Alabama has been setting the pace for 4-star DL Mitchell Turner throughout his recruitment. The Crimson Tide was the first Power Four program to extend an offer to Turner, and that early relationship has been pivotal for Kalen DeBoer and company.
The Top 60 overall recruit was in Tuscaloosa this past weekend for a visit, and while Alabama is still seen as the favorite, he'll take other visits that will have Alabama fans biting their nails.
Turner took a midweek visit to LSU this week and has trips planned to Ole Miss, Texas, and Mississippi State over the next three weeks before he is expected to make a final decision.
It's the waiting game for Alabama right now. But DeBoer and company quietly made a move on Thursday that could increase their chances of landing Turner.
3-star LB Ayden Coleman was in town on Thursday to camp at Alabama, and he left town with an offer from LB coach Chuck Morrell. Why is that potentially significant in the recruitment of Turner? Coleman is a high school teammate and friend of the elite defensive lineman:
Louisville (MS) LB Ayden Coleman took his first visit to Alabama on Thursday & left with an offer from @CoachMorrell3
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) June 4, 2026
Teammate of top DL target @mitchellupnxt recaps big moment + confirms OV will take place:
“It has been my dream since I was a kid.”
🔗 https://t.co/nwYvcKJTB4 pic.twitter.com/4bfRsJ2fn1
Alabama extends offer to Mitchell Turner's teammate, Ayden Coleman
This isn't exactly a Zach Maynard/Keenan Allen situation (IYKYK). Coleman received his offer after camping and working out for the Crimson Tide's staff. There's clearly something there they like. If it boosts their chances of landing Coleman? Even better.
It's a move that Pete Golding and Ole Miss already made. The Rebels extended an offer to Coleman in May, becoming his first Power Four offer. The Alabama offer clearly resonated even more, however, with his quote to 247's Brett Greenberg: "It's been my dream since I was a little kid."
Coleman is a developmental prospect, but with more scholarships available and budget constraints to fill those spots, Alabama has taken fliers in the last year on some prospects that they likely wouldn't have in recent cycles.
Alabama landed the LB they coveted in this class with 4-star Kenneth Simon II. But like last year, finding a second LB who is cost-effective would be a nice bonus.
DeBoer and company followed that script in the 2026 class, landing 5-star Xavier Griffin and 3-star Zay Hall, a Tuscaloosa native.
Some may not like the idea of offering a teammate to try and secure the commitment of a guy like Turner, but he's a high priority for the Tide's staff, and with rosters being bigger now, you are going to have developmental prospects at the end of the roster anyway.
Coleman will return to Alabama in the coming weeks for an official visit. Perhaps he can get Turner to cancel a trip elsewhere and accompany him to Tuscaloosa.
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