Alabama secured the commitment of 4-star RB Anthony Rogers in June 2023 when Nick Saban led the program. But with the season playing out as it is under new HC Kalen DeBoer, there have been speculations about him flipping his commitment somewhere else, particularly to Ohio State. But can family ties hold him back in Tuscaloosa with him holding on to his loyalty towards the Crimson Tide?

In a new YouTube episode on On3 Recruits on November 13, Steve Wiltfong joined Josh Newberg to discuss Anthony Roger’s possible decision. Wiltfong began with how the No. 10 RB of the 2025 class had a good visit to Ohio State. He said, “He’s one of those backs that’s showing this fall that he can be dangerous catching the football. His sisters go to school at Alabama. Obviously he’s interested in some other schools so Alabama they’re going to bring in Jace Clarizio and see what shakes for the Mercer weekend.”

The Montgomery (Alabama) Carver RB recorded 2,765 yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground across two years at the prep level with an impressive average of 9.2 yards per carry. And you know where his agility comes from? Anthony Rogers is also a basketball player and a track runner who is an Alabama 5A State qualifier as a freshman in the 100 and 200-meter races. But despite Anthony Rogers being an Alabama native with his family there, the bad news is that even the program is weighing out other options. 

As 247Sports analyst Tom Loy said ahead of Rogers’ visit to Ohio State, “At this point, and I made this very clear af 247Sports this week, I do not expect him to stick with Alabama. Alabama doesn’t expect him to stick in the class.” After the Buckeyes gave him a solid reason to flip after rendering a 45-0 blowout defeat to Purdue in their last game, we might as well move on from Rogers. This brings us back to Jace Clarizio, who has become a top RB target for Alabama. 

Anthony Rogers’ dilemma invites Jace Clarizio to Alabama

Kalen DeBoer and Alabama aren’t putting their future goals just in the hands of someone who’s likely to flip. Coming up with a necessary backup plan, they offered 3-star RB Jace Clarizio despite his commitment to Michigan State. The East Lansing RB committed to the Spartans on May 14. He’s currently playing in the playoffs after finishing the regular season with 1,090 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging seven yards per carry. 

But before we get our hopes up, we have to consider the fact that Clarizio’s father, Craig Johnson, was a Michigan State alum who played running back and defensive back. Still, the result of the upcoming Mercer game on Saturday will make it easier for Clarizio to make a decision. For the record, the Bears aren’t to be messed with. Mercer is leading Southern with a 9-1 record coming off a dominant 34-0 win over VMI. Can Alabama perform well enough to impress Clarizio as one of their hopeful developments?