The House vs. NCAA settlement, which opened the door for revenue sharing in college athletics, set to begin on July 1st, has changed the landscape of college football, and recruiting, forever.
Alabama's recent string of commitments is evidence of that. The surge in recruiting has begun for the Crimson Tide, and yet most fans of the program have been disappointed with the quality of players who have joined Alabama's 2026 class in the last two days.
Since Sunday, Kalen DeBoer and his staff have landed three commitments, all from three-star recruits: DL JJ Finch, RB Javari Barnett, and S Rihyael Kelley. The latter two were flipped from Big Ten programs, Illinois and Rutgers, respectively.
Alabama has its sights set on a few other 3-star recruits, too, including WRs Owen Cabell and Brian Williams.
These commitments - and the two above who are trending toward commiting - aren't the sexiest pick-ups, but they're necessary in the new era.
With revenue-sharing, there's now effectively a salary cap in college football. With the amount of money available, you're going to have to pay your best players the lion's share, leaving you to fill out the roster with some unheralded guys who aren't as concerned with a bag.
In this era, you have to trust your evaluations, recruiting rankings be damned. DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan are doing that, and they've landed prospects they believe to be gems.
Alabama will still land some big names, but they're filling out the margins with cheaper options
Alabama already has a commitment from 5-star CB Jorden Edmonds. They're also in the lead for several other 5-stars: WR Cederian Morgan, S Jireh Edwards, and RB Ezavier Crowell. The Tide are in the mix for a couple of others, too: EDGE Anthony "Tank" Jones and LB Xavier Griffin.
If you look at the positions Alabama has recently landed commitments from unheralded prospects, they are positions they are in a good spot with major targets.
Illinois flip Barnett is a talented RB, but isn't going to scare away Crowell, who is set to announce his commitment on Thursday. Kelley fits the mold of the players DC Kane Wommack and DB coach Maurice Linguist like in the secondary, but the Tide's top priority at safety remains Edwards.
Morgan is the top target at WR, and to fill out the class, Alabama has targeted two 3-star WRs - Cabell and Williams - who the staff evaluated in person and believes are being undervalued in the recruiting process. They have long-term potential as WRs for the Tide, but Morgan wouldn't be concerned about competing with either.
The Alabama staff has made the quick adjustment to this era. Alabama fans are still lagging behind. Gone are the days of Nick Saban stacking five-stars. Those days were over in the last couple recruiting cycles where Saban was running the show in Tuscaloosa, too.
Even if you have the money to stack your roster, the Transfer Portal prevents guys from sticking around on your bench for long. Why would a guy agree to sit at Alabama or Georgia for a couple of years when they're being offered more money and a starting role at Missouri or Arkansas?
Roster retention still matters. Building your roster exclusively through the portal isn't a viable strategy for long-term success.
Instead, building depth with guys who are more unheralded will become the new norm. You need a staff that can evaluate and identify talent before others. That's ultimately why Greg Byrne tapped DeBoer to replace Saban in the first place. It's also why DeBoer bringing Courtney Morgan with him was so important. Morgan is one of the top talent evaluators in the business. DeBoer's staff is littered with guys who are adept at developing the talent that Morgan and others find.
And this isn't sunshine pumping: the proof is in the pudding. Look at how Alabama identified Keelon Russell last year. The Tide jumped on Russell when he was just a 3-star committed to SMU, before his recruitment took off following his Elite 11 MVP honors and big senior season.
The bigger names will still come to Tuscaloosa. In the coming weeks, Alabama will land commitments from some of the top players in the country. But the commitments on Sunday and Monday are a good example of how DeBoer and company will build the roster in the future.
It's a new day in college football. Adapt or die. Alabama has chosen to adapt. You should do the same.