The recruiting battle never ends. And as both Alabama and Georgia continue to aim for SEC supremacy, their eyes are squarely on one of 2027's most prized prospects.
The Alabama vs Georgia rivalry takes on a whole different dynamic.
Quarterback Elijah Haven in the 2027 class is a hot commodity, with both the Tide and the Bulldogs vying for his commitment.
Haven is the only five-star quarterback in his class, and according to 247Sports, he's also the second-ranked overall player.
Standing 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Haven was initially heavily recruited from Florida, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. But with the firing of LSU’s Brian Kelly, the Tigers were eliminated from contention – making the aforementioned four schools as the top options.
Momentum started trending toward Alabama being Haven’s landing spot when On3’s VP of National Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong made a prediction that Haven would end up in Tuscaloosa.
Then, in early November 2025, 247’s Brett Greenberg, who covers recruiting for Alabama, logged a crystal ball prediction for that same scenario.
Greenberg has only logged 20 predictions, but when he does make one, he’s usually on the money, correctly predicting 17 of those.
Over the past year, Haven has visited campus five times, more than any other school – building an exceptionally strong relationship with both head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Later this month, for Alabama’s A-Day scrimmage, Haven will be in attendance to get an idea on how both DeBoer and Grubb run the Tide’s offense. He’s also built a solid relationship with new quarterback coach Bryan Ellis.
“I feel like they didn’t miss a beat. I met Coach Ellis and he’s a great guy and a great coach … Super excited to get back up there. They definitely have a high standing in mine and my family’s hearts.”
That was a significant step in maintaining Haven’s attention, as he had already had a close relationship with the previous QB coach Nick Sheridan, who then bolted to Michigan State for its offensive coordinator position.
But before he takes in A-Day, he has visits lined up at Auburn on April 7 and Georgia on April 9, with Georgia being the biggest threat to the Tide.
“Honestly, Georgia is a school that really stands out, with no serious coaching changes that we know of,” Haven said. “Coach Smart is a great coach. What you see on TV is what you get in real life. If I commit there, I know I would grow as a person and a player. That’s one thing that’s really stood out about the program for sure.”
Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has always been a relentless pursuer, so it’s no surprise that once again, he becomes a thorn in DeBoer’s side.
Though, you wonder if Haven is more intrigued at the thought of coming to Georgia because of an easier pathway to playing.
Alabama emphasizes competition, and has stacked the deck in its quarterback room.
This season is no exception as the Tide expect a head-to-head competition between Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell.
Should Mack get the nod, it immediately creates a logjam at quarterback.
Russell is viewed as the future in Alabama, so he’s going to get his chance sooner or later. But if he has to wait another year, then behind Russell is incoming freshman Jett Thomalla, who is a five-star quarterback, as well as 2027 commit Trent Seaborn.
Seaborn has deep Alabama ties, after being recruited by Nick Saban, coached by Alabama alum Tua Tagovailoa’s father, and then moved to Alabaster, AL to elevate his career.
Where does that leave Haven? Here’s where it gets interesting for Georgia.
The Bulldogs have three quarterbacks in the pipeline in Bryson Beaver, Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery in the pipeline, and by 2027, Haven could be starting by his sophomore season.
Haven has told reporters that he expects to make a commitment by April 25.
By then, the recruiting from both programs are only going to ramp up.
Relationships mean a lot, but does it mean enough for Haven to pause his career? Or does he believe in the old adage of the “cream rises to the top?”
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