Things just got interesting in Tuscaloosa! Alabama, the recruiting kingpin, just got blindsided. Ty Haywood, this five-star OT, flipped the script and decommitted. He was locked in and pledged to the Tide back in July. But then DeBoer’s ‘dream season’ turned into a nightmare—a playoff snub, a 9-4 record, and that gut-punch loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl? Just ouch! Now Haywood’s back on the market, and it looks like his options are narrowing down. Well, this ain’t good for the Tide’s recruiting mojo.

As per the recent video of On3, a college football insider revealed that three colleges are now battling it out to land Ty Haywood. Steve Wiltfong said, “I’m looking at three schools. You got Michigan, the program that’s been long rumored as the biggest threat to flip him from Alabama. Texas Tech the instate program has been in the middle of this one as well. But Florida State has never gone away. And there’s some optimism around Tallahassee. That they can get him back to campus on an unofficial visit before he makes his college decision.” Haywood is the only remaining 5-star athlete from the 2025 class who hasn’t got a college yet, so the stakes are high to get him.

And according to increasing rumors, Haywood supports Michigan in that race. Even though Michigan finished the season 8-5 and seventh in the Big Ten, they soon became the front-runner for Ty Haywood. And why not? Scouting expert Gabe Brooks of 247Sports predicted that Haywood will be selected in the first round of the NFL draft. And likened him to Tyler Smith of the Dallas Cowboys.

Haywood stands 6’5″ and weighs 285 pounds. And 247Sports rates him as the No.4 OT in the 2025 class and the 20th overall prospect. Florida State, on the other hand, appears to be strong and solid and is making every effort to get him back to school. They are not far behind in that race.

Most significantly, 33 universities, including Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others, offered scholarships to Haywood. And along with Bama, he went to Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and TCU for an official visit. Now, it will be interesting to see where this exceptional OT ends up after playing football for Ryan High School.

So, with this five-star OT gone, what’s the vibe like in Tuscaloosa now? Well, DeBoer must be sweating bullets.

With Ty Haywood out, what’s up next for Alabama recruiting?

DeBoer and crew are feeling the heat following a four-loss season and are looking for any positive movement they can get, but Alabama is likely to be fine. Losing Haywood would be a big hit, no doubt. But let’s be real, Tuscaloosa still has a lot going for it. With 21 commitments overall, all of whom have signed, Alabama’s 2025 class is now ranked third in the country following Haywood’s de-commitment.

You can’t deny the fact that Ty Haywood’s de-commitment is a greater PR setback than his on-field absence. Even though the Tide’s offensive line is capable of handling a few misses, they weren’t particularly good in 2024. However, Keelon Russell is one of the three five-star recruits still in the Tide’s 2025 class.

QB Russell prepared for college and might contend for the top spot on Bama’s quarterback depth chart. Moreover, Bama has interior OL Michael Carroll as well as CB Dijon Lee. But losing a potentially great player—whether through the transfer portal, the draft, or de-commitment—will always hurt. Let’s see how Kalen DeBoer’s Bama team looks in 2025 without Haywood.