The Alabama Crimson Tide ignited an early recruiting heater for the 2028 class in impressive fashion. Alabama capped off the weekend of July 25 by landing four-star linebacker Tysir Young. Now Alabama and coach Kalen DeBoer own seven verbal commits for ’28, whereas rival Auburn sits at zero.
Alabama holds down the early No. 1 ranking for the 2028 class per 247Sports. And are presently the only college football program owning more than three verbal commitments for the next recruiting cycle.
Yet it appears that Alabama isn’t done yet with stacking up an already growing next recruiting class. Which now includes receiving good news involving going after a 6-foot-3 signal caller who is trending toward Auburn.
Alabama Lands on Short List for Auburn Recruiting Target
DeBoer and his coaching staff are now earning a new chance to pull off one more massive in-state recruiting win here.
Rising quarterback Sam Sollie of Gadsden City, Alabama revealed that the Tide are on his short list of schools, per Chad Simmons of On3 Monday.
Sollie scheduled Aug. 8 as the date he chooses his next college. His suitors are an all SEC lineup consisting of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
He’s fresh off tossing 13 touchdowns with only one interception as a sophomore last season. Sollie sparked collegiate intrigue over his still-growing frame, arm strength and cerebral side for such a young prospect. He’s already nearing 20 offers and owns a three-star Rivals Industry ranking, yet has mostly been pursued by SEC powers.
Sam Sollie Dives Into What he’s Seeking in a College
Sollie pulled back the curtain with Simmons on what he’s hoping for out of a college.
“I’m a big relationship guy,” he said to Simmons. “Whatever college makes me feel at home, the coaching staff, the facilities and the campus all matter. When football isn’t there, where do I really want to go to college? That’s the main thing.”
It’ll take more than DeBoer to pull off this recruiting win, as he’ll need to lean into quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb here.
Ellis becomes a big one to monitor, though, when it comes to sealing the fate for Sollie. He’s moving over from tights ends coach to quarterbacks for 2026. Ellis earns a huge chance to win over his first major Yellowhammer State quarterback star with assistance from the aforementioned Tide coaches.
Where Does Auburn Stand for Sam Sollie?
So does this mean that it’s Alabama, not Auburn, rising in front for the latest high-profile quarterback in the state?
On3’s prediction machine still hands the Tigers a high chance of landing him, calculating at 93.5 percent as of Monday. But that machine can easily change overtime no matter the recruit.
This comes down to who delivers the best sales pitch from offense, developmental growth, to even NIL contract as the latter is now a pivotal part of today’s college landscape. But Sollie also can take a personal dive into DeBoer’s run with quarterbacks to help persuade this decision.
He already joined other football fans in watching Ty Simpson develop into a first round selection out of Tuscaloosa. Michael Penix Jr. rose to Heisman Trophy finalist and first rounder too under DeBoer at Washington. DeBoer even briefly coached Jake Haener at Fresno State before he made it to the league as a fourth round selection.
Lots of external factors can play into Alabama’s favor. But the biggest sell is Sollie joining the early threat for the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class and becoming the QB leading them.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Alabama Receives Good News in Pursuit of 6-foot-3 Auburn Recruiting Target appeared first on HEAVY.