Official visit season is here.
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama will look to build major momentum over the next few weeks as it fills out the majority of its 2027 recruiting class. The Crimson Tide currently holds just six commitments and sits at No. 51 in the composite rankings, but that's not abnormal for DeBoer and his staff at this point of a recruiting cycle.
Alabama's work has been done during the summer the last two cycles, and they'll look to do that for a third consecutive summer.
The major caveat heading into this seasonal push is that the Crimson Tide is expected to take a much smaller class in this cycle than the previous two. Alabama has a young roster that the coaching staff likes a lot, and their biggest priority will be retention again this offseason, while supplementing with the portal. I would expect a class between 15-20 total high schoolers.
Quantity might not be the same as normal, but the quality shouldn't lack. Some of the top recruits in the country will be on campus in the coming weeks, but no weekend is bigger than the one coming in just a few days.
5-stars Monshun Sales and Hayden Stepp highlight Alabama's official visitors to end the month of May
The visitors:
5-star WR Monshun Sales (Indianapolis, IN)
Much has been written about the 5-star WR and there's no bigger target on the Alabama board than Monshun Sales, the 6-foot-5 speedster who grew up a huge fan of the Crimson Tide and always dreamed of running out the tunnel in Bryant-Denny.
But Sales has spent his high school career in Indiana, and the Hoosiers are the hot commodity in college football after capturing their first-ever national championship four months ago. This is also a new era of recruiting where money talks, and Alabama won't get into a bidding war against Indiana, Ohio State, Texas, and Miami for his services.
Alabama was seen as the favorite for Sales for a long time, but coming off his visit to Indiana earlier this month, the Hoosiers have been trending. This is Alabama's opportunity to take the lead back in his recruitment, though he has visits set up to his other contenders after this weekend. It's a pivotal visit for DeBoer and company, and could be the Tide's last shot to make a big push for the kid they call "Bama."
5-star CB Hayden Stepp (Las Vegas, NV)
Alabama is one of four schools left alive in the recruitment of 5-star CB Hayden Stepp, and he's at the top of the board for the Tide at CB. Alabama has the pivotal first visit for Stepp, who will also visit Cal, Oregon, and Georgia in the coming weeks, unless DeBoer and DBs coach Maurice Linguist can hit a homerun and get him to shut things down after this weekend.
Alabama has a slight lead in the Rivals RPM for Stepp heading into his official visits.
4-star DL Mitchell Turner (Louisville, MS)
Alabama has long been in the driver's seat in the recruitment of 4-star DL Mitchell Turner, the top player in the state of Mississippi for the 2027 cycle. The Crimson Tide was Turner's first Power Four offer, and that early relationship has been critical in his recruitment.
Alabama picked up some predictions for Turner in the last month heading into his official visits.
Turner should be seen as on commit watch for the Crimson Tide this weekend during his visit. He has visits set up after this weekend with Ole Miss, Texas, and Mississippi State that Alabama would prefer he never take.
4-star WR Osani Gayles (Tracy, CA)
While Sales has been the top target on Alabama's board, 4-star Osani Gayles has been high on the Tide's list of priorities, too. He could be the perfect consolation prize if Sales ends up elsewhere, or he could combine with Sales to give the Crimson Tide a dynamic duo at the position in the 2027 class.
Gayles plans to announce his commitment on June 27th after finishing up his five scheduled officials. He took a trip to Stanford last week, and after visiting Alabama, he'll check out Washington, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.
4-star LB Kenneth Simon II (Brentwood, TN) - Alabama commit
Kenneth Simon II committed to Alabama earlier this month in what was a massive recruiting win for DeBoer over Tennessee's Josh Heupel. He'll only take one official visit after his commitment, and that'll be this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
He is considered completely locked in with the Tide.
4-star DL Donivan Moore (Bessemer, AL) - Auburn commit
The in-state defensive lineman committed to Auburn in February, but Donivan Moore is still expected to be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for his visit. DeBoer and Alabama will take a swing at the Auburn commit, but he won't be easy to flip.
4-star TE Malik Howard (Oak Ridge, TN)
Malik Howard's visit became all the more pivotal for DeBoer and company following Colt Lumpris, who was originally scheduled to be in town this coming weekend, too, flipping his commitment from Alabama to Michigan on Saturday.
If Alabama can get Howard on board, that would certainly lessen the sting of losing Lumpris. Alabama holds the lead on the Rivals RPM heading in, but will face competition from Tennessee and Notre Dame down the stretch.
4-star RB Nigel Newkirk (Gainesville, GA)
Like Turner, Nigel Newkirk should be on commit watch this weekend. On3/Rivals VP Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction for Alabama to land Newkirk - along with 3-star RB Tai Phillips - on Sunday, which would lock in the Tide's two-man RB class they covet.
Newkirk is familiar with the Alabama campus, having made multiple unofficial visits. Alabama's Gainesville connection - it signed Newkirk's teammates Xavier Griffin and Jamarion Matthews in the 2026 cycle - is very helpful here. DeBoer would love to get him to shut things down before he makes scheduled trips to Ohio State, Michigan, and LSU.
4-star DE Antwan Jackson (Collierville, TN)
Another player who could be on commit watch for the Crimson Tide this weekend is 4-star edge Antwan Jackson, with whom Alabama sits in a good spot with entering official visit season. He's expected to visit Ole Miss, Missouri, and Tennessee as well.
Alabama holds a commanding lead in the Rivals RPM, however, and has the potential to get him locked in this weekend.
3-star DL AJ Pauley (Mobile, AL) - Alabama commit
In-state defensive lineman AJ Pauley committed to Alabama back on A-Day, and hasn't wavered. He only has a visit to Alabama set up, and the Tide will look to completely lock him in this weekend.
3-star WR Cam Wade (Leesburg, VA)
This is a WR who has been flying under the radar a bit, but 3-star Virginia native Cam Wade is listed as an official visitor to Tuscaloosa this weekend by both On3/Rivals and 247. He also has visits scheduled to Florida State and Maryland.
It's not known exactly how hard Alabama will push for Wade, and he could be more of a fall-back option if others don't work out, but he's a talented player nonetheless.
3-star CB Darrius White (Fairburn, GA)
The fourth player you can put on "commit watch" for Alabama this weekend is 3-star CB Darrius White, for whom the Crimson Tide holds a commanding lead on the Rivals RPM.
White has already visited Tennessee and plans to visit Georgia Tech and Cincinnati in the coming weeks. The 6-foot-3 CB fits the bill of the guys Linguist has coveted in his secondary. Alabama has made him a priority, and they'll look to close the deal while he's on campus.
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