No. 1 Prospect Chooses ALABAMA, Marking Big Win for Kalen DeBoer’ Future….

As it wraps up a whirlwind summer on the recruiting trail, Alabama leads the nation with five 5-star commitments in the 2025 class. The Tide currently has the top recruiting class in the country per On3, and is still in play for several key prospects.

Of Bama’s five 5-stars, only cornerback Dijon Lee will play on the defensive side of the ball. Can the Crimson Tide land another 5-star defender before the 2025 cycle wraps up? Chances may be slim, but Alabama can never be counted out in its pursuit of elite targets.

Justus Terry is a consensus 5-star, generally considered to be a top-10 player in the country and one of the best defensive linemen in the 2025 class. Terry is a physical specimen who already appears ready to compete along SEC lines of scrimmage. His combination of power and athleticism is rare, and he will be a force wherever he decides to play college ball.

Unfortunately, that is expected to be Georgia. Terry was previously committed to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs for over a year before flipping to USC in March. His engagement with the Trojans lasted just three months before he decommitted in June.

It has long been believed that Terry was destined to end up in Athens, even after he verbally pledged to USC. Still, Alabama got the first visit after his decommitment last month. Kalen DeBoer and his staff have done very well when they are able to get elite prospects on campus, and Alabama has a long history of taking top-tier recruits out of the Peach State. I wouldn’t count on it, but there is a small chance that Bama makes some noise with Justus Terry.

Na’eem Offord is the no. 1 player in the state of Alabama and should be a priority target for the Tide. Another consensus 5-star, the Birmingham native is arguably the best cornerback in the class. Offord has been committed to Ohio State since February, and the general belief is that he will be very tough to flip.

Alabama will continue pushing hard until December, and Offord could ultimately be a major factor in deciding who finishes with the no. 1 class in the 2025 cycle. Either way, it is somewhat comforting to know that Bama already has two very skilled cornerback commits in Dijon Lee and Chuck McDonald.

Ty Jackson is one of the top linebacker prospects in the nation. While he is not a 5-star according to any of the four major recruiting services, he could very well become a 5-star by signing day.

On3 is higher on Jackson than most, ranking him as the top linebacker and the 25th best player in the country. If this ranking holds through his senior season, he will be comfortably within the 5-star range. ESPN also calls Jackson the no. 1 linebacker in the 2025 class.

Bama is heavily in the mix for Jackson, but he is not expected to make a decision until later in the cycle. If he comes to Tuscaloosa, he will be joining a loaded linebacker class that includes fellow top-100 linebacker Duke Johnson and a pair of top-100 edge commits in Justin Hill and Dawson Merritt.

When considered individually, I wouldn’t bet on Alabama landing any of these players just yet. However, looking at them as a collective group, I think there is a decent chance that Bama adds at least one more 5-star defender to its 2025 class.