Fans won't like it, but the reality is that the offensive line is not a big priority for Alabama in this recruiting cycle. That's not because Kalen DeBoer and the coaching staff haven't made the trenches a priority; on the contrary, actually, it's that they made it such a priority in the last cycle that they spent a ton of money rebuilding the room from the ground up.
Alabama returned only five offensive linemen from last season's roster. Between the Transfer Portal and the high school recruiting class, the Crimson Tide brought in 11 players up front. All 11 have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining.
Alabama had to spend to acquire the talent they did. They'll also have to spend to retain the talent they have. They can't afford to be big spenders for that position group in this recruiting class. That's just the reality of this era of college football.
Bigger named targets like 5-star Ismael Camara and 4-star Antonio Berry probably aren't realistic for Alabama in this cycle. The staff has likely realized that, too, and has begun to pivot with a couple of new offers going out this week for undervalued offensive linemen who impressed the staff while camping in Tuscaloosa recently.
The first offer went out to Cal commitment Amaziah Siale, who is seeing his stock blow up this summer. The second went out on Tuesday to an intriguing in-state target.
Alabama extends an offer to 3-star in-state OL Stafford Willis
Per multiple reports, Alabama has extended an offer to 3-star Stafford Willis from Arab:
Alabama offered in-state '27 OL Stafford Willis out of Arab HS today. He's locked in an OV date to return to campus June 19-21.
— Blake Byler (@blakebyler45) June 9, 2026
"Been fired up about them for a long time. I can't wait for my OV."https://t.co/05HXcHVVrr (On3+) pic.twitter.com/IWIMgk6cA8
Willis is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive lineman who said the Alabama offer "changed some things" in his recruitment.
Alabama has some serious ground to make up in his recruitment this late in the game, but being the home state school is a major advantage. Willis just recently took a trip to Virginia Tech and has taken previous trips to UCLA, Virginia, and South Carolina. He quickly scheduled an official visit to Alabama for June 19-21 after receiving the offer, which should tell you just how serious he's taking it.
While the other contenders have been recruiting him longer, if Alabama pushes during his official visit, it feels like the Crimson Tide would be in a great position to land his commitment.
Willis is the type of project offensive line prospect that Alabama is looking for in this cycle. They feel good about where they are in the 2-3 years based on the current talent on hand, so long as they can retain it.
Willis might not move the needle for fans right away, but he's got intriguing size and skill that could pay major dividends down the line once he spends a couple of years in a college strength and conditioning program.
Add us as a preferred source on Google