Key domino falls for Alabama to pull off major recruiting win for 4-star WR Osani Gayles

One of the top targets remaining on the board for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama in the 2027 cycle is 4-star WR Osani Gayles, a Top 50 overall recruit in the class. While Monshun Sales has gotten the bulk of the publicity with Alabama's spirited pursuit, DeBoer and company covet Gayles on a similar level.

An IMG Academy product by way of California, Gayles took his official visit to Alabama over the weekend of May 29th. He's also taken visits to Stanford and Washington already. Most notable, however, is a visit that Gayles is reportedly not going to take.

Per an update from Rivals, Gayles has cancelled a planned visit to Tennessee for this coming weekend:

Gayles has one more scheduled visit on the docket to South Bend to see Notre Dame on June 19th, but there's some thought that he may not make that trip, meaning his decision could ultimately come down to Alabama, Washington, and Stanford.

Alabama could be closing in on landing Top 50 overall recruit Osani Gayles

At one point during his recruitment, it felt like an Alabama-Tennessee battle for the California native. The fact that he's elected not to make the trip to Knoxville is great news for the Crimson Tide, particularly with his decision date right around the corner.

Gayles is scheduled to make his announcement on June 27th.

Gayles' scouting report on 247 makes him sound like a speedier version of Germie Bernard, so it's easy to see his appeal for DeBoer and the Alabama coaching staff, who made excellent use of Bernard during his two seasons in Tuscaloosa.

Here are a few highlights from that scouting report from 247's Greg Biggins:

"Gifted inside receiver with the intelligence, confidence and polish to elevate any passing attack."

"Manipulates defenders with impressive route tempo as he mixes speeds and snaps out of breaks at crisp angles."

"Combative more times than not in 50-50 situations with his play strength."

Does that not just scream Bernard?

In a perfect world, Alabama would land Gayles and later add Sales, with the two providing a dynamic duo out wide for the Crimson Tide. Sales is the do-it-all, speedy, gigantic target that everyone covets, with Gayles being a perfect inside receiver to pair with him.

Alabama currently has no WRs committed in this class. It's a position of genuine need after signing just one rev-share player in the last cycle in 4-star Cederian Morgan. Alabama added a couple of scholarship-only types late in the cycle, but any production the Tide gets out of those guys down the line in their careers would be a bonus.

Ryan Coleman-Williams will likely leave for the draft following this year, and it's certainly possible Alabama loses another WR to the Transfer Portal due to how competitive snaps are going to be this year with Lotzeir Brooks, Morgan, Derek Meadows, Rico Scott, and eventually NC State transfer Noah Rogers when he returns from injury, all competing for playing time.

Gayles would be a huge boost to this class, and while Alabama hasn't quite gotten to the finish line, the latest update has the Tide feeling pretty good about their chances.

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