Every recruiting cycle, you can identify a few players who are going to be able to make a meaningful contribution during their freshman season.
For Alabama in the 2025 class, those players included CB Dijon Lee, OL Michael Carroll, and WR Lotzeir Brooks. Others may have identified QB Keelon Russell, OL Jackson Lloyd, or perhaps one of the highly-ranked tight ends: Kaleb Edwards or Marshall Pritchett.
No one expected 3-star DL London Simmons to be an immediate breakout star. And maybe he wouldn't have been if it wasn't for some serious attrition on the defensive line, but the Mississippi native has made the most of his early opportunity.