High school recruiting has been the talk of Tuscaloosa for all of the wrong reasons this summer.
Heading into year three under head coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama has just the 35th-ranked recruiting class in the nation after sporting top-six classes the past two years.
It’s important to know that this will be a much smaller high school class for the Crimson Tide, with fewer than ten players out of eligibility at the end of this season. They’ve also had a pretty high retention rate under DeBoer; add in the transfer portal and a large recruiting class is out of the question.
Alabama fans should not be panicked. The Crimson Tide is only a few commits away from jumping back into the top 15.
Not to mention some of the talent they have committed, including five-star No. 1-ranked quarterback Elijah Haven and top 10 receiver Osani Gayles.
Elite 11
The most anticipated quarterback camp of the summer, the Elite 11, took place at the end of May with Nebraska commit Trae Taylor winning MVP.
The Crimson Tide had a duo of commits participate in the event for the third time ever — the most by any program ever. Haven and Trent Seaborn joined Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson in 2018 and Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones in 2016 as signal callers committed to the same program to compete.
The two warmed up before the event and hung out together during their time in California, getting a chance to get to know each other for the first time.
“He’s a great guy,” Haven said of Seaborn. “It’s been a long weekend so we’ve just been chatting it up, talking about who we want to recruit, things of that nature.
We will see how this tandem translates to Tuscaloosa, as just one of the seven quarterback commit duos to participate at the Elite 11 saw both players remain with that program throughout their entire collegiate career, 2016 duo Tua Tagovailoa and Jones.
Osani Gayles
On June 27, Alabama landed California native Osani Gayles.
Gayles is the No. 8-ranked wide receiver in the class of 2027 and the first player at his position to commit to Alabama this cycle.
“I chose Alabama just because I felt like it had everything I wanted,” Gayles said. “I believe in the coaching staff, I believe in the development, and I also believe that they can utilize me right in the offense.”
The 5-foot-10-inch route runner committed to the Crimson Tide over Washington, Oregon, USC, Miami and other top tier programs.
Scouts praise Gayles’ “soft hands” and flexibility to play outside or in the slot. He should fit in nicely to the group of wideouts DeBoer has sent to the NFL this decade.
Monshun Sales
Indiana native Monshun Sales is the Rivals No. 2 pass catcher in the nation and has totaled over 25 scholarship offers.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 205-pound receiver announced in February he was down to five schools — Ohio State, Miami, Indiana, LSU and Alabama.
The Crimson Tide, while reportedly not offering the highest price for Sales, are still hopeful to receive his commitment since he grew up an Alabama fan and even goes by the nickname “Bama.”
He is expected to commit early to mid-July, with Indiana currently the predicted favorite to land his commitment, per Rivals. However, with his ties to the state and the University, Alabama shouldn’t be counted out.
