Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Dealt Unfortunate News Amid College Football Offseason

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A top recruit in the 2027 recruiting class has announced his college decision.

According to On3/Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, four-star recruit Chris Harris Jr. has committed to Missouri. He chose Missouri over Alabama, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State.

“Who doesn’t want to show out for their state?” Harris Jr. told Fawcett.

Harris Jr. is from Missouri and is the fourth-highest recruit in the state, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 18 athlete recruit and the 341 overall recruit in the country, regardless of position.

Alabama was trying to secure a commitment from Harris Jr., but he opted to stay home. Missouri finished the 2025 season with an 8-5 overall record, after going 10-3 in 2024 and 11-2 in 2023.

Alabama is fresh off a 2025 season that saw the program get to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff before losing to Indiana. Alabama beat Oklahoma in the first round after making the CFP as the ninth seed.

This was DeBoer’s second season as head coach after taking over the program before the 2024 season. He has a 20-8 overall record as Alabama’s head coach after coming over from Washington.

DeBoer has a 57-17 overall record in six seasons as an FBS head coach.

Alabama will open the 2026 college football season against East Carolina on Sept. 5. The program will then play its first SEC game against Kentucky on Sept. 12.

Alabama will play nine SEC games during the 2026 season and only three non-conference games.

Related: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Leading for 5-Star WR in 2027 Recruiting Class

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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