Happy Monday, everyone. It was a fine holiday weekend on the recruiting trail, as 4-star DL Nolan Wilson committed on Friday and 5-star S Jireh Edwards on Friday.
DeBoer is doing OK, y’all.
Edwards marked the fifth five-star recruit to commit to the Crimson Tide in the 2026 recruiting class, per On3/Rivals. He’s the fourth by 247Sports’ rankings.
As of Saturday afternoon, that’s far and away the most of any program. No other school has more than two five-star commits so far.
Per On3/Rivals’ metrics, the only other schools with more than one five-star are Oregon, LSU, Texas and Ohio State. By 247Sports’ measure, only Tennessee, LSU, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas A&M and Texas have multiple five-star commits.
Certain fanbases (particularly one in West Georgia) have, in effort to avoid eating crow over their projections that DeBoer wouldn’t be able to recruit, decided to flood social media and message boards with claims that Nick Saban is doing the recruiting. Two of the committed 5-stars’ mothers take umbrage.
Let me make this clear for @zay_social recruitment when it come to Alabama. Makes me mad to hear @KalenDeBoer can’t recruit because our coach and his staff did a great job! I met Saban once but he is not the one that offered or talked to us at any point. @crob45 was and is the…
— Jay Clay (@bamamade87) July 6, 2025
Neither has Edmonds! And he’s been committed since March!
— Janae Edmonds (@edmonds_janae) July 6, 2025
To be fair, Auburn fans have little to cling to these days. They are dead last in the SEC for this recruiting cycle, and it isn’t particularly close. Hugh Freeze has been hitting the links though, and Lane Kiffin took notice of his game.
That man is the greatest troll the sport has seen since Steve Spurrier.
And look, Saban is obviously making a contribution to the effort. Terrion Arnold thinks that he will never be able to step away from football in some capacity.
“I know Coach Saban, he might die literally drawing up a football play or watching a game,” Arnold said via Chris McCulley of ABC 33/40. “Staying away from it, it’s hard but I know he would never step away fully. Just as far as the added pressure and stress as far as being a head coach. Especially with Coach Saban, being one of the hardest workers ever.
“First person in the building, last person out of the building. Just to see him retire and transition into retirement, it’s been a great thing because I know the pressure and added stress isn’t there. But he’s one of those guys, he’s got to keep it on him.”
AJ McCarron weighed in on FSU transfer QB Thomas Castellano’s earlier claims that Alabama wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Castellanos started 20 games for Boston College the past two seasons, throwing for 3,614 yards with 33 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while completing 58.6% of his passes. He was more effective on the ground, rushing for 1,307 yards and 14 touchdowns. Castellanos led all FBS quarterbacks with 13 rushing touchdowns during the 2023 campaign.
He left Boston College in November 2024 after losing the starting job before transferring to Florida State in December.
“You just added fuel to the fire,” McCarron continued. “Brother, I promise you, I wouldn’t want to be you the first game of the year. I don’t care how well you can run, how well you can throw it. Once you stand in that pocket and get hit a couple times — that accuracy that dipped, that cost you the starting job — you’d better find it quick this offseason and during that game, because it ain’t gonna be good.”
With 54 days left before kickoff, Creg Stephenson is remembering the Tommy Lewis play.
“I’m guess I’m too full of Alabama,” Lewis said. “He just ran too close.
“… I kept telling myself ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it.’ But I know I did.”
Officials awarded Moegle a 95-yard touchdown under college football’s “unfair act” rule. The Owls went on to win the game 28-6, with Moegle scoring three touchdowns and rushing for a Cotton Bowl record 265 yards on just 11 carries.
“Tommy Lewis was seen to jump from the bench and leaped for Moegle,” Zipp Newman wrote in the following day’s Birmingham News. “Lewis’ (jersey number) 42 looked bigger than a headlight. It was a terrific tackle.
“There was a round of boos that quickly died out. And Moegle became the first player in all bowl history to score a touchdown while flat on his back.”
Last, the USA team led by Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd brought home gold in the FIBA U19 World Cup. Alabama didn’t have any players on this year’s squad, but Nate Oats served as a court coach during training camp. Yet another feather in Nate’s cap.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
