In-state LB becomes first member of Alabama's '27 class

Alabama’s 2027 class added its first member on Tuesday morning.

Moments ago, Moody, Alabama, High School recruit Ba’Roc Willis announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. His decision was made after attending the program’s Champions Cook-Out event on Sunday. Willis has yet to take a snap as a sophomore, but was a take for Kalen DeBoer and his staff nonetheless.

“Academics and the college feeling like home,” Willis told BamaOnLine of his decision. “I went down there and it just felt great. I was vibing with a whole bunch of coaches and prospects. They were also down there with me. It was just a great time.

“Great environment,” Willis added. “Being close to my mom and my family members. That’s always great. I just love that coaching staff. That’s a great coaching staff to be around, as well as the players.”

Willis, who grew up a fan of the Tide, familiarized himself with DeBoer’s new-look Bama program throughout the year. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker attended their Feb. 3 junior day, a practice in March, A-Day on April 13, and this past weekend for their end-of-July event.

He got some quality one-on-one time with DeBoer during his recent visit.

“Just talking with Coach DeBoer about my future, it was a great conversation that I had with him,” Willis said. “It was about the recruiting process. Some guys act like divas and try to make everything pretty. Some guys get bored during the recruiting process. But I know what I’m looking for in a college and what I want to do, so I wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way so I can get ready for the season.

“It was a relationship thing,” Willis continued. “I knew those guys for the longest and I felt like the time was right. I went ahead and pulled that trigger. Think it was a great decision by me.”

Bama hosted Willis for several visits last year, including a couple of game days. That all culminated in an offer from the previous staff on Dec. 15. Alabama immediately became of high interest for Willis, who knows true freshmen Jaylen Mbakwe, Jeremiah Beaman, and Sterling Dixon from the team.

“I’ve got a lot of family members that went to Bama,” Willis said. “I’ve got friends that play there. My cousin, C.J. Mosley, went there. I’ve been training with Beaman since the 7th grade, so he always leads me to the right place.

“It’s a good feeling. Having family that went there and went to the league, you just have to know they’re doing something right producing at that level,” Willis continued. “That’s just great.”

Willis already has some names in mind that he’ll recruit to Alabama

Although he’s still early on in the process, Willis had plenty of noteworthy offers. Some of the schools that have already offered him include Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and others. Auburn hosted him for a visit this past weekend as well.

Christian Robinson and Freddie Roach have led the way in their pursuit of Willis. Robinson’s involvement comes from Alabama currently recruiting him as an outside linebacker, though they will continue to evaluate Willis and his potential position fit over the next couple of seasons.

“He’s a great guy,” Willis said of Robinson. “He’s a very funny dude. I went down there for spring practice. He was just talking with me, cracking jokes, making me laugh. I can see myself playing for him. I feel like since he played in the SEC, he knows what he’s talking about. We went into the film room and talked a little bit of film, so it’s always great to know that your coach knows what he’s talking about.”

Willis is excited about the future of Alabama’s football team with DeBoer leading the way. He’s still working on his recruiting pitch, but will try to get some other top in-state sophomores in the fold moving forward.

“It’s going to be a good program under Coach DeBoer,” Willis said. “I see what he’s trying to do. I can’t talk about the 2025 class, but I know I’m going to build around this 2027 class. It means a lot, but it also puts a lot on my back. I’m trying to get some more big-time recruits, like EJ Crowell and Cam Pritchett to commit with me. I’m going to try to get [JaBarrius Garror], too. It’s a whole bunch of 2027 recruits.”

Willis is looking to attend the Iron Bowl and some additional home games this season, as well as Alabama’s road game at Tennessee on Oct. 19.

As a freshman, Willis posted 79 total tackles during the season, with 14.5 tackles for loss. He also had 9 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles in 2023. You can watch his freshman season highlights below!

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