Happy Monday, everyone. Baseball dropped two of three in Knoxville over the weekend, while softball plays the rubber game of the series today. Tennessee appears to have exactly one pitcher, as Alabama was shut out in game two after run ruling the Vols with 12 runs in the opener.
It was another successful NFL Draft for Alabama with ten players selected, but those picks skewed later than usual for the Tide. The good news is that a bunch of upperclassman talent remains on the roster. Some of that came
through the transfer portal.
Edge – Desmond Umeozulu: Nine edge defenders were drafted in the second and third rounds as teams looked to build up the trenches. Umeozulu is a transfer from South Carolina who played in 36 games over the last three seasons. His 6-foot-6, 253-pound frame and experience playing high level football make him an ideal early round draft pick in 2027.
Defensive Tackle – Devan Thompkins: Thompkins stands at 6-foot-5, 298-pounds and has the ability to play multiple positions along a defensive front. The Southern Cal transfer looks to show better proficiency against the run this season, but could become a day two selection with a strong season playing defensive tackle for the Crimson Tide.
Thompkins and ‘Zulu will both be auditioning for the NFL as they try to help Alabama win this season. May they both reach full potential.
Kalen DeBoer has dominated in one area: high school QB recruiting.
Alabama football is out-recruiting the nation when it comes to elite high school quarterbacks, and it’s not close.
Elijah Haven, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite and the Rivals Industry Ranking, committed to the Crimson Tide over the weekend. That gives Alabama another top-five quarterback recruit for a third consecutive year.
In the 2026 class, Alabama landed Jett Thomalla, the No. 5 quarterback per Rivals.
In the 2025 class, Alabama landed Keelon Russell, the No. 2 quarterback per Rivals and 247Sports.
Louisiana five-star Elijah Haven committed to the Crimson Tide Saturday, April 25, picking Alabama over Georgia as the No. 22 player and the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. Haven and Seaborn make up Alabama’s second-straight two-quarterback recruiting class after both Jett Thomalla and Tayden-Evan Kaawa signed in 2026.
While Seaborn has been in Alabama’s recruiting class since October, he’s “totally on board” with the Crimson Tide’s plan to add Haven, according to his father.
“It makes the quarterback room better,” Jason Seaborn told The Tuscaloosa News. “It adds in a high, high level of competition, which forces everyone to get better. Iron sharpens iron.”
It’s hard to imagine Kaawa sticking around with both Seaborn and Haven coming in, and Thomalla showing out as he did in the spring game. But that room is loaded with talent.
Last, Emilee Smarr notes that London Jemison is going to be a key cog for the 2026-27 basketball team.
Labaron Philon is off to the NBA. Amari Allen could join him, unless he opts to return and shift the Crimson Tide‘s NCAA Tournament outlook entirely. Veterans Houston Mallette and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are out of eligibility. Aden Holloway’s future rests on the outcome of his trial following a drug arrest.
Three freshmen are committed, but only two are signed. Four transfers, ranked 17th in the country as a group, offer promise, but not all have proof.
Coming into his sophomore year with 14 starts, London Jemison is part of that uncertainty, too. On a roster searching for answers, however, the possibility of what the 6-foot-8 forward could become makes him one of Alabama‘s most important pieces.
Jaxon Richardson is the one who hasn’t yet signed, though there have been no rumblings that he’s shopping. Alabama will need to bring in some guard help from the portal, and there are a few good quality players still out there. It’s just a matter of what the market will bear for them.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
