Kalen DeBoer and Alabama got the good news it expected on Monday night.
3-star RB Tai Phillips out of Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide via the Rivals recruiting channel on YouTube, choosing Alabama over Florida State and Stanford.
BREAKING: Class of 2027 RB Tai Phillips has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 8, 2026
The 5’11 195 RB chose the Crimson Tide over Florida State and Stanford
“I’m home, Roll Tide!” https://t.co/BHpd6MVHS4 pic.twitter.com/4gM1PZxlsi
Phillips is the second RB commitment of Alabama's 2027 class and the 9th overall as DeBoer and the Tide's staff slowly begin to build some momentum in this cycle.
Tai Phillips joins Nigel Newkirk to give Alabama a talented pair of RB commitments for 2027
Alabama landed a commitment from 4-star RB Nigel Newkirk just eight days ago. It was clear early on that the Crimson Tide wanted to come away with two running backs in this class, and Newkirk and Phillips were always at the top of the board.
Newkirk is the higher-rated prospect due to his all-around running ability, but Phillips is a perfect complement and arguably has the higher ceiling. Phillips is a home run threat every time he touches the football. DeBoer and Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will have a whole lot of fun scheming up various ways to get Phillips the football in space.
Phillips is a track star who clocked a 10.86 in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore. He ran for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns on 7.9 yards per carry as a junior on the gridiron for Cape Fear in North Carolina before transferring to Irmo for his senior season.
Phillips took a recent trip to Florida State, but the smoke signaled for a while that Alabama would be tough to beat in his recruitment. Following his commitment to the Crimson Tide, he'll take a trip to Tuscaloosa this coming weekend for his official visit. It is expected to be the last visit he takes this summer, as he is locked in with Alabama.
Phillips is the 9th commitment for Alabama in the 2027 class, and the third in the last two days. Alabama landed 3-star TE Michael Nnabuife and Top 10 kicker Luke Cody over the weekend while both were in Tuscaloosa for their official visits.
Alabama will take a smaller class in this cycle than we've seen so far under DeBoer, which will lead to a lower ranking than any Tide fan is used to. There's no reason to panic, however, as the level of talent being brought in will remain high. Phillips is an example of that, regardless of where he is currently ranked.
DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan have done exceptional work finding undervalued recruits at the high school level. Phillips appears to be the next in line.
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