Alabama vs. Tennessee will be more interesting with the nation's No. 1 QB in town

The Third Saturday in October always provides plenty of intrigue. Even during Alabama's 15-year run of dominance over Tennessee while Nick Saban was in town, the game was still one of the fiercest rivalries in college football. The back-and-forth nature of the series has recently added more fuel to that fire.

Alabama and Tennessee have split the last four meetings, all wins by the home team. This year's matchup being in Tuscaloosa should bode well for Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide. If the matchup needed any extra intrigue, it's shaping up to be a significant recruiting weekend for Alabama, headlined by the nation's No. 1 QB in 2027 being in town.

5-star QB Elijah Haven will visit Alabama on the weekend of October 18th for the Tide's rivalry matchup with the Volunteers:

Haven is a consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 1 QB in the 2027 class, per the composite rankings.

The Baton Rouge native is one of the most sought-after prospects in the country. At 6-foot-5, he fits the bill of the tall, big-armed quarterbacks that Kalen DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb covet. Though he's from LSU's backyard, the Tigers recently taking a commitment from a different 2027 quarterback could be great news for Alabama.

Alabama is making a big push for Elijah Haven

It's still early in Haven's recruitment, but it's hard not to like where Alabama currently sits. With LSU having a QB in tow for this class, Florida trending downward after a 1-2 start, which has put Billy Napier's future in Gainesville in doubt, and Georgia signing a 5-star QB in the 2026 cycle, Alabama has to look all the more intriguing for Haven.

His path to playing time - and stability, assuming DeBoer and company don't bottom out this year - should put the Crimson Tide in a good position for the elite prospect. Both Penn State and Auburn are getting visits, too, but both are a little late to the party and should be looked at as more of long shots in his recruitment.

Of course, DeBoer and company aren't putting all their eggs into one basket at QB, either. They've been trending for in-state 4-star Trent Seaborn for a while. They're in the running for Colton Nussmeier, the little brother of current LSU starter Garrett Nussmeier. They could also become a major factor in the recruitment of Gunner Rivers, the son of former Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers.

Alabama has options. Haven appears to be the best of the bunch, but this staff's ability to evaluate quarterbacks certainly isn't in question.