After 17 seasons as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide and 28 years running college football programs overall, Nick Saban announced his retirement last month. To their credit, the Alabama athletic department acted quickly to land Kalen DeBoer, who just led Washington to the College Football Playoff national championship, as the next Crimson Tide head coach. Now, DeBoer will follow in the footsteps of one of the top college football coaches in history and his first big test will be rounding out the 2024 Alabama football recruiting class.
Alabama ranks second in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings and will try to round out the Class of 2024 by signing commits Ryan Williams and Noah Carter while also targeting other uncommitted prospects. Alabama being a winner could draw some of the nation’s top prospects to one of the most notable programs in college football and keep existing recruits like four-star receiver Rico Scott around. If you want to see the latest Alabama recruiting news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Bama247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Alabama.
The team of insiders at Bama247 are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the football coaching search, including insights from Matt Zenitz, John Talty and Mike Rodak, who have more than 25 years of experience covering the Crimson Tide. The trio has deep-rooted ties inside and around the Alabama community, and Talty wrote The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban, a Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller. And right now, Bama247 is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
The team at Bama247 already has extensive coverage of Alabama’s recruiting efforts under Kalen DeBoer. Head to Bama247 now to see them all. Check out the site’s groundbreaking message board for the latest Alabama football recruiting news.
Kalen DeBoer Alabama recruiting updates
DeBoer picked up his first commitment at Alabama when Washington quarterback Austin Mack announced his decision to transfer to the Crimson Tide on Jan. 19. Originally a Class of 2024 recruit, Mack reclassified to 2023 to sign with DeBoer at Washington and backed up Michael Penix Jr. last season. When DeBoer was hired at Alabama, he put his name in the transfer portal and quickly enlisted with his old head coach. DeBoer praised Mack for learning the offense as quickly as any should-be high school senior he’s ever seen and raved about the arm talent that he brings with him to Tuscaloosa. Mack spoke to Bama247 about his decision to transfer, which you can read about here.
One player that DeBoer’s staff is interested in is Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei Top247 four-star receiver Marcus Harris. He is the No. 86 player in the 247Sports composite ranking for 2025 and he also ranks as a top-10 receiver nationally and a top-10 player from California in his class. He’s amassed dozens of offers with many of college football’s elite programs such as Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Michigan and Oklahoma all jumping in. Washington offered him when DeBoer was there in 2022, so he’s a prospect this staff is familiar with. Harris has been active in recent months, visiting Oregon, Tennessee, Penn State and Texas since the start of the 2023 season, and now Alabama is set to host him at a Junior Day on Feb. 3. There’s still a lot to play out in this recruitment, so be sure to check out Bama247 for more on his plans. See his full visit plans at Bama247.
DeBoer is also targeting linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, who is the No. 1 prospect in Washington. Rainey-Sale was committed to DeBoer and Washington but chose to open up his recruitment when DeBoer left the Huskies for the Crimson Tide. DeBoer’s staff extended an Alabama offer to Rainey-Sale just days later and now he’s expected to choose between Washington and Alabama at some point.
At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Rainey-Sale is ranked as the No. 80 overall prospect nationally in the Class of 2025 and he could wind up being a building block for Alabama in that cycle. The Crimson Tide only have two commitments for 2025 and currently rank 30th in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings for 2025. Rainey-Sale is expected to take official visits in the spring and this battle could come down to Bama vs. Washington later this year. Bama247 learned more about his decision and his updated recruiting timeline, which you can see here.
Alabama has also started making moves out West under the new coaching staff. DeBoer spent time at Fresno State and Washington, so he has plenty of ties to that part of the country. His staff has already offered some of the best players on the West Coast, including Rainey-Sale. Another player DeBoer offered is Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley linebacker Marco Jones, who had already received an offer from Saban and attended a Washington game last year as the top recruit in Northern California. See the other top 2025 West-Coast recruit that DeBoer’s staff offered here.
There are also plenty of updates like linebacker Quinton Reese commenting on his pending commitment and one tight end with a strong take about the new regime.
How to get Alabama 247Sports updates
Alabama’s new coaching staff could grow with an exciting hire who could change the face of Alabama football recruiting. See who it is at Bama247.
Who are the top players that Alabama’s new coaching staff is targeting right now and which coach could have a major impact? Go to Bama247 to see all the latest Alabama recruiting news, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Crimson Tide, and find out. And reminder, Bama247 is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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