Kalen DeBoer recently scored a big win over Lane Kiffin in a heated recruiting battle, landing 5-star running back Akylin Dear for Alabama. Looks like the Alabama head coach got what he wanted!

But, it wasn’t just DeBoer & Co. eyeing Dear—Dear himself had been keeping Alabama on his radar for a while. And he had good reasons for choosing DeBoer over Lane Kiffin.

In an interview with BamaOnLine this Sunday, Akylin Dear’s mentor, Lawrence Hopkins, shared some insight into his recruitment saga. Hopkins mentions, “There’s been a huge interest in Bama from the very beginning.” But Alabama wasn’t the only team chasing Dear. Last year, he received offers from about 20 schools, proving his worth as an elite prospect.

Initially, Dear wasn’t in a rush to commit, wanting to keep his options open. Despite this, he committed to Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels in the spring. Hopkins recalls that at that time, “He was just ranked as a five-star or ranked as the No. 1 running back in the country,” and many schools were after him. However, Alabama’s persistence paid off.

The Crimson Tide staff continued to woo Dear, leading him to visit the campus twice in June and July. Hopkins described these visits as “seal-the-deal” moments. But the main factor in Dear’s decision to flip was Alabama’s track record. “One of the key factors of him making that ultimate decision was Alabama’s ability to produce NFL running backs year after year after year,” Hopkins said.

In the end, DeBoer is winning 1-0 against Kiffin. It looks like DeBoer is turning into a real recruiting superstar in Alabama!

Kalen DeBoer’s recruiting skills show off

It wasn’t just Kiffin’s Ole Miss that gave Kalen DeBoer tough competition. Georgia and Texas were also in the mix to get their hands on Akylin Dear. Yet, DeBoer did it! And that, too, not just with Alabama’s “elite” status. It was also because of the team’s hard work, especially the running backs coach, Robert Gillespie.

Akylin Dear had nothing but praise for Gillespie, even calling him “Coach G.” He said, “Coach G is my dawg. He kept texting me and calling me… that showed me how much he wanted me.” Meanwhile, DeBoer also made sure Dear’s recruiting visits were top-notch. During his June visit, freshman running back Daniel Hill was assigned to host Dear, ensuring he had a great experience. The following month, Dear returned to Alabama for the “Cold Summer Cookout,” where he likely interacted with many star players. This event also saw other big names like 5-star QB Keelon Russell and DB Dijon Lee in the play.

Looks like DeBoer is proving himself to be an elite recruiter, on par with Nick Saban.