Kalen DeBoer makes massive SEC recruiting statement with 5-star commit

A lot can change between now and the end of next season, but little by little, Kalen DeBoer seems to be winning over more and more people in his first few months being the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. DeBoer left Washington to replace the retiring Nick Saban shortly after the Huskies played for a national championship. Washington is a blue-blood too, but Alabama is simply different.

One of the many reasons why it made sense for DeBoer to leave for Tuscaloosa after only spending two seasons in Seattle has everything to do with recruitment. DeBoer may be a total outsider in the southeastern United States, but winning on the gridiron is a universal language of love in these parts. The best part about taking over at Alabama is all the resources Boer has readily available to utilize.

Frankly, it was only a matter of time before DeBoer was able to land a five-star recruit out of state that other SEC programs of noted wanted. Over the weekend, five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham picked the Tide over arch rival Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Cunningham is the No. 1 player from Mississippi, the No. 2 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 13 overall player in the 2025 class.

Check out the quote from Cunningham to go along with another sweet graphic from Hayes Fawcett.

As long as DeBoer is able to land recruits of Cunningham's caliber Alabama should be more than fine.

Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer gets 5-star Caleb Cunningham's commitment

While it remains to be seen how DeBoer goes about filling Saban's gigantic shoes in Tuscaloosa, he seems to be doing more of the right things than not. I have grown to like the coaching staff he built. Yes, losing his Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to the Seattle Seahawks was tough, but DeBoer did get two Group of Five coaches to leave their schools to become defensive coordinators.

After losing an absurd number of players to the transfer portal, DeBoer was then able to retain a few more guys who were on the fence, as well as be an active participant in it during the second window. Obviously having quarterback Jalen Milroe being a vocal leader is huge for the team in getting DeBoer's messaging out in the right and intended manner. It has in turn helped recruiting out a ton.

Cunningham is the fourth five-star to commit to Alabama. The Crimson Tide now have the No. 2 class in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite. As long as Alabama remains a top-five program in terms of recruitment, the winning shall continue. It may not be as prolific as it once was under Saban, but Alabama may not be hitting a down cycle as a program under DeBoer.

Assuming Alabama can win around 10 games next year, the Crimson Tide's success shall remain sustainable.