Alabama Crimson Tide just poured gasoline on growing 2028 recruiting fire following latest 4-star commitment on defense
The Alabama Crimson Tide have received a ton of criticism over their lack of recruits in the 2027 class, but the same can’t be said about 2028, and certainly not when analyzing what Alabama just accomplished.
The Alabama Crimson Tide just added another blue-chip prospect to what is quickly becoming a dominant 2028 recruiting class. Four-star linebacker Tysir Young, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound edge rusher out of Delaware, committed to Alabama over offers from Miami, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia, Rutgers, and a host of other programs. Young ranks as the No. 7 linebacker in the 2028 Rivals rankings, and his pledge further cements the Crimson Tide’s hold on the top spot in the class.
Alabama currently sits at No. 1 in the 2028 recruiting rankings, and it is not close. That gap tells you everything about what Kalen DeBoer, GM Courtney Morgan, and the rest of the personnel staff are building in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama 2028 recruiting class
- Tysir Young: 4-star EDGE from Middletown, Delaware (No. 1 player in Delaware)
- Kingston Preyear: 4-star QB from Alexander City, Alabama
- Anthony Blalock Jr.: 4-star OL from Austintown, Ohio
- Charles Scott Jr.: 3-star QB from Richmond, Virginia
- Dustin Henry: 3-star LB from Laurel, Maryland
- Ryquan Butler: 3-star LB from Notasulga, Alabama
- Braylen Gibbs: 3-star CB from Knoxville, Tennessee
The 2027 class discourse is missing the point
There has been no shortage of conjecture about Alabama’s 2027 recruiting class. The Crimson Tide rank 42nd nationally for 2027, a number that has generated plenty of hand-wringing among fans and pundits. The truth is, Alabama appears to be operating with a calculated approach for that cycle while going full steam ahead on 2028.
Young’s commitment is the latest piece of evidence. To land a 4-star prospect from the Northeast, on top of the in-state pledges and two quarterback commitments Alabama has already secured for 2028, shows a recruiting footprint that stretches coast to coast. DeBoer and his staff are planting flags everywhere, and they are doing it earlier than most of their competitors.
What Tysir Young’s commitment says about Alabama’s plan
Young had his pick of programs. Miami, Oregon, Ohio State, and Georgia all offered, and those are not programs that lose many recruiting battles. For Alabama to win this one, with a prospect ranked among the top linebackers in the entire class, signals that the Crimson Tide’s pitch is resonating with elite talent two cycles out.
It also reinforces something I have been tracking for a while now. Alabama is not ignoring 2027. The staff has been direct and intentional about which prospects they pursue in that class. But the energy, the volume, and the early returns all point toward 2028 as the cycle where DeBoer wants to make a massive statement.
So the immediate question becomes whether Alabama will still make a late push before National Signing Day for the 2027 class or continue to funnel the bulk of its resources toward 2028. In my opinion, the answer is both, but the priority is clear. The Crimson Tide are getting a jump on the competition for 2028, and the results speak for themselves.
The bottom line
Alabama’s recruiting staff has proven that its approach is not a product of neglect or oversight. It is a strategy. When you can lock down the No. 1 class in 2028 with commitments from every region of the country, you are doing something right. If DeBoer can keep this momentum going through the fall and into the winter evaluation period, the 2028 class could end up as one of the strongest Alabama has assembled in the modern recruiting era.