Recruiting rewind: New offers, decommitment headline busy week for Alabama

It’s been another busy week for Alabama recruiting. New offers have been extended, new interest in the Crimson Tide has been shown, and one intriguing 2024 prospect elected to decommit from Alabama and reopen his recruitment. While the 2023 class recently wrapped up earlier this month, it’s never too early for the class of 2024 to begin taking shape.

Here are a few stories that have materialized during this past week.

With an eye toward the future, the Alabama football program continued to add to its long list of recent offers.

The newest group of targets includes two in-state players in 2026 linebacker Anthony “Tank” Jones as well as 2025 offensive tackle Micah Debose, who is currently committed to Georgia. Speaking of the Peach State, Alabama dipped back into its well of Buford High School by offering 2025 running back Justin Baker. The Crimson Tide’s roster already included four players from the Georgia powerhouse in wide receiver Isiah Bond, running back Justice Haynes, offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin and defensive back Jake Pope.

2024

— Isaiah Autry, offensive lineman, Itawamba Agricultural (Mississippi)

— Ashton Hampton, cornerback, Florida State University School (Florida)

— Brandon Jacob, safety, Evans (Florida)

— Jon Mitchell, cornerback, Mandarin (Florida)

— Jamonta Waller, defensive end, Picayune (Mississippi)

2025

— Justin Baker, running back, Buford (Georgia)

— Micah DeBose, offensive tackle, Vigor (Alabama), Georgia commit

— Eli Owens, tight end, Alcoa (Tennessee)

2026

— Anthony “Tank” Jones, St Paul’s Episcopal (Alabama)

Class of 2024 running back James Peoples, a San Antonio, Texas, native, has released his top six schools, including Alabama as well as Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and TCU. While the Crimson Tide is the only current SEC program on that list, Thursday’s news of conference expansion in 2024 will see the Longhorns and Sooners join the league by the time Peoples debuts in college.

Earlier this week, Peoples spoke with Rivals, listing Alabama’s track record of development as a big reason the Crimson Tide was included among his favorites.

“If you put the work in, the fruits of your labor will be earned,” Peoples said. “Maybe it's a spot where I don't hit the field for my first two years or so, but when I do get my shot, I will be way further developed. They know what it takes to get to where I want to get to. I haven't been to Alabama yet and it's something I'm looking forward to doing to experience that."

Tight end Martavious Collins, a four-star player who is the fifth-ranked recruit at his position, decommitted from Alabama on Monday. The Rome, Ga. product thanked the Alabama staff while simultaneously announcing on Twitter that his recruitment is back open.

Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney broke down the decommitment earlier this week, giving it just a 3 of 10 in his sting-factor rating.

“Collins is a talented player but he has not been a stat machine during his high school years, and there are many other talented tight ends that Alabama will pursue to fill this spot and possibly even upgrade if the Crimson Tide get the right player,” Gorney said. “Alabama went to the portal for tight end CJ Dippre and then it’s after Trey’Dez Green, Kylan Fox, Jaden Reddell and many others that could be a significant boost to the Tide’s 2024 class. Losing Collins, especially this early, shouldn’t keep coach Nick Saban up at night. I suspect it won’t.”

Collins visited Auburn on Jan. 14. Now, almost a month later, he has chosen to test the waters of recruitment once more. He originally committed to the Crimson Tide in the summer of 2022. Collins has an offer from the Tigers, as well as the likes of Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson and more.

Despite Collins’s decommitment, Alabama football’s 2024 recruiting class has already taken shape nicely.

Five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, the No. 4 overall recruit in the class, remains all in on the Crimson Tide. The Ohio State Buckeyes recently targeted the star signal caller with an offer, but as of now, nothing appears to have changed. He’s been committed since November 2022.

Alabama native Jaylen Mbakwe, the seventh-ranked player in the state, committed to play at the Capstone in July 2022. Mobile Christian linebacker Sterling Dixon visited Tuscaloosa four times and decided on Alabama in December 2022. Dixon is also a four-star and is only two spots behind Mbakwe as the ninth-ranked player in the state’s class of 2024.

The class will continue to expand in the near and distant future. With virtually a full calendar year to go until NSD 2024, Alabama faithful can expect more high-profile names from across the country to be targeted by the Crimson Tide, and for several more names to make known their intent to play collegiately in crimson and white.