Kalen DeBoer has landed another elite recruit for the University of Alabama, running back Akylin Dear, out of Quitman, Mississippi.
Dear has been crystal balled to Alabama for roughly a month and a half after backing off his original pledge to Ole Miss. He finally made it official late Tuesday afternoon.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 RB Akylin Dear has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’0 210 RB from Quitman, MS chose the Crimson Tide over Ole Miss & Mississippi State
“I mean who wouldn’t 🤷🏾♂️ RTR 🐘”https://t.co/QVzLbPtTwM pic.twitter.com/lt2hzdVq7H
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 20, 2024
According to 247’s rankings, Dear is the No. 1 running back in the entire country and a top-three player in the state of Mississippi along with fellow Alabama commit, wide receiver Caleb Cunningham.
Both Cunningham and Dear looked like locks to attend either Ole Miss or Mississippi State, but Kalen DeBoer convinced them to leave their home state and come to Tuscaloosa.
The Tide currently sit just behind Ohio State for the No. 1 class in the nation for 2025, but no matter where they finish on the list, what appears to be guaranteed is a very special class in DeBoer’s first recruiting cycle as Alabama’s head coach after questions were asked about his ability to recruit the South when he was initially hired.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
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