Kalen DeBoer and Alabama Crimson Tide pushing to steal away elite defensive recruit from Auburn and SEC rivals amid final visits
Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide are pushing hard to keep a key four star defensive talent away from Auburn and other top SEC rivals and it seems to be paying off. Yes, the overall 2026 recruiting class for Alabama is running a bit behind pace, but fans shouldn’t be worried. The Crimson Tide just finished the 2025 cycle with the fourth overall ranked recruiting class and the vast majority of those players were not signed this time last year.
Anthony Davis, Four Star LB Recruit
Anthony Davis debuted on most of the major recruiting service rankings sites a year ago as a highly rated three star, but quickly saw his rating rise as more got eyes on him last summer and the scholarship offers continued to roll in. Since then both Alabama and Auburn have been pushing hard to land him, with several other SEC rivals throwing their name in the hat as well.
Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas, Texas, and other top brands around the country have all been pursuing Davis for quite sometime now. However, it seems that things are really down to Auburn or Alabama at this point. The visit with Alabama reportedly went very well as Davis was reported to have said, “My interest is very high in Alabama now”. Yet just after saying this he’s on his way to visit Auburn this coming weekend.
For those unfamiliar with his game, Davis put together an impressive showing as a sophomore in 2023, tallying nearly 70 tackles a handful of sacks and an interception. But last fall he proved to be one of the most aggressive and disciplined tacklers in the nation, rallying to put up well over 100 total tackles in just 13 games. Davis boasts elite athleticism, range, vision, and pursuit.
Landing Davis could prove quite crucial for Alabama’s continued defensive success as they’re losing players like Jihaad Campbell (potential first round 2025 NFL Draft pick at linebacker) this season. Then they’re set to likely be without Deontae Lawson after 2024. Alabama will need their next quarterback of the defense and Davis could be just that kind of player.
Auburn and Hugh Freeze certainly would like to land Anthony Davis, but one reason they may not have the edge here over Alabama is that they already boast two Top 200 linebacker commits in next year’s class. The linebacker group is already muddy there and it’s still just March.
Not that Davis likely shies away from competition, but it’s obvious that Alabama has the greater need and immediate path to playing time. Auburn did just lose some linebackers to the NFL Draft this year, but there’s still a messier depth chart there. Hopefully Kalen DeBoer takes advantage of this fact and closes the deal on the player who could be the face of the Alabama defense in a year or two.