tide down the road.
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