After back-to-back road losses, Alabama is looking to show recruits that it should still be the home of their collegiate careers against Missouri.
The matchup against Missouri will be a big game for Alabama. This will be a weekend with many recruiting implications, and the Crimson Tide must win because another loss might be all recruits need to decide the team isn’t for them.
Tennessee loss implications
The loss to Tennessee will have more effect on recruiting than the loss to Vanderbilt.
Alabama’s defeat against Vanderbilt has had relatively no impact on recruiting, but the Tennessee loss will hurt, as the two teams frequently target similar recruits. A third loss for Alabama would put it at a disadvantage with recruits like Faizon Brandon.
Brandon is a 5-star quarterback recruit in the class of 2026. He has been committed to the Volunteers since Aug. 3 but has been targeted by Alabama over the course of the last few weeks.
It is likely that the loss to Tennessee only made him more sure of his commitment.
Even if there are no decommitments directly resulting from the loss to Tennessee, it puts Alabama in a position where it is on the edge, and not winning out could be detrimental.
Game visitors
The Crimson Tide will host some notable names this weekend with hopes to impress:
- 2025 4-Star safety Anquon Fegans
- 2025 4-Star cornerback Donovan Starr
- 2026 5-Star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell
- 2026 4-Star running back Derrek Cooper
- 2027 4-Star linebacker Kaden Henderson
The most notable on the list is Cantwell, who is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class of 2026. He visited Tuscaloosa in July, but this will be his first visit during the season. Cantwell is from Missouri, and Alabama and Missouri have a mutual interest, so getting him out of state may be hard.
Fegans and Starr are committed to Auburn; however, they have both expressed interest in Alabama.
What else to know
After a recent update to the On3 rankings, Alabama has the No. 1 recruiting class for 2025. This is good news for the Crimson Tide, but winning is necessary to hold it together.
Recruits Marshall Pritchett and Kevonte Henry, whom the Crimson Tide has managed to flip in the past two weeks, contribute to the No. 1 class.
Pritchett is ranked as a 4-star tight end and flipped his commitment from North Carolina to Alabama on Tuesday. This will add good depth for Alabama in the tight end room.
Henry is a junior college recruit rated as a 4-star defensive end. He was previously committed to Mississippi State before flipping to Alabama on Oct. 3.
Alabama is also working to flip 4-star safety Ivan Taylor from Michigan. Taylor will be visiting Michigan this weekend but is “torn” between the two schools.
The No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2026, Jared Curtis, also recently decommitted. On Oct. 17, he reopened his commitment after previously being committed to Georgia.
Curtis has named Oregon his leader for now but still has an interest in Alabama. This week, he scheduled an official visit to Alabama for the Iron Bowl.
This will be Curtis’ first visit to Alabama under head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff. Curtis previously took four visits under former head coach Nick Saban, who targeted him heavily.