Alabama trending for elite in-state athlete Derick Smith

After suffering a string of decommitments in the 2025 recruiting class following Nick Saban’s retirement, Alabama is gaining steam as Kalen DeBoer and his staff settle in.

The Crimson Tide have landed a pair of four-star commitments in the past eight days — flipping defensive lineman Antonio Coleman from rival Auburn and beating out a host of schools for athlete Zymear Smith. DeBoer and his staff still have plenty of work to do to compete at the top of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings again, but the buzz around Tuscaloosa is tangible.

And no more apparent is that momentum than with in-state targets like Selma (Ala.) Southside four-star athlete Derick Smith. The 6-foot, 185-pounder was at Alabama last month for his first visit with the new coaching staff, and now the Crimson Tide are trending ahead of Auburn to land him in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Smith could project on either side of the ball at the college level — playing either wide receiver or defensive back.

“It was good,” Smith told BamaOnLine of his visit. “[What stood out was] the coaching staff, the new coaching staff. They don’t want to change anything from the past. They want to keep the ‘Bama standard going strong.

… [The highlight was] everything. Talking with Coach DeBoer.”

DeBoer, Crimson Tide taking a personal interest in Smith

The first-year head coach has made Smith a priority as in-state recruit and believes he could be the next great player in Tuscaloosa from the Yellowhammer State.

“I like his personality. I like everything about him, basically,” Smith said of DeBoer. “He was telling me I can be the next Julio Jones. The next legend to come out of Alabama. That means a lot. That stood out to me right there. Julio Jones, he’s a legend that came out of Alabama.

New receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard briefly spoke with Smith on his visit, but the other coach that spent the most time with him was Kane Wommack, Alabama’s defensive coordinator. “I like where he sees me at on the defense,” Smith said of his conversation with Wommack. “I can tackle in open space and I can cover man-to-man.”

The last couple of weeks — including school stops — have been about laying the groundwork for the new staff’s relationship with Smith and his family.

It’s early on into the pursuit, but Smith continues to have Bama near the top of his list.

“They’re top three, for sure,” Smith said. “[I like] everything. There isn’t anything you can’t like about Alabama.”

Auburn and Florida State are the other programs in his top three, and while the buzz is around the Crimson Tide currently, Smith hasn’t given any indications he wants to commit soon.