Akylin Dear — the No. 1 running back in the country — has committed to Alabama football. He reopened his recruitment on June 28 after being committed to Ole Miss since March.
The Quitman (MS) prospect took an official visit to Tuscaloosa on June 14-16 and returned for the Champions Cook-Out during the final week of July. He told Bama247 shortly after the official visit that the new staff did a “great and amazing job” during that multi-day trip and he was “treated like I was a player there already.”
NATIONAL ANALYSIS: Alabama commit Akylin Dear ‘has the look of classic Nick Saban running back’
Plenty of time was spent with Robert Gillespie, who played a vital role in the decision.
“To tell you the truth if he would have left (Alabama would be out), but since coach G there, that’s my guy,” he told Bama247 in January before a surprise March commitment to the Rebels.
Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer also made a strong impression on the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder earlier this year when he visited Quitman High School during the open contact period.
“It meant a lot because I thought when coach Saban left, it was going to be (done). It means a lot that coach DeBoer believes in me. “Because that’s Alabama’s new head coach. You know how that is. So, I was like ‘it was mind blowing. He is a great man.”
The way the offense featured running backs while at Washington, more specifically Dillon Johnson, had Dear’s attention early also.
“I like how he used Dillon Johnson,” said Dear earlier this year. “He’s from Mississippi too. I saw how he developed. Especially that USC game. I saw how the coach gave him the ball, so I like that.”
Another running back from Mississippi? Freshman Daniel Hill, who was Dear’s player-host earlier this month.
“Hill is my guy. He said I am not going anywhere, but ‘Bama.”
That turns out to be true and Dear joins four-star Anthony Rogers as the second running back commit in Alabama football’s 2025 recruiting class.
Dear is the No. 45 player in the country and No. 2 prospect in Mississippi, per the Top247 Player Rankings. He rushed for 2,016 yards and 27 touchdowns in his junior season while totaling 21 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Scouting Report via Cooper Petagna
“A strong north south runner with a sturdy frame at 200-pounds plus, Dear possesses the ability to play in both a zone or power scheme at the next level. The Quitman High School standout displays good patience and vision at the line of scrimmage while demonstrating the short area burst and explosiveness to change gears from the first to second level to create separation between the tackles. 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 home run 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.”
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