Alabama lands top running back in class of 2025

After a dominant summer on the recruiting trail, things really quieted down for Alabama Football as the Tide went over a month with no commitments.

That lull ended on Tuesday with the highly-anticipated commitment of running back AK Dear, who verbally pledged to the Crimson Tide over in-state schools Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Dear is the no. 1 running back in the country and the 45th-best player per 247Sports and is the no. 2 running back and 31st overall player at On3. 

Dear had long been considered an Alabama lean after decommitting from Ole Miss in June, and now the Quitman product has finally committed to the Tide. This is a huge pickup to end the summer as Alabama gears up for its 2024 season. With Dear’s commitment, Bama closed the gap on Ohio State but still has the no. 2 recruiting class in the nation. 

This commitment also washes away the taste of a recent wave of decommitments from the Tide’s 2024 class. Alabama had a trio of 4-star commits not only defect, but flip to rival schools in the last three weeks. With AK Dear now in the boat, things are now moving back in a positive direction on the recruiting front heading into the season.

Dear joins fellow 4-star running back Anthony “Turbo” Rogers in the 2025 class, giving Alabama a dynamic 1-2 backfield punch if it can hold on to both prospects. 

Dear and Rogers will step into what is already a crowded running back room in Tuscaloosa. Junior Jam Miller is draft eligible after this season and could be gone, but sophomore Justice Haynes, redshirt freshman Richard Young, and true freshmen Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley should all be back in 2025. 

Recruiting news will take a backseat over the next few months, but a successful Alabama season on the field should continue to turn in fruitful results on the trail.