"They treat the players like pros": Four-star TR target recaps A-Day trip to Kalen DeBoer's Alabama

Modified Apr 20, 2025 14:53 GMT

Four-star tight end Malik Howard received an offer from Kalen DeBoer's Alabama in February. The Oak Ridge High School (Tennessee) standout visited Tuscaloosa for A-Day on April 12.

“This visit really put Alabama high on my list,” Howard told On3.

Expand Tweet

Howard is the No. 4 recruit in Tennessee, the No. 173 prospect in the nation and the No. 11 tight end in the 2027 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The Crimson Tide lacks a tight end commit in the 2027 cycle, and Howard can perfectly fill the void.

Last week's trip was Howard's first trip to T-town, and DeBoer's coaching staff made sure to use the opportunity to ensure an early edge in his recruitment.

“It went great for me and my family,” Howard told Touchdown Alabama. “They showed us a lot of love. I really like how they operate. Everything there is really professional, and they treat the players like pros.”

Tight end coach Bryan Ellis is recruiting Howard at Alabama. Besides the Crimson Tide, he also holds offers from schools like Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Malik Howard praises Alabama's tight end culture

Alabama ensured two mighty tight ends in the 2025 class: four-star prospects Marshall Pritchett and Kaleb Edwards. In the 2026 class, the Crimson Tide have yet to secure a tight end commit, but they are in the mix for multiple prospects in the position.

Kalen DeBoer's program is the hot favorite to secure four-star tight end Mack Sutter from Dunlap High School (Illinois), with a 61% chance of securing his commitment, according to On3. The school also remains in contention for four-star TE Xavier Tiller and three-star TE Jude Cascone.

Alabama's recruiting momentums with TE prospects keep the school high on Malik Howard's list.

"They’re really starting to use their tight ends in different ways and look to keep multiple on the field, so it’s looking like they could have great production from the position with the right guys,” Howard told Touchdown Alabama.

In the 2027 class, the Crimson have two committed players so far.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

Know More

Edited by Krutik Jain