Just a few weeks ago, Auburn fans were celebrating a major recruiting victory after the Tigers landed wide receiver Cedrick Simmons, an in-state prospect who had grown up rooting for Alabama. The commitment sparked plenty of chatter, with many taking the opportunity to poke fun at the Crimson Tide for losing a player many believed was destined to stay in Tuscaloosa.
Now, that celebration may have been premature.
Simmons committed to Auburn on July 23, but less than a month later, the recruiting landscape appears to have shifted dramatically. Momentum is now building toward the talented receiver reconsidering his pledge and making the move to Alabama instead.
On3 recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong submitted a prediction via the Rivals Prediction Machine forecasting that Simmons will flip his commitment from Auburn to Alabama, signaling that the Crimson Tide have regained control of the recruitment.
While Simmons is currently rated as a consensus three-star recruit and the No. 588 overall player in the composite rankings, his on-field production tells a much different story. During his junior season at Southside High School in Selma, he put together eye-popping numbers, hauling in 106 receptions for 2,192 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Those statistics made him one of the state’s most explosive offensive weapons and attracted heavy interest from both Alabama and Auburn, along with several prominent programs from across the country.
Earlier this summer, Alabama appeared to have the inside track after Simmons took an official visit to Tuscaloosa on June 12. However, his trip to Auburn the following weekend changed the trajectory of his recruitment, ultimately leading him to commit to the Tigers.
Following that decision, it seemed Alabama had shifted its focus elsewhere, with Florida wide receiver Kyren Caldwell emerging as a primary target. But after Maryland reportedly made a strong push for Caldwell, the Crimson Tide coaching staff redirected its attention back to Simmons—a move that now appears to be paying off.
If the latest predictions prove accurate, Simmons could soon become part of Alabama’s 2027 recruiting class, giving head coach Kalen DeBoer another talented playmaker on the offensive side of the ball.
The timing is particularly interesting with five-star wide receiver Monshun Sales expected to announce his college decision on Friday. Recent speculation has suggested Sales is leaning toward either Indiana or Texas, leaving Alabama facing an uphill battle in that recruitment.
Even so, the pursuit of Simmons appears to be separate from Sales’ recruitment. Alabama has been searching for another receiver to complement current four-star commitment Osani Gayles, and Simmons fits that vision. Although he may not possess elite size, his explosiveness, route-running ability, and playmaking instincts have consistently stood out on film, giving coaches confidence that he has the tools to develop into a dynamic weapon at the collegiate level.
Landing Simmons would also provide a much-needed boost to Alabama’s 2027 recruiting class. While DeBoer has already generated considerable momentum with the program’s 2028 class, the 2027 cycle has been viewed by many fans as underwhelming. The coaching staff has emphasized quality over quantity with a deliberately smaller class, but flipping a highly coveted in-state recruit away from Auburn would still represent a significant recruiting victory.
Should Alabama ultimately secure Simmons’ commitment, it would not only strengthen the Crimson Tide’s future receiving corps but also deliver a major win over their biggest rival, turning what once looked like an Auburn triumph into a recruiting reversal that could reshape the narrative of the 2027 cycle.