Alabama will have two 2027 prospects on campus this weekend for the Florida State game, and both are the kind of visitors worth watching closely.
The Crimson Tide already have 14 commitments in the class, but this group is being built with a different approach than the usual Alabama haul. Kalen DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan are focused on keeping the current roster intact for 2027 and using the Transfer Portal to fill in around it. That strategy has already shown some payoff, with Alabama’s two biggest defensive difference-makers in last week’s 45-17 win over Kentucky coming from the portal: Devan Thompkins and Caleb Woodson.
With the class still looking for a few more additions, Alabama may need to work the flip market. This weekend gives the staff a chance to do exactly that with LB Ayden Coleman of Mississippi State and DL Joshua Lane of Memphis set to visit Tuscaloosa.
Coleman’s trip will be his second to Alabama. The 3-star linebacker from Louisville, Mississippi, took an official visit over the summer not long after committing to Mississippi State, and he ended up staying with the Bulldogs at that point.
Even so, the fact that he’s back on campus for a game day visit says Alabama still has a real shot to keep pulling at that recruitment. Coleman also shares a high school with former Alabama target Mitchell Turner, the 4-star defensive lineman who was long viewed as a Tide lean before landing at Ole Miss.
Lane is a different kind of case. This will be his first visit to Tuscaloosa, and Alabama’s offer came only earlier this week.
He didn’t waste much time responding. The Memphis commit quickly lined up the trip after the Tide jumped in.
Lane committed to Memphis during the summer, but his senior film has clearly changed the temperature of his recruitment. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman has picked up momentum over the last week and a half, adding offers from Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi State, Iowa State, and Alabama.
Neither linebacker nor defensive line sits at the top of Alabama’s needs in this class, but the Tide would still take one more at each spot if the right fit comes along. Of the two visitors, Lane looks like the more realistic flip candidate right now. Coleman, meanwhile, is getting one more Alabama look after appearing fairly steady in his Mississippi State pledge.
In Other News...
Keelon Russell May Have Changed Alabamas Ceiling Faster Than Expected
For a quarterback still finding his footing, Keelon Russell made Alabama look awfully grown up against Florida State. He helped drag the Crimson Tide out of a 21-6 hole, finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns, added 56 rushing yards and another score, and guided an offense that scored on seven straight possessions in a 50-36 win.
The bigger takeaway for Alabama is not just the comeback itself, but how quickly Russell appears to be raising the programs offensive ceiling. He was careful afterward to describe himself as still developing, which is probably the most intriguing part for the Tide: if this is the early version, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Kanell Takes Another Shot At Alabama Over Weather Delay
The Alabama-Florida State season opener turned into a long night of stops and starts after lightning pushed the game through multiple weather delays, turning what should have been a clean first look at both teams into a test of patience. As the interruptions stacked up, CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell took to social media and questioned whether the second delay was really necessary, adding another layer of scrutiny to a game already shaped by the weather.
Kanells comments quickly drew pushback, with the response centering on the safety standards that guide lightning-related suspensions rather than the feel of the storm from a TV booth or social media feed. Weather professionals then stepped in to explain the rules behind those decisions, a reminder that these delays are not made on instinct, even when they frustrate fans and analysts alike. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Gets An Early SEC Reality Check In New AP Poll
The first real stretch of SEC play has already started to reshape the AP top 25, and Alabama fans can see how unforgiving that weekly grind can be. Ole Miss win over LSU gave the Rebels another boost in the league race, while Florida moved into the rankings after a road win at Auburn, a reminder that early conference games can swing the national conversation fast.
Texas A&M also took a hit after falling to Kentucky, a result that only added to the sense that the leagues middle tier is still sorting itself out. For Alabama, the early poll movement serves as a useful checkpoint on what the SEC demands week after week, with contenders, sleepers and disappointments all starting to separate a little more clearly. [Read more 🡒]