Top 2025 class prospect Ivan Taylor to make official Alabama visit as Kalen DeBoer eyes to load Crimson Tide roster

Florida safety Ivan Taylor will visit Alabama this weekend, according to Adam Gorney of Rivals. BamaOnLine also confirmed that Taylor will be in Tuscaloosa for an official visit.

Taylor has been a Notre Dame commit since December. This comes after he made four visits to South Bend and became the Fighting Irish’s highest-rated commit in the 2025 class. The departure of former safety coach Chris O’Leary to the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this offseason has raised questions about the commitment of the top 2025 prospect.

However, Taylor has maintained that his commitment lies with Notre Dame.

"They're definitely different when it comes down to talking football and just being good people overall," Taylor told ESPN following his commitment.

But his upcoming visit to Alabama suggests there might be room for reconsideration. However, many committed players take official visits, so, this isn’t unusual either.

Alabama is set to host 11 recruits on official visits this weekend, including Taylor. Other names are Darrell “Duke” Johnson, Jaedon Harmon, Na’eem Offord, Michael Carroll, Dawson Merritt, Douglas Utu, Nick Townsend, Rylon Dillard-Allen, Shekai Mills-Knight and Mal Waldrep.

Alabama safety coach is working behind the scenes to recruit Ivan Taylor

Taylor is the No. 41 overall prospect in this recruiting cycle, the No. 2 safety and the No. 5 recruit in Florida, according to 247 Sports. His visit to Alabama is a significant move for them.

Alabama safety coach Colin Hitschler, who previously worked at Wisconsin, has maintained a strong relationship with Taylor since extending him an offer last August. Now at Alabama, Hitschler's bond with the defensive back has proven invaluable.

Taylor shared the frequency of his communication with Hitschler while conversing with BOL. He spoke highly of the coach.

“He’s a great person,” Taylor said. “Great to talk with. I think we’ve had some great conversations with Coach Hitsch. Talked with him before he went to Bama, when he was at Wisconsin."

"I talked with him a lot. It’s been very mutual."

Hitschler took a proactive approach to Taylor's recruitment as he visited West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, during the spring evaluation period. The coach was impressed by Taylor's work ethic and football acumen.

Taylor totaled 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception and three forced fumbles last season. As a sophomore in 2022, he recorded 65 tackles, five tackles for losses, eight pass breakups and three interceptions. He had 20 tackles and an interception as a freshman.