Five-star WR with Penn State football offer decommits from Alabama

The dust is still settling after last week’s monumental news that legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban had decided to retire. The Crimson Tide have found their replacement in Kalen DeBoer, but he has the arduous task of filling the shoes of one of the best to ever walk the sidelines. DeBour’s first task is to salvage as much as he can of Saban’s work in the locker room and on the recruiting trail, with multiple current and prospective Alabama football players now reconsidering their options. This includes 2025 five-star WR Jamie Ffrench, who decommitted from the Crimson Tide on Sunday. Penn State football was one of Ffrench’s top options before he committed to the Tide in July.

Five-star WR decommits from Alabama

Through his junior season at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, Jamie Ffrench has established himself as one of the top prospects in the entire 2025 cycle. The On3 Industry Rankings rate the five-star WR as the No. 3 pass catcher in the class, and the No. 13 overall prospect in the country.

And now, Jamie Ffrench is back on the market. After Kalen DeBoer was introduced as the next Alabama football coach on Saturday, Ffrench decommitted from the Crimson Tide’s 2025 class on Sunday. He becomes the latest current or future Alabama player to look elsewhere since Nick Saban announced his retirement on January 10.

BREAKING: Five-Star WR Jaime Ffrench tells me he has Decommitted from Alabama

The No. 3 WR in the ‘25 Class had been Committed to the Crimson Tide since July

He is the 2nd Five-Star WR to Decommit from Alabama since Nick Saban’s retirementhttps://t.co/p6xG0wQqzC pic.twitter.com/3Olr6TmPBW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 15, 2024

Penn State football was in the mix for Jamie Ffrench this summer, but face uphill battle this time around

James Franklin and Penn State football were firmly in the runner for Jamie Ffrench in the early stages of his recruitment. The five-star WR took an unofficial visit to State College in March, one of only a few stops outside of programs in the south. In addition, Ffrench camped at Ohio State and visited Notre Dame and Pitt. Ffrench’s brother, Maurice Ffrench, set the single-season school receptions record for the Panthers in 2019.

The Nittany Lions were one of Ffrench’s top programs in the summer, making his top five when he committed to Alabama in July.

🐘 ROLL TIDE! @jaimeffrenchjr chooses the University of Alabama! Congrats Jaime and family! It’s a great day to be a Mustang! #MustangBuilt #ADifferentTypeOfHorsepower 🐎🔋 pic.twitter.com/nyA3uzgb0D

— Mandarin HS Football (@Mandarin_HS_FB) July 22, 2023

But Penn State football will certainly have its work cut out to get back in the mix with Jamie Ffrench this time. For one, given Kalen DeBour’s pedigree as a coach, you can’t rule out that the Crimson Tide will re-earn his commitment. Additionally, the five-star WR only took two visits during the fall, both to Florida State.

The Nittany Lions currently have the No. 13 class in the cycle as the full focus shifts to 2025 recruiting. Out of the seven commitments so far, none are WRs. Penn State football has hit the transfer portal to try and fill this need this offseason, adding former five-star WR Julian Fleming from Ohio State.

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