Alabama lands South Carolina RB Tai Phillips, edging Ohio State and Florida State in 2027 recruiting

Alabama moved again in the 2027 recruiting cycle on Monday by securing a commitment from South Carolina running back Tai Phillips. The Crimson Tide beat out several high-profile programs, including Ohio State and Florida State, for a prospect based at Irmo High School in Columbia, a state pipeline Alabama has leaned on in past classes but had not yet tapped with this group.

Phillips, listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, is expected to bring a mix of quickness and inside-outside running to Alabama’s backfield. According to reporting from Saturday Down South, Phillips’ junior season included 919 total rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, with 7.9 yards per carry across seven games. He also played in North Carolina during that stretch, another detail that matters for how coaches evaluate production against different competition.

Recruiting attention around Phillips was broad. Saturday Down South reported that Alabama’s staff evaluated the running back while competing against a national set of offers, naming programs such as Florida State, Ohio State, Stanford, and Louisville among those that were involved. The commitment also carried extra weight for Alabama because it marked the first South Carolina-based player in the 2027 cycle for coach Kalen DeBoer and staff, per the same report.

In terms of where Phillips fits inside Alabama’s recruiting board, the commitment was framed as the program’s ninth overall addition for the 2027 class and the second running back in that group. Alabama’s other back in the cycle, as noted by Saturday Down South, is 3-star Nigel Newkirk from Gainesville, Georgia. That combination suggests Alabama is trying to build a more complete multi-back room rather than rely on a single runner to carry the class’s production expectations.

Evaluators also tied Phillips to the national rankings conversation. Saturday Down South reported that, in 247Sports’ composite rankings, Phillips is viewed as the No. 856 overall prospect in the country, the No. 64 running back, and the No. 17 player out of the Palmetto State. Recruiting numbers like those do not map directly onto playing time, but they do report how quickly a staff believes a player can develop within a competitive depth chart.

Alabama’s offseason priorities also intersect with conference expectations. Saturday Down South wrote that Alabama’s 2027 recruiting class has been a little behind the rest of the SEC, citing a No. 49 ranking in 247Sorts’ latest team rankings. In that context, Phillips’ commitment is both a player-specific win and a reminder that Alabama’s staff still has work to do to match the pace set by other programs in the same class window.

What to watch next is whether Alabama continues to add additional backs or expands the class’s needs elsewhere. With Phillips already in the fold, the most immediate storyline will be how the staff balances recruiting for the 2027 offensive identity, while also trying to close the gap in overall class rank against SEC rivals. For now, Phillips’ commitment gives Alabama a fresh, production-backed runner with SEC-level recruiting upside, and it gives South Carolina a measurable moment of momentum for the cycle.

KeyFeacts not supported by official sources should be treated as reported.

whyItMatters note: This is recruiting coverage, not a season report. Follow-up confirmation from primary recruiting services or official Alabama communications would clarify details.