The Alabama Crimson Tide didn’t have a good season in new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first year. They missed out on making the 12-team College Football Playoff but given the way the program is making headways in their recruitment, a championship doesn’t seem far away. Now, Alabama seeks to attain glory after legendary coach Nick Saban’s retirement after the 2023 season.
In the Class of 2026, Alabama has positioned itself far away from the rest of the league. After securing commitments from Xavier Griffin (LB), Jireh Edwards (S), Ezavier Crowell (RB), Cederian Morgan (WR) and Jorden Edmonds (CB), Alabama is the only program in all of college football who have five 5-star commitments. The closest schools have two such elite commitments.
On3’s Hayes Fawcett shared the development on X:
Alabama Recruiting is on another level right now 🔥
The Crimson Tide now have FIVE (!) 5-Stars Committed:
• Xavier Griffin (LB)
• Jireh Edwards (S)
• Ezavier Crowell (RB)
• Cederian Morgan (WR)
• Jorden Edmonds (CB)The closest schools have 2https://t.co/TTdkar3Sbq pic.twitter.com/Ns7VAg8qke
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 5, 2025
While the fans were surprised to learn that, some tried to take the credit off DeBoer and gave it to former coach Nick Saban.
“Saban is a hell of a recruiter,” one fan wrote.
“Saban still got it,” another commented.
“Funny how people said DeBoer couldn’t recruit when he got to Bama… Look at what he’s doing now — this is elite-level recruiting,” one fan said.
Still, not everyone was sold on Alabama’s momentum translating into postseason glory.
“Oh man. They’ve had the most talented roster the last 3 seasons as well. Only made the playoffs once. Won’t matter with the coaching,” one fan added.
“Given DeBoer’s management of last year’s historic roster it seems like a waste of talent,” one fan posted.
Others poked holes in the excitement.
“It’s July. They won’t be able to pay them all,” one fan added.
“So what are they just hoping these guys will not transfer when what they are promised won’t happen when the new rules hit? Lol,” another wrote.
Analyst Notes Kalen DeBoer Rewinding Nick Saban Tape in Alabama
Many were skeptical when Kalen DeBoer took over Nick Saban as the head coach of the Crimson Tide. One of Saban’s most powerful skills was his recruitment and it seems that despite early criticisms, DeBoer’s recruiting effort is getting every bit of recognition it deserves.
They secured the commitment of top‑100 Mississippi defensive lineman Nolan Wilson, who becomes the 11th pledge of a monster 18-player 2026 class. 11 of them committed in just the past 30 days. However, the recruitment of five-star safety Jireh Edwards turned heads among the college football analysts.
During his appearance on WJOX’s “McElroy and Cublic in the Morning”, analyst Paul Finebaum said it “almost feels like Nick Saban is running the ship again. He said:
“Quite frankly, this is one of the great recruiting runs we’ve seen in some years. It almost feels like Nick Saban is running the ship again when it comes to recruiting because this is vintage Alabama recruiting,” Finebaum said. (1:36)
“I think when we saw this transition two and a half years ago, I think a lot of people doubted Alabama could come back to this particular moment in time. But it is here and I think it bodes extremely well for Alabama in the futurE,” he added.
It remains to be seen if these recruitment efforts bring Alabama close to the national title again in near future.
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