Staying hot may be an understatement for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama.
The Crimson Tide have surged to the top 10 of the 2025 team recruiting rankings this week with a focus on defense and more specifically at linebacker. Darrell Johnson committed on Wednesday, Abduall Sanders followed on Thursday and now fellow four-star linebacker Luke Metz went public with his UA commitment on Sunday.
Each of the prospects was able to get to Tuscaloosa in the last two weeks, with Metz visiting Wednesday and Thursday, when he gave a silent pledge to DeBoer and company.
"I just felt the vibes, the vibes felt great," Metz told Rivals, admitting his decision became clear following a one-on-one conversation with defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. "It's the winning culture there. Everything they do it elite."
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Metz took in UA spring practice before getting more intimate time with the coaches. It included DeBoer, who sat down with the newest Crimson Tide commitment for an hour before the visit ended.
"Getting to know him a little more, with their brand of football," he said. "It was a cool vibe...then I spoke to coach Wommack and he was like, 'what are you gonna do, man? No pressure.'
"I told him I was committed, 'let's go!' Then he started jumping up and down, he was so excited. That was kind of the whole coaching staff's reaction, so it made me feel really special."
The new group in town, despite Metz's childhood Alabama fandom, played a major part in the commitment. It included their approach, something he got to see up close and feel more comfortable with.
"It's a lot different than the old staff," he said. "It's more defined. The amount of detail is still there, but it's kind of a newer, younger approach. It's a new outlook on things, and the way they're using all of their tools...it's gonna produce a lot of winning football.
"It was hard not to jump in."
Projected to play the stinger position in the new Alabama defense, the newest Crimson Tide pledge expects to hit the ground running once in Tuscaloosa for good.
"I fit in extremely well," Metz said. "We're gonna make some things happen in 2025 and those next few years."
