Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are on an absolute tear on the recruiting trail for the 2028 class, leaving in the dust concerns about this staff's recruiting ability stemming from a smaller, less heralded crop of prospects in the 2027 cycle.
But 2028 is looking like a loaded class for the Crimson Tide, similar to the 2025 and 2026 hauls.
Alabama has already landed seven commitments for 2028, well ahead of the pace they normally set this early. Even in 2025 and 2026, both of which turned out to be Top 5 classes, it was a slow burn to get to where they ended up.
This has been anything but.
On the heels of a commitment from 4-star EDGE Tysir Young on Sunday, Alabama picked up an expert prediction from On3's Steve Wiltfong on Monday to ultimately land one of its most coveted prospects in the 2028 cycle to add to its No. 1-ranked class.
Wiltfong logged a prediction in the Rivals Prediction Machine with 60% confidence for Alabama to land Huntsville 4-star offensive lineman Joey Fleming, the No. 37 overall player in the composite and the No. 2 player in the state of Alabama.
Steve Wiltfong logs prediction for Alabama to land 4-star OL Joey Fleming
Fleming is a big fish in the 2028 class and one of two Huntsville offensive linemen who are major priorities for DeBoer and the Tide's staff.
Getting Fleming on board early could help in the recruitment of Samuel Bailey, a fellow Top 50 overall recruit ranked inside the Top 5 for the state of Alabama in that cycle. That would be a dream pairing for the Crimson Tide up front on the offensive line.
After signing 11 offensive linemen with multiple seasons of eligibility between the Transfer Portal and the high school class this past offseason, the offensive line was not a high priority for Alabama in the 2027 class. As things stand, 3-star Stafford Willis is the only offensive lineman committed to Alabama in the 2027 cycle.
It looks as if Alabama wants to take a bigger class again in 2028 up front. Alabama already holds a commitment from 4-star Anthony Blalock Jr., but will have to fend off Ohio State over the next year and change to keep him in the boat.
Fleming fits the mold of exactly the type of offensive lineman DeBoer and Ryan Grubb have always coveted. He's a former tight end, so he can move, get out in space, and secure blocks down the field in the run game.
There's still plenty of recruitment to be done here, but Alabama is in good shape early. The likes of Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and plenty of others have offered and covet the 4-star Huntsville native.
They won't stop fighting, even if Fleming makes an early decision as Alabama certainly hopes.
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