Breaking: 5-Star WR commits With Alabama Football

The Tide continues to ride through a summer of enormous recruiting successes.

Alabama has recently received the commitment of 5-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham:

NEWS: Alabama lands a commitment from 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham. #RollTide 🐘

Cunningham details his decision: https://t.co/Qkix7nfthE pic.twitter.com/OpYdKicWrJ

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) July 13, 2024

Cunningham’s name has been touted more and more as a Tide supporter during the previous 3-4 weeks. The addition of quarterback Keelon Russell to the recruiting class appeared to pique Cunningham’s curiosity.

Alabama has historically struggled to attract elite recruits from Mississippi, for whatever reason, so bringing in a top-15 player from the Magnolia State is a significant win for Kalen DeBoer and his staff.

“Oh man, Bama is No. 1. They’re No. 1, for sure,” Cunningham told BamaOnLine after his official visit. “Why not Bama? They have the resources that I need. It’s a great place for me to be developed, to get to the next level for my position as a receiver. They’re going to develop.”

Cunningham, who stands 6’3″ and weighs 190 pounds, is a master of the redzone with a large grab radius and amazing hands.

Here is the scouting report from On3:

Bouncy outside receiver with the upside to become a skilled ball-winner. Listed at an unverified 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. Moves well at that size. Shows the ability to come down with catches in contested situations. Naturally coordinated and can locate the football at its highest point. Also shows some ability to make defenders miss after the catch. Doubles as a fantastic high school basketball player who lives above the rim, throwing down dunks with regularity. Also posted strong marks in the high jump (6-0 feet) and triple jump (43-4.25 feet) as a freshman. Has considerable natural ability but will need to hone his technical skill at the position over the final few years of high school football. Could stand to be more productive. Plays at a smaller high school and doesn’t face top competition.

And the scouting report from 247:

Unverified size and athleticism, but clearly possesses physical traits and excellent functional athleticism on tape. Know less about him than most other wideouts in the class, but definitely aware that he’s a dynamic basketball player with big production on the hardwood. Translates body control and bounce to ball-winning mismatch effectiveness at wideout. Unstoppable in red-zone situations. Strong-handed in traffic. Runs hard in run-after-catch situations and bowls his way through arm tackles. Long-striding gait that creates necessity for build-up speed. Natural route sense and spatial awareness. Question the top-end athlete from speed and lateral perspectives relative to others in the class, though athletic profile is admittedly excellent with the hoops context. Projects as a high-major impact player with a long-term ceiling that could lead to NFL Draft consideration.

Cunningham is considered the country’s #13 overall player and the #2 receiver, trailing only Kaliq Lockett (who is also strongly considering Alabama).

Alabama now has the second-best recruiting class behind Ohio State, but the highest overall average rating per pledge (OSU only has two more commits), with four 5-star athletes. If Deboer can keep the class together until signing day and add a few more guys, it will rank among Nick Saban’s top recruiting classes.