Bama Central

Alabama Football Officially Signs Class of 2025 RB Akylin Dear

One of the best high school players in all of Mississippi made it official with Alabama on Wednesday.

Will Miller

Akylin Dear on a visit to Alabama.
Akylin Dear on a visit to Alabama. / Akylin Dear

While Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer's first recruiting class boasts a large amount of in-state talent, the running back room got even stronger on Wednesday thanks to an out-of-state addition from just under two hours southwest of Tuscaloosa.

Quitman High School (Mississippi) product Akylin Dear officially signed with the Crimson Tide during Wednesday's early signing period. His original commitment to the program came back on Aug. 20. Dear broke out as a sophomore in 2022, eventually committing to Ole Miss this past March.

Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State had offers out to the blue-chip prospect, as did Southern Miss. There was some continuity for Dear on the Alabama staff despite the coaching change from former coach Nick Saban to DeBoer in mid-January. Crimson Tide running backs coach Robert Gillespie stayed on in Tuscaloosa as part of the new staff. When the tailback decommitted from Ole Miss on June 28, Alabama again sought to land him.

Dear, who's 6'1" and 200 pounds, has both size and speed that can translate to high-major college football. In addition to his Magnolia State offers, he was offered by other SEC institutions including (but not limited to) Texas, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Tennessee. He ran for more than 2,000 yards as a junior in 2023. Alabama's current running back room is fairly crowded, as both feature backs this season (Justice Haynes and Jam Miller) maintain college eligibility beyond 2024. The position also includes the likes of Richard Young and Daniel Hill, both of whom have seen playing time this fall.

Stay locked in to Alabama Crimson Tide on SI for all things Bama news, and check out the Alabama football recruiting tracker to keep up with the 2025 class and more.

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Will Miller
WILL MILLER

Will Miller is a senior at the University of Alabama. He has experience covering a wide array of Crimson Tide sports, including football, baseball, basketball, gymnastics and soccer. He joined BamaCentral in the spring of 2023 and is also a freelance UFC interviewer. 

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