After suffering a series of layoffs in the 2025 recruiting class with the retirement of Nick Saban. Alabama momentum is increasing as Karen DeBoer And his staff will also be settling in.
The Crimson Tide have added two four-star signings in the past eight days – replacing defensive linemen. antonio coleman Comes from rival Auburn and beats many schools of athletes Zymia Smith. DeBoer and his staff still have a lot of work to do to get back to the top of the On3 industry team recruiting rankings, but the buzz around Tuscaloosa is palpable.
And that momentum is never more evident than with an in-state target like the Southside four-star athlete from Selma (Ala.). derrick smith. The 6-foot, 185-pounder came to Alabama last month for his first visit with his new coaching staff, and now the Crimson Tide will enter him into the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) ahead of Auburn. There is a tendency.
Smith could play on either side of the ball at the college level, playing both wide receiver and defensive back.
“It was great,” Smith told BamaOnLine about the visit. “[What stood out was] Coaching staff, new coaching staff. They don't want to change anything from the past. They want to keep the “Bama standard” strong.
… [The highlight was] all. I'm talking to Coach DeBoer. ”
DeBoer, Crimson Tide have personal interest in Smith
The first-year head coach has prioritized Smith as an in-state recruit and believes he has the potential to be Tuscaloosa's next great player from the Yellowhammer State.
“I like his personality. I like basically everything about him,” Smith said of DeBoer. “He said I could be the next candidate. julio jones. The next legend to come out of Alabama. It means many things. That caught my eye. Julio Jones, he's a legend out of Alabama.
new receiver coach Jamarcus Shepard I spoke with Smith briefly during my visit, but the other coach who spent the most time with him was kane womack, defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama. “I like how he sees me on defense,” Smith said of his conversations with Womack. “He can make tackles in open space and cover man-to-man.”
The past few weeks, including school breaks, have been spent laying the foundations for new staff and the relationship with Smith and her family.
Although the pursuit is just beginning, Smith continues to have Bama near the top of his list.
“They're top three for sure,” Smith said. “[I like] all. There's nothing I don't like about Alabama. ”
Auburn University and Florida State are also among his top three programs, and while the Crimson Tide is currently being talked about, Smith has shown no signs of wanting to commit right away.
