Alabama football is on an absolute ‘roll’ on the recruiting trail, and the rest of college football is watching with mouths wide open. With the addition of five-star safety Jireh Edwards on Saturday, the Crimson Tide now holds five 5-star commitments in their 2026 class, which is more than double that of any other program in the nation. While teams like Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas are still scrambling for elite pledges, Alabama has made it look routine under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. Or has it?
A growing corner of the CFB world believes it’s not all DeBoer’s doing. The shadow of Nick Saban looms large in Tuscaloosa, and even in retirement, many are convinced the legendary coach is still influencing decisions behind the scenes. “I also think that Nick Saban ain’t necessarily running things, but he is still very much rooting for, pulling for, and recruiting on behalf of Alabama,” analyst RJ Young said recently. “That’s not nothing… It is becoming, I believe, much more of an heirloom to say that you played for Nick Saban than any other coach probably in history.” With each new five-star commit, that theory gains traction. But one recruit’s family just shut that narrative down completely.
Xavier Griffin, a five-star linebacker and one of Alabama’s highest-rated defensive pledges, had his recruitment closely watched by fans and insiders alike. After his commitment, his mother, Jay Clay, took to social media to clear the air on who really sealed the deal. “Let me make this clear for @zay_social recruitment when it come to Alabama,” she posted on X. “Makes me mad to hear @KalenDeBoer can’t recruit because our coach and his staff did a great job! I met Saban once, but he is not the one that offered or talked to us at any point. @crob45 was and is the that got my son to Bama!! Love our staff and can’t wait! Roll Tide.” That was aimed squarely at the critics dismissing DeBoer’s impact.
Let me make this clear for @zay_social recruitment when it come to Alabama. Makes me mad to hear @KalenDeBoer can’t recruit because our coach and his staff did a great job! I met Saban once but he is not the one that offered or talked to us at any point. @crob45 was and is the…
— Jay Clay (@bamamade87) July 6, 2025
When a fan responded with support, telling her, “Don’t listen to the haters Jay! They just don’t wanna see Bama back on top,” she doubled down. “Definitely don’t but want to make sure Coach and his staff get their flowers,” she replied. She is standing ten toes down to give credit where it’s due. And that’s not to a retired legend watching from the sidelines, but to the men in the building making the calls and doing the work.
It’s a strong vote of confidence for Kalen DeBoer, who stepped into an almost impossible role when he replaced the greatest coach in college football history. But so far, he’s rising to the challenge, on the recruiting trail, at least. The idea that Alabama can only recruit because of Saban’s lingering presence still looms large, but when the families of five-star recruits are openly defending the new staff’s work, it imbues trust among the fans that it might just be DeBoer’s doing. DeBoer may not have a statue outside Bryant-Denny yet, but his early returns suggest he’s not just coasting on someone else’s legacy. Alabama’s class is elite, and the credit, at least for now, might just belong to the guy actually holding the whistle. Or it might not…
Alabama football’s GM divides the internet
Just as Xavier Griffin’s mother set the record straight about Kalen DeBoer’s role in Alabama’s recent recruiting wins, an old wrinkle reignited the debate across social media. A fan posted a now-viral message on X saying, “Saban still recruiting for yall its ok to admit it.” That alone wouldn’t have been enough to raise eyebrows until Courtney Morgan, the General Manager of Alabama football, liked the post. That digital thumbs-up threw gasoline on a conversation the program’s been trying to move past.
The fan wasted no time in capitalizing on the attention. “Courtney Morgan the GM likes my post about Saban still recruiting for Alabama. I knew it was not ‘All DeBoer’ doing all the work! ” he posted in a follow-up. With that, speculation returned in full force. Was it just a casual like, or a subtle nod that Saban’s influence still lingers inside the building? For those already skeptical of DeBoer’s credit, it was confirmation. For others, it was an overreaction to a meaningless gesture.
But it couldn’t come at a more awkward time. The Alabama staff, including Griffin’s mom, has been pushing back on the idea that DeBoer is simply riding Saban’s coattails. Jay Clay’s emphatic post defending the current staff felt like a line in the sand. Now, with even official staff activity getting interpreted through the Saban vs. DeBoer lens, the lines are blurred again. Now until the season kicks off and DeBoer proves it on the field, the tug-of-war over credit in Tuscaloosa isn’t going away.
The post Alabama 5-Star Commit’s Mother Dismisses Nick Saban’s Role in Recruitment as GM’s Confirmation Opposed appeared first on EssentiallySports.