Can Alabama make a push for the #1 recruiting class?
Under Nick Saban, Alabama Football brought in an influx of talent every season and regularly landed the top recruiting class in the country. The fan base tempered recruiting expectations upon the introduction of new coach Kalen DeBoer, which made sense given that Saban is generally considered to be the greatest recruiter of all time. Still, DeBoer put together an excellent recruiting staff and has the Alabama brand in tow to help him out. As a result, most analysts and media members concluded that a top-10 finish would be a success for DeBoer’s first recruiting class in Tuscaloosa.
So far, Coach DeBoer and his staff have blown away all reasonable expectations. Bama recruiting has really turned up this summer, with six commitments in the month of June alone. Even prior to that, the Crimson Tide’s class was fairly impressive in a “quality over quantity” kind of way. For a long time, the Tide boasted a top-10 class with less than 10 commitments.
The still-ongoing June surge has put Bama squarely in the national discussion. Alabama currently has the third-ranked class in the country despite not yet landing a consensus 5-star. The belief is that this class still has a lot of room left to grow, so the fact that it is already ranked third is pretty astounding.
The Tide will host two big-time playmakers on the offensive side of the ball this week in 5-star wide receiver Kaliq Lockett and 4-star tight end Kaleb Edwards. This staff has turned in results when it has had the opportunity to make an impression, so more commitments could be inevitable.
Bama is also pushing heavily for 5-stars such as offensive tackle Ty Haywood, wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, and cornerback Na'eem Offord, as well as a bevy of 4-stars including cornerback Dijon Lee, running back AK Dear, Wolves Justin Hill and Dawson Merritt, tackles Jackson Lloyd and Micah DeBose, linebacker Ty Jackson, and more as it looks to finish strong in the 2025 cycle.
With so many blue-chip recruits still on the table, could Alabama actually make a run for the top spot in the 2025 recruiting cycle in year one under Kalen DeBoer? It may be a stretch, but it’s certainly possible.
Bama currently ranks 6th nationally in terms of average ranking per recruit, trailing Ohio State, LSU, Georgia, Oregon, and Clemson. Ohio State (with three top-10 players already committed) and LSU (with the top overall recruit in quarterback Bryce Underwood) have particularly high ceilings. Kirby Smart and Georgia already have two 5-stars in the boat, and it goes without saying that the Bulldogs will be in the conversation for the top spot.
It will be tough for Alabama to land the no. 1 class, but the Crimson Tide is firmly in the mix. Kalen DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and the rest of the staff have done an incredible job assembling talent, and they are far from finished. Bama fans that once set their expectation at a top-10 class are now hoping for a top-3 finish, and it’s certainly way too early to count out the Tide for the no. 1 spot.