Bama lands prized RB recruit, adds to ’25 class
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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Alabama landed its fourth top-30 commitment in the 2025 class Tuesday afternoon when four-star prospect Akylin Dear, the No. 2 running back in the 2025 cycle, announced his pledge to the Crimson Tide.
Dear, a former Ole Miss commit from Quitman, Mississippi, is the No. 29 prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300. The 6-foot, 205-pound Dear committed to Alabama over the Rebels and fellow in-state finalist Mississippi State after reopening his recruitment earlier this summer, handing Kalen DeBoer the latest high-profile addition to his inaugural recruiting class with the Crimson Tide.
Alabama now holds 15 top-300 commitments in 2025, led by Dear and fellow top-30 pledges offensive tackle Ty Haywood (No. 18 in the ESPN 300), wide receiver Caleb Cunningham (No. 19) and cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. (No. 25). The Crimson Tide sit at No. 2 in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the 2025 cycle as Dear’s pledge gives the Crimson Tide another piece of positive momentum in the program’s pursuit of landing the nation’s top signing class this fall.
“I’m excited to be a part of an elite organization that is going to compete every year and strive to win a national championship,” Dear told ESPN. “I’m going to be able to say I play for Alabama Crimson Tide, which is probably one of the greatest programs ever in the history of college football. Being able to follow in the footsteps of so many greats and accepting the challenge to be elite above all other things has always been my overall goal.”
According to ESPN rankings, Dear is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Mississippi for his class. He emerged among the nation’s top running backs in the backfield at Quitman High School during the fall of 2022, when he rushed for 800 yards and 21 touchdowns in his sophomore season. High-level offers across the Power 4 followed, and Dear’s recruiting profile ballooned further in a junior year that saw him total 2,016 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns last fall.
Dear initially committed to Ole Miss on March 30 of this year. At the time, he represented the top prospect committed to Lane Kiffin’s latest class and an important get for the Rebels after the program did not sign a running back in the 2024 class. But Dear’s verbal pledge ultimately lasted not even three months, as he decommitted from Ole Miss on June 28, pulling his pledge in the midst of a flurry of late-June exits from the Rebels’ 2025 class.
“I thought [Ole Miss] was what I really wanted, but at the same time I was really kind of just overwhelmed and tired of the recruitment process,” Dear said. “During my search, I’ve always [sought] the feeling of a sense of home, and I didn’t feel that entirely when I was committed to Ole Miss. Something just was missing.”
Dear took spring official visits to Florida and Alabama before his decommitment, and he told ESPN the move to reopen his recruitment provided an opportunity to reevaluate his priorities at the next level. One month after decommitting from Ole Miss, Dear was back in Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s Champions Cook-Out. Notably, Dear did not take official visits to Ole Miss or Mississippi State during the summer before committing to the Crimson Tide.
Alabama associate head coach Freddie Roach and running backs coach Robert Gillespie led Dear’s recruitment for the Crimson Tide.
“It felt like home,” Dear said of Alabama. “The coaching staff, the environment, the pursuit of greatness as an organization, the vibe of all the players, the number of running backs that they have produced and put in the NFL. Most of all, [Gillespie] has been absolutely great to me, and genuinely believes in me and my ability to contribute to his room.”
As one of those 15 ESPN 300 commits pledged to the Crimson Tide’s 2025 class, Dear joins fellow top-100 rusher Anthony Rogers (No. 98 in the ESPN 300) as the only running back committed to Alabama in this cycle. The Crimson Tide lost a commitment from four-star athlete/running back pledge Zymear Smith (No. 137) in July. Smith later committed to Maryland.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is not expected to play against Mississippi State on Saturday, per sources, as the Longhorns staff is expected to sit him out in order for him to be fully healthy for the game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
A final decision on Ewers is expected later Saturday, per sources, but the decision is trending toward allowing him to use Texas’ week off following the Mississippi State game to get healthy. Ewers has been considered week-to-week since injuring his oblique against UTSA on Sept. 14.
Ewers finished the week at nearly 70%, as he practiced Tuesday, was limited Wednesday and ended up limited in practice Thursday to allow him to fully heal. Per sources, the Texas coaching staff wanted to give Ewers the extra rest to ensure he’d return at full strength.
The decision means that Texas will against start backup quarterback Arch Manning, who will make his first career start in an SEC game. Manning made his first start against Louisiana Monroe, completing 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards. He had two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Ewers’ oblique injury came in the wake of him displaying one of the season’s best performances at Michigan in Week 2, as he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout Texas win in Ann Arbor.
Mississippi State enters the game on a three-game losing streak, which includes back-to-back blowout home losses to Toledo and Florida. The Bulldogs are trending toward finishing at the bottom of the SEC, as they have one of the country’s worst defenses. They are No. 111 nationally in total defense and No. 107 in scoring defense.
Mississippi State will also be without its starting quarterback, as starter Blake Shapen is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury against Florida. Michael Van Buren, a true freshman, will make his first career start for the Bulldogs.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a “true game-time decision” for the No. 2 Bulldogs at No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night, according to ESPN sources.
Williams has missed the previous two games with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which he suffered against Clemson in the opener. He’ll be evaluated in pregame warmups and a decision will be made on his status.
Williams has been limited in practice this week, and it’s expected that if he does play it’ll be at less than 100 percent. He’s also unlikely to play a heavy snap count if he does play, as he’s working his way back.
Williams is a marauding defensive end who is the best player in Georgia’s front seven and is a high-end NFL prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 4 overall player for the 2025 NFL draft.
Williams started the season hot before injuring his ankle against Clemson, as he had two tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures in that game.
They will be an onus on Georgia’s defensive line, especially on the ends, to help slow Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia’s defensive line will benefit from the return of senior Warren Brinson, who is listed as probable after missing the past two games. Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Hall is questionable for the SEC showdown.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who has been snakebit by injuries the past two years, is again expected to be a game-time decision against Arizona on Saturday night, sources told ESPN.
Rising has missed No. 10 Utah’s past two games after an injury to his throwing hand that he suffered against Baylor on Sept. 7. He missed all of last season after an ACL tear in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season.
Rising’s status will undergo the same evaluation process with the Utah staff as before the Oklahoma State game last week. He’ll throw the ball pregame, and his ability to deliver spin and velocity on the ball will determine whether he’ll play, per sources.
As Rising has struggled to recover and get back on the field, one factor that could weigh into the decision is the chance to get him back fully healthy in two weeks. Utah has a bye before they play at Arizona State on Oct. 11.
Rising has practiced this week but remained limited as the staff has attempted to rest his finger.
Freshman Isaac Wilson has started the past two weeks, leading the Utes to victories over Utah State in Logan and in Stillwater against the Cowboys.
Wilson has shown both moments of promise and interspersed those with moments that have illuminated his youth. He threw for 207 yards on 17-of-29 passing against Oklahoma State. He also threw two interceptions. He threw for three touchdowns and 239 yards against Utah State.
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