Alabama is reportedly adding a couple of new members to its front office staff.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer is expected to hire Arizona Cardinals scouting assistant Stephen Wise and Georgia Tech executive director of recruiting Alex Mathis to his coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The exact role for either addition has not yet been reported, but Alabama has a few openings on its recruiting staff this offseason.
Associate director of player personnel Eron Hodges left the Crimson Tide to be the general manager at Oregon State under head coach JaMarcus Shephard. Meanwhile, UA assistant director of player personnel Jerret McElwain left for Kentucky, where he will be the director of player personnel for the Wildcats. Both departures left Alabama because of promotions.
It is likely, though not official, that Wise and Mathis fill these vacancies in Tuscaloosa.
Wise spent the last five years with the Cardinals and just wrapped his second as the franchise’s representative with the National Football Scouting service following a promotion in 2024. Before the NFL, Wise was a recruiting assistant at South Carolina, his alma mater, from 2018-21. His duties included “identifying and evaluating potential recruits, assisting with recruiting strategy for the transfer portal and facilitating the logistics of official and unofficial visits.”
Mathis returned to his home state of Georgia in 2025 after three years at UCF, where he was the assistant director of player personnel (2022-23) before being promoted to executive director of recruiting (2023-24). Mathis also spent eight years as a coach and recruiting coordinator at three Georgia high schools — Fredrica Academy (2015-19), Brantley County (2020) and Glynn Academy (2021). A Waycross, Georgia, native, Mathis has deep ties to the Peach State.
Both expected hires will work closely with general manager Courtney Morgan and the rest of the Alabama recruiting staff, as they look to secure a third elite signing class in a row in 2027.
*** This story will be updated.
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