Alabama Football Recruiting 2024: Kalen DeBoer’s Top Picks and Predictions | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Alabama fans had gotten used to seeing the Crimson Tide struggle in the SEC Championship Games. However, this year Alabama will be watching from home as Georgia and Texas battle for the top spot on Saturday.

This wasn’t how fans expected the season to turn out, especially after Alabama beat Georgia in September.

However, DeBoer’s first Alabama class has the potential to push the Tide right back into SEC competition. According to 247Sports, only Georgia’s class is ranked higher, and DeBoer has been a very strong recruiter for Washington the last two years.

DeBoer has been particularly adept at bringing in offensive talent, which appears to be the case this year as well. The 2025 class is led by quarterback Keelon Russell from Duncanville (Texas), who has the potential to follow quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa to the NFL.

“Proven to be one of the most accurate passers in the 2025 cycle and had a Top247-best 70.8 percent career completion rate halfway through his senior season,” wrote Andrew Ivins of 247Sports.

According to 247Sports, Russell is the second-ranked QB recruit in the country, behind Michigan commit Bryce Underwood.

Other offensive players like 5-star lineman Michael Carroll from IMG Academy (Florida) and 4-star running back Akylin Dear from Quitman (Mississippi) can make Alabama one of the best offenses in the conference in the next few years.

Interestingly, however, DeBoer has had his best recruiting results outside of Alabama, marking a departure from the school’s trend under Saban.

According to The Athletic’s Grace Raynor, only one of 17 four-star recruits from Alabama State has committed to the Crimson Tide.

DeBoer’s recruiting strategy may not follow Alabama’s traditional path. However, the prediction here is that there is still a top-tier class that maintains Alabama’s status as a top-tier SEC program.