Which 2027 Defensive Back Recruits Should Alabama Fans Know About?

Alabama currently has seven commits in its 2027 class, including five-star quarterback Elijah Haven.

Of the seven commits, three of them (AJ Pauley, Stevan Thornton and Kenneth Simon) play on the defensive side of the ball. However, the Tide currently has no commits in the defensive back room.

Despite this, they are pushing for a few players at that position, so here are a few of those names Alabama fans should keep an eye on in the coming months.

Gabriel Osborne Jr.- Mustang High School ( Mustang, Oklahoma)

The four-star from Oklahoma recently announced his top five schools, which consists of the Tide, Oklahoma, Michigan, Miami and Ohio State.

During the spring, he went on an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa back in early April and walked away holding Alabama in high regard.

With Osborne being from Oklahoma, the Sooners are going to be hard to beat out, but the Tide is going to push as hard as it can for him.

Hayden Stepp- Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Stepp might be the biggest target out of all of these players for the Crimson Tide. Right now, it seems like it is a battle for him between Alabama and Oregon.

He announced a top four of Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, and California back in April. Stepp visited Tuscaloosa back in March and is scheduled to be back on campus May 29-31.

The 6-foot-3 corner will also visit Oregon on June 12, California on June 15, and Georgia on June 19.

Darrius White- Creekside High School (Fairburn, Georgia)

Alabama seems to be in a prime position to land the Peach State product. The Tide offered him back in January, and since then, the Crimson Tide has not let up on the 6-foot-3 corner.

He is scheduled to announce his commitment on July 4, but before then, he will visit Tennessee on May 22, Alabama on May 29, Georgia Tech on June 12 and Cincinnati on June 19.

Rivals currently has White predicted to Alabama.

MJ Burnett Walton High School, (Marietta, Georgia)

The NFL legacy has ties to the Tide dating back to his childhood days. His dad, Morgan Burnett, spent the majority of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, where he played alongside now Alabama safeties coach Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

According to MJ, he is close with Clinton-Dix, and he wants to play for him at the collegiate level. The three-star is down to Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Georgia.

He has ties to all three schools. Besides Clinton-Dix at Alabama, his dad played at Georgia Tech, and his uncle played at Georgia.

Burnett will visit Georgia Tech next week from May 29-31. He will then come to Tuscaloosa from June 5-7, and finally he will visit Athens from June 19-21.

Right now, it seems as if it will be a two-horse race for Burnett between Alabama and Georgia Tech. Like White, he is set to commit on July 4.

Defensive Backs Trending Away from Tuscaloosa

Deboe — Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer during the NCAA college football game against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Knoxville. Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Recently, a few long-time targets for the Tide have dropped them or are losing interest for one reason or another.

The most notable is the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the country, John Meredith. For a long time, it seemed like the Crimson Tide was at least somewhat competitive for the Texas native. Recent reports from Rivals indicate that Texas and Texas A&M have separated themselves from the rest. There is still some hope; he’s scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa next week, and as of this week, he has not announced any intention to change that.

Another player who seems like he is going elsewhere is Tavares Harrington. The Chicago native is set to commit Friday night, and all indications are pointing towards Michigan. The Tide previously made his top five along with the Wolverines, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame. He was scheduled to take an official visit, but that will likely no longer happen, according to Rivals.

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