When Kalen DeBoer was appointed to replace Nick Saban as Alabama's football coach, one of the most significant concerns was his ability to recruit at a level that would keep the program stocked with top talent. DeBoer has long been renowned for his strategic acumen in game planning, but in the SEC, having just that isn't sufficient. You need the crème de la crème of talent to consistently compete in this league.

Early Recruiting Success and Setbacks

Initially, the results were quite promising as DeBoer kept the Crimson Tide in the Top 5 of most recruiting rankings, reaching as high as No. 2 in the 247 composite rankings. However, a brutal week on the recruiting trail saw Alabama plummet all the way down to No. 4. It all began when 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham switched his commitment from the Tide to Ole Miss after attending their upset win over Georgia in Oxford.The setbacks continued a few days later when 4-star LB and long-time Alabama commitment Dawson Merritt flipped to Nebraska. On Sunday, the Tide experienced its third decommitment of the 2025 class when RB Anthony “Turbo” Rogers pulled back his pledge. Rogers seems to be leaning towards Ohio State, but no public decision has been made yet.Although these players are good, none of their decisions came as a complete surprise. Cunningham has been on his third commitment and has been taking visits since July. Merritt is staying closer to home to fulfill his dream of playing at Nebraska. Rogers committed to Saban and has never seemed to have a high regard for the current coaching staff in Tuscaloosa.There is a reason why the coaching staff has been working hard to secure the commitment of AK Dear and has continued to recruit other running backs like Michigan State commitment Jace Clarizio and USC pledge Harry Dalton.

Remaining Talent in the Class

Alabama still boasts one of the best classes in the country, led by four composite 5-stars: QB Keelon Russell, IOL Michael Carroll, CB Dijon Lee, and OT Ty Haywood. There is good news on the horizon as the Tide is trending to flip 4-star safety and Michigan pledge Ivan Taylor.Alabama is also making efforts to flip Florida WR commit Naeshaun Montgomery, who visited the Capstone over the weekend.Recruiting is indeed a roller coaster. Saban was so proficient at it that Alabama fans could often overlook it and be confident that the Tide would sign one of the top classes year after year. But that luxury is now gone, and the Crimson Tide is on the wild ride of recruiting.Alabama is on track to sign a Top 5 class, which would be an astonishing achievement for DeBoer and his staff considering they had to start from scratch in 2025 following Saban's unexpected retirement in January.