Alabama fans got an answer about their future when Kalen DeBoer signed an extension with the program last week. However, that future is now getting tested on the recruiting trail. A Crimson Tide commit is getting attention from a Big 10 team, and a visit from the coaching staff has now increased the intensity in his recruitment.

Michigan’s tight end coach, Freddie Whittingham, visited The Lawrenceville School, sat in the stands, and watched Colt Lumpris play. The visit was low-key and intentional, only becoming public when it appeared on a recruiting site. On May 3, 247Sports reporter Brice Marich posted on X that Michigan’s tight ends coach had come to see the Alabama commit to try to change his mind. Lumpris later mentioned the visit publicly.

“Thanks @FWhittinghamJr for spending time with us at school and pulling up to the game!” he said on X.

Lumpris committed to Alabama on December 9, 2025, picking the Crimson Tide over Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Ole Miss. He is ranked 15th among tight ends in the 2027 class and 279th nationally by the 247Sports Composite.

In his junior season at the Lawrenceville School, Lumpris had 44 receptions for 812 yards and eight touchdowns. The performances earned him First-Team Offense honors for the All-New Jersey Prep Football team. At 6’6″ and 240 lb, his lacrosse background gives him short-area quickness and redirection that scouts rarely see in a player his size.

Despite his hard commitment to the Crimson Tide, Lumpris’ recruitment is anything but done. The official visit schedule indicates that the player is still interested in seeing what’s out there. Alabama hosts him May 29-31. Texas A&M is next on June 12. Penn State follows June 19-21. However, to add to DeBoer’s worries, the Wolverines are last on his schedule. Lumpris will visit Ann Arbor on June 19.

The momentum around these visits is not happening in a vacuum. Alabama changed its staff after Lumpris committed. Bryan Ellis, the tight ends coach who recruited Lumpris, was moved to quarterbacks coach after Nick Sheridan left for Michigan State. Richard Owens came in from Louisville as the tight ends coach. However, right after he was hired, Owens reached out to Lumpris to reiterate the program’s stance on his recruitment.

However, rival programs haven’t stopped pursuing the tight end. Florida head coach Jon Sumrall offered him a few months ago. Even Colorado offered him last month, creating significant buzz that a flip may be around the corner.

Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan tests Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama recruiting machine

Alabama has moved quickly to address roster needs. Oakley Keegan, a 6’7″, 240-pound tight end from Liverpool, New York, is now the second tight end commit in the 2027 class, providing DeBoer with depth at the position. Five-star quarterback Elijah Haven has also committed, a move that clarifies the direction of the offense for other recruits still considering their options.

With DeBoer’s extension, he is now among the five highest-paid coaches in college football. This level of investment increases expectations, not lessens them. Every recruiting update and commitment decision will be evaluated against whether the contract is justified.

Recruitment is always a perception battle. Michigan has been at the receiving end of a few decommitments since Kyle Whittingham began his tenure at Ann Arbor. That had downgraded their 2027 class. The Wolverines can get the desired momentum if they steal a commit from one of the powerhouses of college football. That’ll be a signal to other recruits that Whittingham is not a short-gap solution, but he’s there for the long run.