Mother of Alabama linebacker defends Kalen DeBoer against recruiting criticisms

Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer surveys the field during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images

The mother of an Alabama linebacker is speaking out against the recruiting criticism Kalen DeBoer is facing.

DeBoer and the Crimson Tide are facing criticism and attacks from members of their fan base and other fan bases because of where the Tide’s 2027 recruiting class currently stands. The Tide’s class is currently ranked at the bottom half of the SEC by all major recruiting services. This ranking comes after DeBoer has made it clear that the Tide will take a smaller class this recruiting cycle.

The mother of Xavier Griffin, who is a freshman linebacker at Alabama, took to X to defend DeBoer.

“Some of y’all Alabama fans get on my everlasting nerves,” Griffin’s mother posted. “Kalen DeBoer literally told y’all the 2027 class wasn’t gonna be a big class. “He said Alabama has retained players, doesn’t have many seniors leaving, and they’re being more selective with who they take. Now the rankings come out and suddenly it’s, “DeBoer can’t recruit.” What are y’all talking about? This is the same coach who signed a Top 3 class in 2025 and followed it up with a Top 2 class in 2026. The evidence says he can recruit just fine. Y’all hear what y’all wanna hear, ignore everything else, then panic over a ranking that was always gonna look different because the class was never supposed to be huge in the first place. Some of y’all sound crazy, delusional, and painful to listen to. Winning recruiting is about building the right roster, not collecting the most commitments in June. Someone else wrote this, I just tweaked it a little and shared.”

Alabama is expected to see a boost in its 2027 recruiting class next week.