Kalen DeBoer and Alabama land first 2027 commitment

Ba'Roc Willis of Moody, Alabama, is just going into his sophomore year of high school, but he already knows he wants to be a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

That's Alabama's draw with recruits. It was an "ethos" built under Nick Saban and his six championships brought to Tuscaloosa, and new head coach Kalen DeBoer has done a great job — at least on the recruiting trail — of keeping that hype alive.

On some level, DeBoer owes defensive line coach Freddie Roach a hat tip for this early commitment.

“I’ve known coach Roach since the seventh grade and I believe in him,” Willis told On3's Chad Simmons when asked to explain his commitment. “When I went down there, it was a good atmosphere and it felt like home. Everyone was having fun and smiling and just vibing at Alabama. Plus I know I will get developed there.”

Speaking of development, it's worth remembering that Willis still has three high school seasons worth of football development before he heads to Alabama. Some might say that he committed way too early, but he sees it in a different light. For him, making the commitment to the Tide now allows him to focus on his goals at Moody High School.

“I just wanted to focus on football and trying to win state with my teammates,” Willis said. “It was on my mind early to get this out the way.”

Willis already has 15 offers and more will likely be on the way over the next few seasons, so it will be interesting to see if the Tide can hold onto his commitment.

He's a 6-foot-3, 220-pound edge-rusher as just a sophomore in high school, so he'll undoubtedly be a highly touted prospect on the recruiting trail.

As a freshman at Moody, he notched 79 tackles and nine sacks with 20 quarterback hurries. He's Alabama's first 2027 commitment.