Alabama Lands Four-Star Athlete Derick Smith
Kalen DeBoer has had boots on the ground in Tuscaloosa for just about two months now, and he just secured his biggest recruit since taking the job after Nick Saban’s retirement. Derick Smith, a four-star athlete out of Selma, Alabama announced yesterday his commitment to play for the Crimson Tide. Smith is currently the number 29 player in the 2025 class. For those who are unaware, recruits who declare as “athletes” have the chance to potentially play at multiple positions, instead of committing at one particular spot.
Smith declared as an athlete because he is so versatile on the offensive side of the ball. The 6’1, 190lb Alabama native caught 46 passes for 1,487(!) yards and 14(!!) touchdowns (for a yards per reception average of 32.3), while also rushing for just over 1,000 yards as well. This type of flexibility will be huge for an Alabama offense that lost Jermaine Burton and Jase McClellan to the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also do have a bounty of incoming freshmen as well. Smith would have made a great running mate in 2025 with Ryan Williams, who is the third-ranked player in the 2025 class but reclassified to be a part of the 2024 class.
Derick Smith committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the 2025 season gets that recruiting class off on the right foot, as they are going to want to continue the momentum as they currently have the second-best class for 2024, per 247Sports.com. Alabama currently sits seventh for the 2025 class, with just one five-star recruit but seven four-stars. Smith could become a Swiss Army knife for this Kalen DeBoer offense, which could be a welcomed change to the old ways of Alabama football. The Crimson Tide are going to be a lot of fun to watch under DeBoer, and Smith could be an impact player in a few years.
