Elite RB Akylin Dear sets commitment date

Quitman (Miss.) four-star running back Akylin Dear is set to announce his commitment next Tuesday on Aug. 20, he tells On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

The former Ole Miss commit will choose between the Rebels, Alabama and Mississippi State.

Dear is the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 2 RB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in Mississippi.

The Crimson Tide are currently trending for the 6-foot, 200-pounder, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Six different predictions were logged in favor of Bama landing the blue-chipper back in June amidst his decommitment from Ole Miss.

“I’ve been thinking about it for sometime now and just have been contemplating on what’s best for me and my future,” Dear told On3 upon his June 28 decommitment. “It’s always been a tough decision because you want to stay home and put on for your home state, but at the same time you want to follow your dream that you grew up loving this team all your life and as a kid, saying I wanted to play for this team. At the end of the day I had to do what was best for me and my family and what made me happy so that I don’t ever have any regrets.”

The Tide already have a commitment from Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, the No. 1 prospect in the Magnolia State. Dear took his official visit to Tuscaloosa on June 21 and has continued to build a relationship with RBs coach Robert Gillespie — one of the few assistants who made the transition from Nick Saban’s staff to Kalen DeBoer’s.

“Alabama has always showed me so much love even after I committed. They’ve always told me and showed me that they want me,” Dear said after his OV. “Coach Gillespie has came to my school several times and that says a lot. Alabama is Alabama. They’re always going to be a top-tier school and a powerhouse.”

Akylin Dear Scouting Summary

On3’s scouting and rankings team writes this of Dear as a prospect:

“Tough, skilled runner with a well-rounded skill set for the position. Has plus size, measuring in at around 6-foot, 205 pounds prior to his senior season. Should be able to easily carry 215+ pounds at the next level. A good athlete in the combine setting. A bell cow back on Friday nights as a junior. Displays advanced vision in working between the tackles. Runs with patience, setting up his blocks. Able to change tempo and quickly change gears. Shows a nice burst in accelerating to hit holes as they appear. Comfortable in working within confined spaces. Doesn’t hesitate in getting north-south. Displays outstanding contact balance. Runs through arm tackles and spins out of contact.

…Strong on contact and plays with a physical edge. A solid pass catcher. Saw an uptick in his production as a junior, rushing for over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. Ran track as a sophomore, posting a personal best of 11.20 seconds in the 100 meters. Has some tightness in his lower body that can shorten his stride in the open field, affecting his top gear and long speed. Improvement on that front would improve his ability to pull away at the college level. Has a high floor as an every down back given his well-rounded skill set and looks to be one of the top runners in the 2025 cycle.”