One of the top recruits in the 2026 basketball recruiting class happens to be a native of the state of Alabama. The recruitment of Caleb Holt was always going to be a fierce in-state battle between Alabama and Auburn, with plenty of out-of-state schools prepared to offer significant NIL packages to lure the 5-star SG away from home.
Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide might have gained a significant leg up on Monday with the news of Bruce Pearl's sudden - but not completely unexpected - retirement. The keys to the Auburn program have been handed over to his son, Steven Pearl, and Auburn fans have already begun talking themselves into the Nepo hire working out for them as if there aren't countless examples to the contrary.