Five-star RB commits to Alabama, completing flip from Ole Miss

Alabama got a commitment Tuesday from five-star recruit Akylin Dear, the No. 2 running back in the Class of 2025. Dear, from Quitman, Miss., had verbally committed to Ole Miss on March 30, only to decommit and open up his recruitment on June 28. He pledged for the Crimson Tide over the Rebels and Mississippi State. The 247Sports composite rankings put him No. 31 in the country, No. 2 at his position and No. 3 in the state of Mississippi in his senior class. "I'm excited to be a part of an elite organization that is going to compete every year and strive to win a national championship," Dear told ESPN. "I'm going to be able to say I play for Alabama Crimson Tide, which is probably one of the greatest programs ever in the history of college football. Being able to follow in the footsteps of so many greats and accepting the challenge to be elite above all other things has always been my overall goal." Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Dear rushed for 800 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 2,016 yards and 27 TDs in 2023. "It felt like home," Dear said of Alabama, which he officially visited on the June 14 weekend. "The coaching staff, the environment, the pursuit of greatness as an organization, the vibe of all the players, the number of running backs that they have produced and put in the NFL. Most of all, (running backs coach Robert Gillespie) has been absolutely great to me, and genuinely believes in me and my ability to contribute to his room." Alabama earlier got a commitment from four-star running back Anthony Rogers, a senior at Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala. Rogers, listed at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, is No. 116 nationally, No. 6 at running back and No. 8 in his home state in the 247Sports composite rankings. --Field Level Media