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Alabama Receives Much-Needed Recruiting Win After Big Flip on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 3:06 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer have already done an impressive job securing some of the top talent in the 2026 recruiting class, holding a total of 21 commits, ranking No. 4 in the SEC and No. 6 in the nation.

They show no signs of slowing down either, and this deep into the offseason, they're not just focused on players still looking for a home, but instead also the chance to flip players from other programs.

That's evident by the fact that on Friday, they received a commitment from offensive tackle Bear Fretwell, who had originally pledged himself to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on June 15 until flipping.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 OT Bear Fretwell has Flipped from Georgia Tech to Alabama, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’7 315 OT from Brooklet, GA had been Committed to the Yellow Jackets since June 15th

“Georgia boy going to Bama … ROLL TIDE ”https://t.co/oGFnyYxU6M pic.twitter.com/EShnPj8gPX
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 25, 2025

It's a solid pickup for the Crimson Tide, as Rivals Industry Rankings place him as a three-star recruit, the No. 51 offensive tackle, the No. 80 player in Georgia and the No. 690 player in the nation.

However, he's certainly not the highest-rated player they've added in the 2026 class, as his national rank is the fourth-worst among Alabama's 21 other commits, while being just one of eight three-star recruits.

Despite the lower rating, though, Fretwell has the chance to be one of the most vital pieces to his recruiting class, as he becomes the first offensive tackle, which is generally considered one of the most important positions in football, that DeBoer has been able to land.

Alabama has certainly tried to land higher-rated players at the position, too, extending offers to all four five-star offensive tackles, including Jackson Cantwell (Miami), Immanuel Iheanacho (Oregon), Felix Ojo (Texas Tech), Keenyi Pepe (USC), but losing out every time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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