Grading every position group in Alabama football’s highly rated 2025 recruiting class

With a lot going against him after a spate of layoffs and an overall late start following Nick Saban’s resignation in January, it’s quite remarkable the class Kalen DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan have brought together for Alabama football in 2025.

As of today, Alabama is No. 2 in the 247 composite rankings. The Crimson Tide signed 21 players during the early signing window, which is now effectively National Signing Day. The question of whether DeBoer could recruit at a high enough level to win at Alabama was answered yes, at least in the first year.

Time will tell if it stays that way, but he passed his first big test with flying colors when he graduated from one of the best recruiting courses in the country in 2025.

Let’s break down Alabama’s class by position and distribute grades.

Quarterback:

Signed: Keelon Russell (5 stars)

Grade: A+

Keelon Russell is a great example of DeBoer and his team’s ability to evaluate talent. Rival fan bases made a lot of jokes when Alabama kicked Russell – then a 3-star prospect – out of SMU.

Russell then won the Elite 11 competition and had a dominant senior season at the highest level of Texas high school football. He experienced a meteoric rise in the rankings, eventually finishing second overall in that class.

Russell is the future of the QB position at Alabama, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him in the thick of the competition to become the Crimson Tide’s starter next season.

Running back:

Signed by: AK Dear (4 stars)

Grade: B+

The night before the early signing period, Alabama saw one of its two RB commitments, Jace Clarizio, revert his commitment. Clarizio has been a longtime member of Michigan State but transferred to Alabama a week ago. In the end, he decided to stay close to home and signed with the Spartans.

Even without Clarizio, Alabama should feel comfortable with the only signee they found at RB. According to the 247 composite rankings, AK Dear is the second best RB prospect in the country.

Dear was originally committed to Ole Miss, but Alabama flipped him in August and kept him down the stretch. Alabama’s RB room appears to be one of the best in the country right now, but we’ll see who stays and who goes when the transfer portal window opens.

Wide receiver:

Signees: Derek Meadows (4 stars), Lotzeir Brooks (3 stars)

Grade: B+

Alabama’s WR class looked thin after 4-star Caleb Cunningham transferred from Alabama to Ole Miss a few weeks ago. That left the Crimson Tide with only Lotzeir Brooks, who may be the most underrated player in this class.

After the Tide signed five WRs last season, just one would have been fine in this class, but it’s clear they were hoping for two. Late yesterday afternoon, a major signee was acquired during a signing ceremony at Bishop Gorman High School in Alabama.

4-star LSU commit Derek Meadows flipped his commitment to Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide one of the most physically gifted receivers in the 2025 class.

Meadows and Brooks are good receivers for the Tide. Brooks is the fast, big threat who is vastly underrated by most services. Meadows is an intriguing 6-6, 205-pound physical freak who may be raw but could develop into a matchup nightmare.

Tight end:

Signees: Kaleb Edwards (4 stars), Marshall Pritchett (4 stars)

Grade: A-

Alabama had a need at tight end in this class as both CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts exhausted their eligibility after this season. Alabama wanted two guys and they got two of the best in the country.

Kaleb Edwards is a special athlete who has the potential to really make a difference as a receiver. He also has the tools that would allow him to immediately compete for playing time as a rookie.

Alabama traded Marshall Pritchett from North Carolina in October to solidify its tight end class. Pritchett has a lot of potential but will need some time in a university strength and conditioning program before he is ready to play.

Offensive line:

Signees: Michael Carroll (5 stars), Jackson Lloyd (4 stars), Micah DeBose (4 stars), Mal Waldrep (3 stars)

Grade: B+

Alabama still has a really good class on offense, but for a long time it had arguably the best class in the country at OL. But 5-star OT Ty Haywood didn’t sign with Alabama yesterday, and while he’s still listed as a commitment, he likely won’t end up in the Tide’s class.

Michigan and others threw a lot of zero money at Haywood, and he probably went with the highest bidder.

Still, it’s hard to be disappointed with Alabama’s success, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they were portal players for a potential bridge starter or two.

Five-star Michael Carroll is the group’s prize as the best IOL in the country. He’s a guy who could be a starting guard in Tuscaloosa.

Jackson Lloyd appears to be a good player in the future, but still needs to build up some strength before he’s ready to play. DeBose and Waldrep are the only players from Alabama State in the Tide’s class.

Defense line:

Signees: London Simmons (3-star), Steve Mboumoua (JUCO), Kevonte Henry (JUCO)

Grade: C+

This position group was the only group that was somewhat disappointing in this class. Two JUCO players and a composite 3-star player don’t exactly bring back memories of Alabama’s dominant defenses of days gone by.

But Mboumoua and Henry are two of the top-ranked JUCO players in the country. Henry projects the role of a Bandit (DE) while Mboumoua will play DT or Nose.

In the Alabama transfer portal, look for the defensive line to be the focus. The Tide will likely lose LT Overton as well as Tim Smith and Tim Keenan, and Jeheim Oatis left the team mid-season to enter the portal.

Linebackers:

Signees: Justin Hill (4 stars), Darrell “Duke” Johnson (4 stars), Luke Metz (3 stars), Abduall Sanders Jr. (3 stars)

Grade: B+

Alabama lost 4-star Dawson Merritt, who transferred to Nebraska a few weeks ago but still brought a strong group of linebackers with him. I’m including Justin Hill – an EDGE who will play WOLF at Alabama – here because it makes more sense than DL.

Hill could make an immediate impact as a situational pass rusher, but will need to step up to make an impact against the run.

Johnson is an exceptional athlete who played both ways in high school and is the versatile linebacker prospect that is important in Kane Wommack’s system.

Metz and Sanders are the best physically prepared in the group.

Defensive backs:

Signees: Dijon Lee (5 stars), Ivan Taylor (4 stars), Chuck McDonald (4 stars),

Grade: A-

Alabama wanted to add another defensive back in this class but couldn’t quite seal the deal by transferring Donovan Starr from Auburn. It was never going to be easy with the group Alabama put together at DB last season and the number of talented underclassmen that saw the field. It’s a competitive space and it won’t be difficult for anyone to recognize the game time right away.

Dijon Lee is one of the top corner prospects in the country and has great size at 6’3″. He will compete for playing time somewhere in the secondary next season. He and Chuck McDonald are a great duo at CB.

Ivan Taylor came to Alabama late in this cycle. As the son of NFL player Ike Taylor, he switched his commitment to the Crimson Tide from Michigan. He is the No. 2 safety ranking in the 247 Composite Rankings.