Alabama takes over No. 1 class in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Yet another notch in the recruiting belt of Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama staff was added on Sunday, as the Crimson Tide landed a commitment from Denton (Texas) Ryan five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood. He’s the second five-star to commit to the Tide in as many days, joining Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham.

“They have a great, winning culture over the years,” Haywood told On3’s Chad Simmons. “They are always winning and they are like a family. I saw the smile on my mom’s face when we were there. It was a clue that she was thinking, ‘This is where my son should be…’ I was praying for a long time for God to show me where I needed to be. When I got into the facilities, people were overwhelming with love and it was a family atmosphere.” 

His commitment also pushed the Tide past Ohio State, giving them the No. 1 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Of the 22 total commits in the class, 15 are inside the top 200 in the On3 Industry Ranking.

The Tide continue to roll on the trail this summer

After a monumental June brought home 10 commitments, Bama has already added four more blue-chip pledges this month. The class is already loaded on both sides of the ball in multiple ways.

Cunningham and Haywood are terrific additions for Duncanville (Texas) five-star quarterback Keelon Russell, who now checks in at No. 26 overall player nationally. Russell and Mission Viejo (Calif.) five-star cornerback Dijon Lee both joined the class in June and both are top-five players at their positions.

“For me, it came down to the relationships, player development, the trust I have in the coaches and how I vibe with the players were big factors,” Lee said of his commitment. “I think the Alabama coaching staff does a great job as a group. That made a big difference.”

El Dorado Hills (Calif.) Oak Ridge four-star tight end Kaleb Edwards and Cincinnati Winton Woods four-star EDGE Justin Hill flank Cunningham as new July commitments. Hill is now the No. 51 prospect and No. 6 EDGE in the nation, while Edwards is a top-10 TE.

Eastman (Ga.) Dodge County four-star athlete Darrell Johnson is a top-50 prospect. Doylestown (Pa.) Central Bucks East four-star interior offensive lineman Michael Carroll is now an On3 five-star. Selma (Ala.) Southside four-star athlete Derick Smith, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star cornerback Chuck McDonald and Carmel (Calif.) four-star offensive tackle Jackson Lloyd are all top-100 recruits.

Other top commits in the class include Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt, Mobile (Ala.) Vigor four-star interior lineman Micah DeBose, Montgomery (Ala.) Carver four-star running back Anthony Rogers, Saraland (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman and Rome (Ga.) four-star linebacker Jaedon Harmon.