Did Alabama save the best for last? BOL has extensively covered the loaded official visitors each weekend this month, and it’s now in the home stretch. This is the final weekend of summer official visits. It’s also the final few days before the recruiting dead period which begins on June 25. The Crimson Tide will host several, highly sought after targets including players with upcoming decisions.
The VIP guest list for the weekend includes a five-star trio and the No. 1 linebacker in the country. Three additional Top 100 targets will also congregate at the Capstone including a former commitment for Coach Kalen DeBoer during his time at Washington.
Two recruits with connections to Mobile will also visit Tuscaloosa. Alabama is also possibly on the verge of landing at least one of the two in the near future. Three commitments will return to campus after taking official visits elsewhere this month. It’s possible each one completely shuts things down after their weekend with Alabama.
BOL is also closely watching a few big visits elsewhere. Alabama currently has the No. 4 recruiting class in the country per the On3 Sports Industry Team Rankings. Many targets are completing their final visits this weekend before announcing their college decision. Alabama is hoping to keep the recent hot streak of commitments alive, and it appears more great news is ahead soon.
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Decisions coming soon, not-so-soon
Dijon Lee, five-star corner from Mission Viejo High School in California, will take his final official visit to Alabama this weekend. It just so happens it’s with the team trending in his recruitment for the last two months. This has been an Alabama/UGA battle since earlier this year. Lee received an offer from Alabama January 16. He was the first defensive recruit offered by Coach DeBoer at UA. Jackson Lloyd, who committed to the Tide on Tuesday, was the first overall recruit offered by the new staff (1/15).
Lee is currently set to announce his decision June 28 (next Friday). He has taken official visits to Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M and Washington. Alabama will look to close one of the nation’s premier prospects this weekend during his third visit to Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s staff, led by Coach DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, Mo Linguist and Kane Wommack, have been outstanding in the Tide’s pursuit. It looks like they will have a great opportunity to add another high caliber player from the West Coast (Recent BOL interview).
In-state OL Micah DeBose (Prichard-Vigor) will take a final official visit before his expected announcement (date not set yet). DeBose has visited Florida, LSU and Ohio State this month. The Buckeyes and Gators each expressed optimism after the official, though DeBose did take an unofficial to Alabama two days after his weekend in Baton Rouge. Alabama gets the last visit- and momentum appears on the Tide’s side.
Alabama appears to have a realistic shot with Ty Jackson, No. 1 LB per On3 Sports. The class is stacked at the position, but if there is anyone in the country who still has a spot it’s Jackson. This will mark a third visit to Tuscaloosa since earlier this spring. A decision is not expected, however, until December 4 (Early Signing Period). He has visited Florida, Georgia and Penn State this month. Florida State is expected to receive an official in the fall (Recent BOL interview).
Alabama eyeing offensive weapons
This is a pretty significant weekend at the receiver position as two of the Tide’s top overall targets return. Alabama hosted Travis Smith Jr. for an official visit last weekend (post-visit interview) and five-star Kaliq Lockett (post-visit interview) was also in town this week for an official. Alabama is in contention for both. Five-star Caleb Cunningham (Ackerman, Miss-Choctaw County) and Top 100 Derek Meadows (Las Vegas-Bishop Gorman) arrive in T-Town on Friday.
Cunningham’s recruitment has been interesting to watch as the in-state schools (Ole Miss, Mississippi State) appeared the early front-runners. He took official visits this month to Auburn, Florida and Tennessee (also took an unofficial to Ole Miss). Auburn was named the leader after visiting the Tigers May 31. He later named UF as a co-leader. Cunninghamtold BOL he didn’t want to leave Tuscaloosa after visiting Alabama earlier this spring, and that was just from a few hours on campus. A decision is currently not expected until later in the fall.
Meadows has been viewed by many as a Notre Dame lean throughout most of his recruitment. He’s visited South Bend four times including an official visit this past weekend. Alabama made a strong impression after a weekend trip to T-Town in late March. Others have hosted this month including Georgia, Michigan and LSU. His relationship with the Tide coaches, however, stems back from when Coach DeBoer and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard were at Washington. There’s a strong connection there. Alabama has a great chance to capitalize on the final visit before he makes a decision (no date set).
Alabama currently has one wide receiver commitment, Lotzerir Brooks (Top 100 from Millville, N.J.). The Tide is hoping to add one, possibly two more at the position.
Five-star surprise, more DL targets visiting Tide
Alabama received a commitment on Sunday evening from London Simmons after an official visit. He is the second DL to commit to the Tide in the ’25 class. He joined Antonio Coleman, four-star from Saraland (Ala.), who will take an OV to ‘Bama this weekend (more on him below). There are still uncertainties on how the rest of the class will play out at the position, but hopefully some answers will become clear after the visits.
Below is a look at four uncommitted DL visiting this weekend:
Justus Terry, five-star from Manchester High School in Ga.-The No. 2 DL in the country announced a decommitment from USC on Wednesday. It was announced he will take an official visit to Alabama this weekend. Predictions have been submitted (via On3 reporters) favor of UGA to re-add the former commitment. Alabama will get a shot, though. Terry had named Alabama his No. 2 school last year, and again in February (prior to a visit to USC when he originally flipped from the Bulldogs). This is his first trip back to UA since last year, but he did meet with Coach DeBoer earlier this year at his high school. Freddie Roach has been in consistent contact the last two years.
Josiah Sharma, Top 100 from Folsom High School in Calif.
-One of the first recruits to receive an offer from Coach DeBoer and Alabama (1/27). Sharma had originally committed to Washington on January 1. He decommitted on 1/27, and took his first trip to Alabama the following weekend. The 6-foot-3.5, 320-pound lineman returns this week for his fourth trip to Tuscaloosa. Alabama has been viewed as a front-runner in his recruitment. Others have pressed hard including Texas, Oregon and Washington. A decision is expected before the start of the season.
Damien Shanklin, Top 100 EDGE from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis
-The top recruit in Indiana will return to Alabama for the second time after taking an unofficial visit May 3. He was offered by Alabama on 4/26. There is high interest in the program, but there is also some ground to gain this weekend. Shanklin is recruited by Alabama for the ‘Bandit’ position on the defensive front. He has taken OVs to LSU (current leader), Ohio State and Tennessee. A decision date is currently set for August 29.
Floyd Boucard, three-star DL Central High School in Miami -The 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman was a breakout star for Mobile (Ala.) Christian last fall after moving to the U.S. from Canada in the spring (’23). He had 85 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He moved to Central High School in Miami earlier this year. He has taken official visits to Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma and USC. He is a much bigger target now for the Trojans after losing two five-star DL commitments this week. Boucard received an offer from Alabama in April. A clearer picture regarding the Tide’s position is known after the weekend.
Incoming commits, visits to watch elsewhere
Alabama will host three of its commitments this weekend. Luke Metz, four-star linebacker from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga., Antonio Coleman (mentioned above) and Abduall Sanders, four-star linebacker from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif.
Metz, who grew up an Alabama fan, committed to the Tide in April. He has since received an offer from Georgia, and took an official visit with the Bulldogs this past weekend. Metz released a statement saying he is locked-in with Alabama. That will not stop Georgia’s pursuit, and Metz informed BOL the communication with the home-state school continues.
Coleman has been a bit of a wildcard. He committed to Alabama in the fall before an unexpected flip to Auburn. He flipped back to Alabama in early March, but he has also returned to Auburn a few times including an official visit two weekends ago. Some recruitments are different from others, but with Coleman the UA staff may look to solidify things with him this weekend or let him figure things out on his own. The staff will not want to put itself in a position where it holds off from taking others while waiting for a ‘final’ decision from Coleman until December.
Sanders took an official visit to Tennessee last weekend. It’s the only other school he’s considered to this point outside of Alabama. The Vols will continue to fight for Sanders, but having him return to Tuscaloosa the the following week to right before the dead period should the Crimson Tide in a great spot.
Targets visiting elsewhere:
UA commit Jaedon Harmon (Rome, Ga.)- Ohio State (tentative)
Five-star OL Ty Haywood (UA trending)- FSU
Five-star WR Kaliq Lockett (talks recent UA visit)- Texas
Five-star CB Na’eem Offord (multiple visits to UA this month)- Ohio State
Top 100 Wolf Justin Hill (interview with mom after UA visit)- Oregon
Top 100 RB AK Dear (interview after UA visit)- Texas A&M
Top 100 WR Travis Smith (talks recent UA visit)-Tennessee
Top 100 S Ivan Taylor (ND commit, pushing hard)- Michigan
Four-star RB Harry Dalton (visited UA last weekend)- USC
Four-star OL Malachi Goodman (visited UA last weekend)- USC
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