Alabama Just Stole a Top Prospect From Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon. Here’s How.

Alabama’s 2028 recruiting class got a whole lot more interesting on Sunday. Four-star edge rusher Tysir Young out of Middletown, Delaware picked the Crimson Tide over a list of programs that reads like a College Football Playoff bracket: Miami, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and Rutgers.

Young is the No. 105 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite and the No. 13 edge defender nationally. Rivals has him at No. 109. He’s also the top-ranked player in Delaware, which isn’t exactly a recruiting hotbed. That matters because it means the kid got noticed playing against lower-tier competition while still putting up monster numbers. His sophomore season at Middletown High: 85.5 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Those aren’t just stats. Those are “offensive coordinators lose sleep” numbers.

How Alabama Won Him Over

The Crimson Tide offered Young back in March. That same month, he made his first trip to Tuscaloosa. And from there, linebackers coach Chuck Morrell took the lead. The relationship between Young and the staff got built the old-fashioned way: constant, consistent communication. No gimmicks. No NIL promises splashed across social media. Just a coaching staff that made him feel like a priority from day one.

Young originally planned to take more time before committing. But Alabama’s pursuit made it pretty clear he didn’t need to wait. He’s listed somewhere between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4 and 215 to 220 pounds. That size at that age with that level of production? That’s why so many blue-bloods wanted him.

What This Means for Alabama’s Class

With Young on board, Alabama’s 2028 class now has seven commits and sits at No. 1 nationally in the Composite rankings. That’s ahead of Ohio State, Georgia and Penn State. Young is the third linebacker in the class and the first guy slotted in as a Wolf linebacker — that hybrid edge/linebacker role that Alabama has turned into a weapon for years.

The 2027 class is still sitting at No. 42 nationally, but the 2028 momentum is real. Young joins Tyler Younger and Jeremiah Beverley as edge defenders in the group. And the way this staff recruits? This class is nowhere near done.