Alabama Made Pivotal Moves in Recruiting This Past Week

Alabama has established itself as a powerhouse in college football over the past century, clinching six national championships since the start of the 21st century. This success is no accident; it began with effective recruiting. Former legendary head coach Nick Saban played a pivotal role in this by bringing in ten top-ranked recruiting classes during his 17-year tenure with the Crimson Tide. Among his recruits, he landed future NFL stars like Mark Ingram, Dont'a Hightower, and Julio Jones, all of whom were part of the 2008 class—Saban's second as Alabama's head coach.

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Kalen Deboer is currently following in Saban's footsteps as he works to build an impressive recruiting class during his second cycle as head coach of the Crimson Tide. In early February, Alabama held its Junior Day, where Deboer and his staff hosted a guest list filled with blue-chip prospects from the 2026 class. Since then, the Tide has been making daily progress in recruiting, including hosting Elbert Hill IV, a 4-star cornerback and the No. 1 player from Ohio, for an official visit on Monday, March 3rd.

2026 No.4 CB Elbert Hill IV's Visit to Tuscaloosa Monday

Hill is a promising 5-foot-10, 170-pound cornerback from Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio. During his junior season, he showcased his defensive skills by recording four interceptions and three pass breakups. Recently, he visited Tuscaloosa to attend Alabama's first day of spring practice. Hill is currently ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the 2026 class, according to On3's Industry Rankings. With offers from top football programs such as USC, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Deboer and his staff seemed to have impressed the defensive back and his father during their visit. Elbert Hill III, the cornerback's father, told Tuscaloosa News that it was "just a whole presentation and vision that I haven’t seen any other school do yet." Hill III also mentioned that the visit concluded with a meeting with Alabama's General Manager, Courtney Morgan. During this meeting, Morgan shared his and the staff’s vision for the four-star cornerback, discussing what his future could look like if he committed to the Crimson Tide. To illustrate this vision, Morgan created a vision board showing Hill IV as a Freshman All-American and a future NFL cornerback.

Ohio State is currently the favorite to land the in-state four-star cornerback, with the Buckeyes receiving crystal ball projections last March from 247 Sports' Ohio State insider, Bill Kurelic. However, Alabama may have made a significant push on Monday to surpass the Buckeyes as the cornerback's new favorite. The Tide added a personal touch to Hill's visit; his father remarked to Tuscaloosa News, "Just seeing Ohio guys down there at Bama, because it's kind of rare, gave us a good feeling." This was highlighted by the presence of Utah transfer cornerback Cameron Calhoun and freshman linebacker Justin Hill, both of whom are from Ohio.

This wasn't all the Tide did this week; the Tide also received multiple visits from top prospects in the 2026 class. Let's look at some of the prospects who scheduled official visits this week.

2026 No.2 RB Derrek Cooper

On3's No. 2 running back in the class announced on Monday that he will be visiting Alabama's campus on an official visit on June 9th. Cooper, a 6'0", 210-pound running back from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recorded 905 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns during his junior season, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. His performance helped lead Chaminade-Madonna Prep to a 1A state title in Florida. Ranked as the No. 32 overall prospect in the 2026 class by On3, Cooper is a versatile player who can power through the middle or quickly take a sweep to the outside, using his speed to gain an advantage. Once he reaches the open field, it typically takes at least two defenders to bring him down. The coaching staff is very familiar with Cooper; head coach Kalen Deboer and four other staff members visited him at his home on January 31st.

2026 4-Star EDGE Ebenezer Ewetade

A 6'4", 230-pound 4-star edge rusher from South Garner in Garner, North Carolina, recorded impressive statistics during his junior season: 82 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. The North Carolina native, who played both edge and linebacker throughout the season where he showed his athleticism, announced to On3's Hayes Fawcett on Wednesday that he would be visiting Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide on June 13. This announcement came shortly after he included Alabama in his top five, which includes Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Florida State, Georgia, and Alabama. Ewetade will be visiting alongside his teammate, Ekene Ogboko, who is the No. 70 prospect in the 2026 class, according to On3. Both players previously attended the Tide's Junior Day event back in February.

2026 No.2 TE Mark Bowman

On3's No. 2 tight end in the 2026 class, who previously was part of the 2027 class before reclassifying on January 25th, announced on Wednesday that he would be returning to Tuscaloosa on Thursday, March 6th. This marks his first visit back to Alabama’s campus since he attended the Crimson Tide’s 41-34 victory over Georgia on September 28th.

Bowman is a 6'4", 230-pound tight end from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California. During his sophomore season, he recorded 32 catches for 435 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns, playing a significant role in bringing a National Championship back to Mater Dei. Known for his solid speed and exceptional hands, Bowman is also an outstanding blocker, often pushing defenders back multiple yards and providing holes for his running back.

Alabama intends to leverage this momentum to strengthen relationships with all players in this class while continuing its annual tradition of recruiting elite talent, a goal that Deboer is undoubtedly pursuing.

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