"He is a bona fide five-star in every way" — Moody HC Jake Ganus on Alabama's first 2027 class commit Ba'Roc Willis

2027 linebacker Ba'Roc Willis, from Moody High School in Alabama, is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the 2027 recruiting class. Growing up as a fan of Alabama, Willis had always dreamed of playing for the Crimson Tide. His dreams took a big step closer to reality when Alabama offered him a scholarship on December 15.

At the time, Nick Saban was still Alabama's head coach, but even after Saban's departure, Willis visited the program under new head coach Kalen DeBoer before announcing his commitment to the program.

Willis is still early in his high school career and doesn’t have an official ranking or star rating. But his high school coach Jake Ganus has set high expectations for the young linebacker.

"With his work ethic, mind, body and frame there is no doubt he is a top 50 overall player in the country," Ganus told On3. "You see him with the mental and physical attributes; he is a bona fide five-star in every way."

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 220 pounds, Willis already possesses the ideal size to play outside linebacker at the college level. He finished his freshman season with 79 tackles, 20 quarterback hurries and nine sacks.

Ba'Roc Willis shares the reason behind his early commitment

At the time of his commitment to Alabama, Willis was just the fourth sophomore prospect to announce his pledge. He joined Oklahoma defensive lineman commit Zane Rowe, Syracuse wide receiver commit Tank White and Rutgers tight end commit Connor Winn on the list.

In an interview with On3, Willis revealed the reason behind his early commitment:

“I just wanted to focus on football and trying to win state with my teammates. It was on my mind early to get this out the way.”

Alabama’s defensive line coach, Freddie Roach, played a big role in Willis’ decision to commit to the Crimson Tide. Having known Roach since the seventh grade, Willis had developed a strong relationship with the coach, which was reinforced through several visits to Alabama’s campus last year, including during game days. The final push came after attending the program’s Champions Cook-Out event.

“When I went down there, it was a good atmosphere and it felt like home. Everyone was having fun and smiling and just vibing at Alabama. Plus I know I will get developed there,” he said.

The Alabama defensive line's potential under co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Kane Wommack also excited Willis. He chose Alabama over a dozen offers, including Auburn, Tennessee and LSU.