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Nation's No. 4 DL Trending Toward SEC Powerhouse

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex O'Reilly | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 2:01 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide have always been one of the best recruiting teams in college football. In 2025, according to 247Sports, the Crimson Tide had the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in the nation. In 2026, the team is off to a slower start but is still building a strong group of young players.

On Saturday, head coach Kalen DeBoer got good news as it was reported that Alabama is the favorite to land four-star defensive lineman Nolan Wilson. Analysts Andrew Bone and Steve Wiltfong both predicted that Wilson will commit to the Crimson Tide when he announces his decision on July 4.

Both analysts confirmed that they have at least 60% confidence that Wilson will be committing to the Crimson Tide. According to the On3 recruiting rankings, Wilson is the No. 68-ranked player in the 2026 class and the No. 4-ranked defensive lineman.

As things stand, the Alabama Crimson Tide have the No. 10-ranked 2026 recruiting class. The team has received commitments from one five-star recruit and eight four-star recruits.

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide are trying to recover after a poor 2024 season. They missed the playoffs for the first time in years despite college football introducing a new 12-team playoff format.

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

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