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The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama football recruiting under Kalen DeBoer off to promising start | Goodbread
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Alabama football recruiting under Kalen DeBoer off to promising start | Goodbread
It's early yet to size up Kalen DeBoer and his staff as recruiters.
The Alabama football coach, after all, has only had time to assemble less than half of the Crimson Tide's 2025 signing class, which will be the first he can call his own. His first series of summer camps, where the foundation for recruiting classes is poured, won't begin for another 10 days. And he probably needs a solid year to experience for himself how readily rival recruiters will trash his program in the deep South.
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Negative recruiting, as its called, happens everywhere, but nowhere quite like the SEC. But even in this nascent stage of DeBoer's establishment on the recruiting trail , early signs are pointing in the right direction.
To wit:
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The retainment of five-star WR Ryan Williams provided the first inkling that DeBoer is a formidable salesman. Williams had previously committed to retired coach Nick Saban, who therefore gets most of the credit for his recruitment. But DeBoer had to sell Williams a new vision for the program and Williams' role in it, and at a time when Alabama players were heading to the transfer portal in the wake of Saban's retirement, DeBoer was able to nail down an elite talent who could play a major role in his offense this fall. It was reminiscent of Saban's successful effort to keep Rolando McClain committed to UA in 2007. Like Williams, McClain had committed to a previous coach (Mike Shula), and Saban's sales pitch to McClain landed him the centerpiece of a national championship defense by 2009.
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Quick out of the gate, DeBoer already has piled up 10 commitments for the 2025 class, including four of the nation's top 100 prospects, per 247sports. It's been a fast start from a quality standpoint, although from a numbers standpoint, it's commensurate with the times. As the first class that's buying in on the ground floor with DeBoer, as opposed to the '24 class that Saban assembled, the 2025 group plants the new coach's flag. It's importance can't be overstated, always to be remembered for better or worse. It'll be 2026 before it can be fairly judged, but to the extent that recruiting rankings are a decent, though rough, predictive measure, DeBoer has to be pleased with the initial response from recruits. Particularly in the wake of Saban's departure.
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Recognizing it's not too early to lay groundwork for 2026, DeBoer recently took his first two commitments for that class: four-star cornerbacks Dorian Barney of Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge and Jamarrion Gordon of Jackson. Both had offers across the SEC, including Georgia, which is the now league's de facto recruiting juggernaut since Saban decided to step down. They're coming off their sophomore seasons at the high school level, and a lot can happen (read: NIL) in the 19 months between now and when they'll likely sign. But at the top of the college football food chain, no school slow-plays the best athletes. Even if they're just 15. Or younger. Because it's always easier to play follow-up than catch-up.
Questions about DeBoer's first team will get quick answers this fall. It's resilience on the road will be tested as early as Sept. 14 at Wisconsin . It's toughness on the line of scrimmage? Georgia comes to town as early as Sept. 28. Other questions about long-term success, such as recruiting, require a lot more time for correct answers to present themselves.
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But to this point, DeBoer's first recruiting steps are looking sure-footed.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football recruiting under Kalen DeBoer off to promising start
