Alabama football recruiting: Akylin Dear commits as Crimson Tide land top-ranked RB in 2025 class

Alabama picked up another significant addition from the Class of 2025 on Tuesday when highly touted running back Akylin Dear announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Dear, who is ranked the No. 1 running back in the class by 247Sports, chose Alabama over Ole Miss and Mississippi State .

The Quitman, Mississippi, native is gearing up for his senior season at Quitman High School after surpassing 2,000 yards rushing as a junior. Dear is considered the No. 45 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports and is Alabama's 20th pledge of the cycle.

Dear's commitment is the latest bit of proof that first-year coach Kalen DeBoer is having no problem adjusting to the recruiting requirements associated with leading one of the nation's top programs. The Tide's class is ranked No. 2 nationally in the 247Sports Team Rankings behind only Ohio State .

Of those 20, nine are ranked in the top-100 nationally by 247Sports as the Crimson Tide show they remain an attractive destination for top talent even in the post-Nick Saban era. Here is more on Dear's game from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna:

An efficient mover that can make defenders miss with his one cut elusiveness or contact balance, Dear excels finding hidden yardage and accounting for yards after contact utilizing his powerful lower half. Although known for his physicality and craftiness as a runner, the Mississippi product exhibits the separation quickness and long speed to be a homerun threat at the next level as well. Possessing a collegiate impact ready frame in addition to gaudy statistics and verified measurements, Dear projects as an immediate impact prospect at the Power-Four level with the ability to develop into a Day-2 NFL Draft choice on Sundays.

Dear, who has also shined in track at Quitman High School, joins four-star running back Anthony Rogers in Alabama's class to give the Tide a powerful tandem at the position as the December signing period creeps closer.