Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are making a late recruiting push, and one of the names now worth watching is a familiar one: Texas A&M wide receiver commit Jaden Upshaw.
Upshaw, a 4-star receiver and the No. 54 overall player in the 247 composite, is set to visit Alabama for the Iron Bowl in a couple of weeks, according to Bama247. He has been pledged to the Aggies since April, but the Crimson Tide have stayed in contact for months and now have a real chance to make this interesting before the early signing period arrives.
“Just keeping an open mind. That’s all.”
That’s the posture Upshaw is taking as he heads toward a late look at Tuscaloosa. He already visited Alabama over the summer, so this isn’t a blind date. It’s a chance to revisit a place he knows while his recruitment gets closer to the finish line.
The Leesburg, Georgia native is ranked as the No. 9 overall receiver and the No. 4 player in the Peach State. If this comes down to dollars alone, Texas A&M would seem to have the upper hand simply because the Aggies are not going to be outbid on a player they value. But if Upshaw is weighing things from a football standpoint, Alabama has a strong pitch.
DeBoer and Ryan Grubb have a track record with quarterbacks, and that matters here, especially with Texas A&M’s season-long issues at the position. Alabama, meanwhile, has Keelon Russell returning next year, along with Jett Thomalla and incoming 2027 quarterbacks Elijah Haven and Trent Seaborn in the pipeline.
A flip would also round out what already looks like an impressive 2027 receiver group for Alabama. The Tide currently have two wideouts committed: 4-star Osani Gayles from IMG Academy, a composite 5-star and the No. 37 overall player in the class, and in-state standout Cedrick Simmons, one of the most productive players in Alabama and a potential Lotzeir Brooks-type development for the staff.
Alabama is comfortable with that two-man group, though the Tide could still look to the portal for a receiver depending on what happens with Ryan Coleman-Williams and his stay-or-go NFL Draft decision. If Coleman-Williams returns, that need likely fades. If not, Alabama could still add two or three high school receivers to pair with the returners Russell will have in 2027.
For now, Upshaw is the one to watch. A late visit before signing day says plenty on its own.
It means the door is still open, and Alabama will get its shot to make a final impression. If he ends up on campus, DeBoer and company will have a chance to land a major 11th-hour flip from Texas A&M.
In Other News...
Alabama Recruiting Debate May Be Bigger Than This Year's Class
Andrew Ivins early read on Alabamas 2027 recruiting class was uneasy enough to raise eyebrows, but the 247Sports director of scouting has since come around on the bigger picture. The current class sits at No. 32, which is the lowest ranking Alabama has posted in the 247Sports era, yet Ivins sees a path that fits the modern college football landscape: stockpile a larger group of high school prospects and then use the transfer portal to fill in the gaps.
Greg Byrnes comments suggest that approach may not stop with one cycle. Alabamas athletic director has already pointed toward a heavier emphasis on high school recruiting in 2028, a sign the program may be recalibrating how it builds its roster for the long haul. The debate now is less about one class than whether Alabama is trying to get ahead of a shifting model before everyone else catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Got The Keelon Russell News Fans Needed
Keelon Russell gave Alabama exactly what it needed in the win over LSU, playing through an injury and still accounting for 216 total yards and three touchdowns. For a team sitting No. 3 nationally and pushing toward a College Football Playoff berth, the freshman quarterbacks availability has become one of the biggest storylines on the roster.
The early sign was encouraging, with Russell listed as probable in the SECs initial availability report for the upcoming game against Vanderbilt. Alabama does not need much drama at this stage of the season, but getting its young quarterback trending in the right direction is the kind of update that can steady a team with postseason goals still very much in reach. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Has One Availability Question Fans Will Watch Closely
Several Alabama players are trending toward availability for the Vanderbilt game, with Zabien Brown, Keelon Russell, EJ Crowell, Chuck McDonald III and William Sanders all listed as probable. The Tide still have a few absences to manage, but the bigger watch item for fans is Russell, who is day-to-day after a lower-body injury he sustained against LSU.
Vanderbilt coach Kalen DeBoer has already commented on Russells status, which only adds to the attention around Alabamas quarterback room heading into an early kickoff. With the game set for 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network, the final availability report will be worth monitoring right up to game time. [Read more 🡒]