On Tuesday, highly anticipated running back Akylin Dear committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, marking another big acquisition for the Class of 2025. Dear, who is rated by 247Sports as the best running back in the class, choose Alabama over Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

After reaching 2,000 yards rushing in his junior year, the native of Quitman, Mississippi, is getting ready for his senior year at Quitman High School. Dear, Alabama’s 20th pledge of the cycle, is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 45 overall recruit in the class.

Dear’s pledge is yet another indication that first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer is settling in nicely to the recruiting demands of running one of the best programs in the country. According to the 247Sports Team Rankings, Alabama’s class is ranked No. 2 in the country, trailing only Ohio State.

Nine of those 20 are listed in the top 100 nationally by 247Sports, demonstrating the Crimson Tide’s continued appeal as a destination for elite players even in the years following Nick Saban. Cooper Petagna, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, provides additional details about Dear’s game:

Dear is a skilled mover who can fool opponents with his one-cut elusiveness or contact balance. He also excels at locating hidden yardage and gaining yardage after contact by using his strong lower body. The Mississippi product has the separation quickness and long speed to be a homerun threat at the next level, while being well-known for his physicality and cunning as a runner. With gaudy numbers and verified measurements to go along with a frame fit for collegiate impact, Dear projects as a Power-Four prospect with instant impact potential who might grow into a Sunday Day-2 NFL Draft candidate.

As the December signing date draws up, Dear—who also excelled in track at Quitman High School—joins four-star running back Anthony Rogers in Alabama’s class to offer the Tide a potent combo at the position.