Alabama Analyst Delivers Harsh Reality on 2027 Recruiting

Five star wide receiver Monshun Sales may only be a rising senior in high school, but he’s conducting business like a seasoned vet.

There’s been a lot of hype around Sales because he is the top-ranked receiver in the 2027 class, while the next highest-ranked available receiver sits at No. 33.

And with a commitment date set for July 17th live on the Pat McAfee Show, Sales is going to decide between five teams.

Indiana, Ohio State, LSU, Texas, and Alabama.

For those unfamiliar with Sales and his relationship with the Crimson Tide, it runs deeper than just a dollar figure.

Sales had grown up in the Tuscaloosa area, before moving up north to Indianapolis. Because of that Bama blood, he grew up rooting for Alabama, and even his high school coach nicknamed him “Bama.”

So the pitch was simple. When his visit in May came, tug on the heart strings and hope that it’s enough to sway him.

And it definitely had an impact.

“It really felt unreal,” Sales said after his visit to Tuscaloosa. “I grew up in Alabama. I grew up thinking about that all the time and it was finally there. It was a ‘I am here’ moment. I feel like Bama and Indiana are my top two schools right now.”

The problem is, money talks. And Alabama has made it clear to all prospects that it won’t get involved in bidding wars.

"If we can't come to an agreement, you just don't bring them for an OV -- we'll cancel the kid's visit," said Alabama General Manager, Courtney Morgan. "There was a big-time player last year, top of his position, we just told him don't come because we couldn't meet on the terms he wanted."

Which is where Sales comes into play.

You saw what he said. Bama and Indiana were his top two.

Well, now there are other factors in play. Ones with deep pockets.

Ohio State has entered the mix, as has Texas. Two programs who are consistently at the top of NIL spending for recruits and in the transfer portal.

Tim Watts from Bama On Line seems to think that if NIL ends up being the centerpiece of this commitment, then Alabama doesn’t have a chance.

“He’s played the game really well,” Watts told Rivals’ Josh Newberg. “I never thought, and I don’t think that Alabama ever thought he was an Alabama lock just cause his nickname was ‘Bama.’ That was just a childhood favorite. Then you get to the financial aspect, and Indiana won a National Championship… I haven’t seen a whole lot of telltale information. But if this is a complete NIL decision, it probably won’t be Alabama.”

On both 247Sports and On3, Indiana is listed as the overwhelming favorite, while Texas is second on 247 and Ohio State is second on On3.

Alabama may be where the heart is, but if this ends up resulting in Sales getting generational wealth, then it’s difficult to see the Crimson Tide winning this sweepstakes.

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