Alabama football hasn’t met the exact standards of the post-Nick Saban era, but it has been far from a disaster, with Ty Simpson joining the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. However, quarterbacks are not the only position Alabama can afford to focus on. Adding on defense could be the difference in any contest up to and including the national championship.
A star defensive prospect could fall into the team’s lap in 2027. According to Parker Thune via Rivals in a Tuesday report on X, cornerback Gabriel Osborne Jr. has narrowed down his 2027 plans to five schools.
Each of the schools is a high-profile program, but Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama is in the running with Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes and Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan Wolverines, alongside the Carson Beck-less Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners.
“Elite CB Gabriel Osborne Jr. is down to Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State, and Miami, Parker Thune reports,” the report read.
247 Sports has Osborne listed as a four-star prospect at 6’2″ and 180 pounds.
Chances of Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Football Team Landing Gabriel Osborne Jr.
At face value, Alabama football has a one-in-five or 20% chance of winning the sweepstakes. However, more factors will help narrow his choices. Unfortunately for Alabama, some things don’t line up well.
Gabriel Osborne Jr.’s goal is not only to join a school but to get a chance to play in the NFL. That means he won’t be able to waste much time hoping for the coach to give him more playing time than the others. Alabama currently has more cornerbacks on its roster than the other five teams. As such, his odds are likely to be lower to start his career with a high chance of getting on the field.
As such, the math doesn’t line up for Osborne, which means Kalen DeBoer will have to work hard to convince him he will see significant playing time from the first game. If one coach is playing hard to get and the other isn’t, Osborne’s career prospects might seem higher with the second one.
Either way, all five schools are high-profile, so it might come down to which one is the most genuine and has the fewest number of cornerbacks. In terms of math, Oklahoma is the most needy with zero cornerbacks on the roster, per 247 Sports.
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