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The Tuscaloosa News
Grading Alabama football 2025 recruiting class: How Crimson Tide class stacks up
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Grading Alabama football 2025 recruiting class: How Crimson Tide class stacks up
Kalen DeBoer has wrapped up his first recruiting class with Alabama football .
The Crimson Tide head coach secured 2025 signees from 21 prospects ranging from California to New Jersey. It's a signing class that included three five-star players quarterback Keelon Russell , offensive lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee .
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And while attention now turns to 2026 for the Alabama coaching staff, here's a look at how the 2025 Crimson Tide class graded out.
Alabama football recruiting class grades
In DeBoer's first recruiting class, Alabama had its share of headlining recruits.
And while no class is perfect, and there are questions of depth at positions of need like the defensive line and at safety, DeBoer and his staff showed that Alabama didn't miss a beat in the first year of a new era and that top talents are still choosing to play football in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama football recruiting grades by position
Quarterback: A+
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Kalen DeBoer could not have done much better in his first recruiting class than secure Russell as his 2025 quarterback. Russell, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound quarterback out of Duncanville, Texas, has grown into a five-star player and the second-ranked quarterback in the country, one who has experience playing high-level high school football and the accuracy and poise it takes to find success. Much of DeBoer's first recruiting class will be judged on Russell's success as the highest-ranked Alabama quarterback signee since Bryce Young .
Running back: B-
Alabama got the running back it wanted in Akylin Dear, flipping his commitment from Ole Miss and securing the No. 2-ranked running back in the 2025 class. The Crimson Tide did lose an in-state commitment from Anthony Rogers , and it lost a commitment from high-rising Michigan three-star Jace Clarizio on early signing day. Dear makes it a good running back class for Alabama. But it's nowhere close to being as deep as the Crimson Tide is used to.
Wide receiver: B+
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Wide receiver could have been a disaster for Alabama after losing five-star Caleb Cunningham. Instead, the Crimson Tide made up for it the best it could by keeping New Jersey record-breaking four-star wide receiver Lotzier Brooks and flipping a Nevada four-star in Derek Meadows, pairing a 5-foot-9 wide receiver with a 6-foot-5 receiver. Both receivers are matchup nightmares and could potentially pair well with a 6-foot-1 Ryan Williams .
Tight end: A
A youth movement has begun in the Alabama tight end room. With players like CJ Dippre , Josh Cuevas and Robbie Ouzts taking the majority of the snaps in 2024, the Crimson Tide lacks younger production at the position. That changes with Kaleb Edwards - a 6-foot-6, 240-pound California tight end already built like a blocker - and Marshall Pritchett - a 6-foot-5, 211-pound vertcal threat and North Carolina flip.
Offensive line: A-
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Alabama looks like it is out on five-star Ty Haywood, who will reportedly not sign with a program during the early signing period. But even without Haywood, Alabama has an impressive offensive line class, one that showcases versatility with players like Carroll and Micah DeBose, one that has an SEC-looking tackle in Jackson Lloyd before he even steps on campus. It's a very solid group to protect Alabama's five-star signal caller.
Defensive line: C
Alabama has talent in its defensive line room in 2025 in London Simmons, a three-star interior lineman who dominated Mississippi high school defensive lines, and junior college additions Steve Mboumoua and Kevonte Henry. But It feels like patchwork compared to what the Crimson Tide could have had, losing commitments from high four-star defensive ends Javion Hilson and Zion Grady, and defensive lineman Antonio Coleman, while not landing players like five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry or four-star edge Jared Smith . Alabama has talent in its defensive line room. But the 2025 class does not seemingly match up with what the Crimson Tide has had in the past.
Linebacker: A
Yes, Alabama lost a linebacker commitment in Dawson Merritt. But the Crimson Tide's linebacker talent in 2025 was already overflowing, from Wolf linebackers Justin Hill and Abduall Sanders Jr., Will linebacker Luke Metz and middle linebacker Darrell Johnson Jr., who could play anywhere from the edge to the nickel. For a defense that is built from the success of its linebackers, Kane Wommack and the Crimson Tide have found players that will continue that trend.
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Cornerback: A
Lee by himself could give Alabama an "A" for the cornerback position as the No. 15 player in the class and the third-ranked cornerback in the country. Lee paired with top-65 California four-star Chuck McDonald gives the Crimson Tide an ample amount of talent in a room that continues to get younger and younger high-level talent to pair with players like Zabien Brown and Jaylen Mbakwe .
Safety: C+
Ivan Taylor is talented, a 6-foot, 174-pound strong safety that looks to be the Crimson Tide's answer to step into the two-deep with the departure of Malachi Moore . But in a room with a lot of unproven talent behind Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb , Alabama really did not secure the depth it needed at safety. Sure, there could be movement with a 6-foot-4 cornerback like Lee moving to safety. But as of early signing day, it's a position of need that was not filled in the high school recruiting ranks.
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Who did Alabama football sign?
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LB Justin Hill
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TE Marshall Pritchett
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SAF Ivan Taylor
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WR Lotzeir Brooks
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LB Luke Metz
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LB Darrell Johnson
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DL Steve Mboumoua
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OL Micah DeBose
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DL London Simmons
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OL Mal Waldrep
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QB Keelon Russell
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CB Dijon Lee
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DL Kevonte Henry
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OL Jackson Lloyd
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LB Abduall Sanders Jr.
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P Alex Asparuhov
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CB Chuck McDonald
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OL Michael Carroll
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TE Kaleb Edwards
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RB Akylin Dear
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WR Derek Meadows
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football recruiting class grades after early signing day
