Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff WriterNov 17, 2024, 03:17 PM ET
- Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
Four-star running back Anthony Rogers, No. 97 in the ESPN 300, pulled his commitment from Alabama on Sunday, telling ESPN he plans to commit to a new school when the early signing period opens on Dec. 4.
"It was getting close to signing day and I just wanted to make sure I'm making the best decision for me on where I'll be at for the next three or four years," Rogers said. "I'm looking for a place with a good environment, good coaching staff. Somewhere that I'll fit in before I go to the NFL."
Rogers, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound prospect from Montgomery, Alabama, is ESPN's No. 4 running back prospect in the Class of 2025. He initially committed to Nick Saban's Crimson Tide staff in June 2023, leaving Rogers as the longest-tenured member of Alabama's 2025 class prior to his decommitment.
The Crimson Tide now hold 14 ESPN 300 pledges in the 2025 cycle.
Rogers' exit from Kalen DeBoer's inaugural recruiting class follows his official visits to Georgia and Ohio State earlier this fall, and the Buckeyes and Bulldogs remain the front-runners for Rogers' commitment in the closing weeks of the 2025 cycle. Rogers told ESPN that Auburn and Ole Miss also remain in the mix for his pledge. He has not yet decided on any other campus visits in the coming weeks.
With Rogers' decommitment, Alabama has now lost three ESPN 300 pledges in the last five days from a class that began the week at No. 1 in ESPN's class rankings for the 2025 cycle.
The first blow came when four-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham (No. 21 in the ESPN 300) flipped his pledge to Ole Miss after a visit to Oxford in Week 11. Four-star outside linebacker Dawson Merritt (No. 105) followed Thursday, flipping his commitment to Nebraska. All told, the Crimson Tide have now lost 11 ESPN 300 commitments in the 2025 cycle, including four who came in the immediate aftermath of Saban's retirement in January.
No. 10 Alabama visits Oklahoma in Week 13 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).