Kalen DeBoer and Alabama’s 2028 offensive line class took another hit this week, and now the Crimson Tide are back to rebuilding mode up front.
Monday brought bad news first, when Huntsville native Samuel Bailey, a 4-star recruit and one of Alabama’s top targets in the cycle, committed to Florida after a visit to Gainesville.
Then on Tuesday, Alabama lost its only offensive line commitment in the 2028 class. Anthony Blalock Jr., a 4-star tackle from Youngstown, Ohio, decommitted from the Tide.
The 6’6 310 OT had been Committed to the Crimson Tide since July
He currently holds a total of 27 offers https://t.co/JkKUhbyxXH pic.twitter.com/UNW7WBLT6X
- Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 29, 2026
Blalock’s exit wasn’t exactly a shock for anyone tracking the situation closely. He hadn’t been back on campus since pledging to Alabama in July, and when he recently laid out his fall visit plans, the Tide were not part of them.
His decommitment is the second one Alabama has absorbed from the 2028 class in recent weeks. Linebacker Ryquan Butler also backed off his pledge earlier this month. Alabama now has five commitments in that class.
So where does Alabama go next on the offensive line?
The Tide are already light at the position in the 2027 cycle, with only one offensive lineman committed after adding 11 players up front through the 2026 class and the Transfer Portal this past offseason. Those 11 arrived with multiple years of eligibility left, though 4-star OL Chris Booker is no longer with the program.
The expectation is that Alabama will try to land a full offensive line haul again in 2028.
There’s a real selling point now, too. Under offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, Alabama’s front has taken a big step forward during the 2026 season, giving DeBoer and his staff something tangible to point to when they talk to elite recruits.
Klemm’s future will matter as well. He signed only a one-year deal with Alabama after spending last season as an analyst at USC, but given the way the Tide’s offensive line has performed, there should be plenty of interest from DeBoer in keeping him around beyond this year.
For now, Alabama’s 2028 board is still large. 247 lists 29 offensive line offers for the Tide in the cycle. One name to keep an eye on is 4-star Huntsville native Joey Fleming, who has already received crystal ball projections to end up in Tuscaloosa.
Beyond that, Alabama is still in the early stages of sorting out the rest of the class. At this point, not every offer carries the same weight, especially this far out from signing day.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes into Saturdays matchup with Alabama carrying real momentum, and much of it has flowed through Kamario Taylor. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, with Taylor piling up 1,377 total yards and 15 touchdowns in the early going while steering a fast-paced offense that has made people around the league take notice. Even before kickoff, the Tide know this is not the kind of early SEC test you can treat like a routine tune-up.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack added to that sense of urgency by calling Taylor possibly the best quarterback his defense has seen in the last three years. Wommack pointed to Taylors deep ball, his RPO decision-making and the way he leads a quick, athletic receiving group, all of which help explain why Mississippi State has looked so sharp. With a nationally televised 11 a.m. CT start looming, Alabama is staring at a fast start in Starkville and a quarterback who has already issued a loud warning. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has Little Margin For Error In Starkville After One Warning Sign
Alabama came out of the South Carolina game with plenty to feel good about, but the film also left behind a few reminders that there is still work to do. The Tide looked sharp in stretches, yet the same concerns that have lingered at times this season showed up again in run defense and in the back end of the secondary, two areas that can get exposed quickly if a game gets loose.
Starkville does not figure to offer much room for a slow start. Mississippi State brings a physical running game and a quarterback in Kamario Taylor who can force defenses to stay honest, which means Alabama will need cleaner execution on both sides of the ball than it has shown in some recent moments. If the Tide want to leave with a win, the defense has to hold its ground and the offense has to turn efficient drives into points without giving the Bulldogs extra chances. [Read more 🡒]
DeBoer Just Put Alabamas Recruiting Pressure In Clear Focus
Kalen DeBoer used a recent look inside Alabamas recruiting operation to put the programs priorities in sharper focus, and it started with the role Courtney Morgan has carved out as the first general manager in school history. Morgan has become a central figure in coordinating the Tides recruiting work, setting weekly meetings that bring the recruiting staff and coaching assistants onto the same page as Alabama tries to keep its roster-building machine moving in step with the standards that come with the job.
The broader picture is one of transition and pressure, because Alabamas class rankings have fluctuated and the program has already leaned heavily on the transfer market, bringing in 20 transfers last offseason. Even with that approach, the plan is to put more emphasis on high school recruiting going forward, which makes the alignment DeBoer praised even more important as the Tide try to balance immediate help with the long-term pipeline that has always defined the programs edge. [Read more 🡒]