With spring practice in the rearview mirror and official visit season upon us, Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama staff are going to be hyper-focused in the coming months on building their 2027 recruiting class.
As things stand, Alabama has just five commitments for 2027 so far in a class that ranks 43rd in the 247 composite rankings. That might seem like reason for Crimson Tide fans to worry, but DeBoer's previous two recruiting classes all had a similarly slow start before massive summer runs on the trail propelled them into the Top 5.
With the amount of talent remaining on Alabama's recruiting board, there's no reason to believe the same thing won't happen again this summer.
DeBoer and company got a major recent boost with the commitment of 5-star QB Elijah Haven. Another could be coming on Monday with 4-star LB Kenneth Simon II scheduled to announce his commitment, and predictions being in on the Tide to land the Tennessee legacy.
That should give them significant momentum heading into the summer.
Positions of need for Alabama football in the 2027 recruiting class
3. Running Back
Continuing to add talent and depth to the RB room is a major priority for this staff. Alabama failed to land a difference-maker in the Transfer Portal, but it did add 5-star EJ Crowell, who should be a day-one contributor. The Tide also landed an intriguing 3-star in Trae'shawn Brown, who looks like a potential diamond in the rough.
But Alabama still needs an influx of talent at the position. Guys like Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and AK Dear have shown to be solid backs, but none of them have been standouts yet. With Crowell and Brown potentially stealing snaps immediately, Alabama could be hit hard by portal attrition in the room after the season.
Alabama's top targets at RB for this class so far have been 4-stars Nigel Newkirk and Trey Martin.
2. Edge Rusher
Kane Wommack has done good work in adding talent and versatility off the edge, finding players capable of flip-flopping between the Wolf and Bandit spots up front.
But Alabama is expected to lose some talented players at the position following the season, most notably star Wolf LB Yhonzae Pierre, a rising redshirt junior who should be in contention to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft if he has the type of season most expect him to.
South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu is entering his final year of eligibility, too, and Alabama could be down to just Justin Hill and Xavier Griffin in the Wolf room heading into the 2027 season. That's not to mention that Griffin will likely continue cross-training at the off-ball LB spots and could end up being a better fit there in a Jihaad Campbell-type role.
The Crimson Tide's top target at the position is Georgia native KJ Green, a 5-star edge rusher who could make an immediate impact as a freshman.
1. Wide Receiver
Arguably, Alabama's biggest need this cycle will be at WR. While DeBoer and company took a couple of fliers on some under-the-radar prospects late in the 2026 cycle, the only sure-fire contributor they signed in last year's class was 4-star Cederian Morgan.
Ryan Coleman-Williams will likely enter the draft after the season, leaving a major void at the position. Depth is already a bit of a question mark at WR entering this season, and Alabama would likely prefer to add multiple receivers in 2027.
There's no bigger target than 5-star Monshun Sales, for whom Alabama is in the midst of a fierce recruiting battle with Indiana, Miami, Ohio State, and Texas.
But there are other top targets, including 5-star Xavier Sabb, the younger brother of Tide players Keon and Amari Sabb.
4-stars Osani Gayles and in-state Deshawn Hall are high on the Tide's recruiting board, too.
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