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Kalen DeBoer, Alabama land elite RB Nigel Newkirk.

Alabama football is wasting little time making a serious move for one of the fastest-rising running backs in the 2027 recruiting class.

According to a report from BamaOnLine reporter Blake Byler, 2027 four-star running back Kingston Miles has quickly developed a strong connection with Alabama running backs coach Robert Gillespie as the Crimson Tide intensifies its pursuit.

The relationship appears to be growing rapidly.

Miles revealed that Gillespie visited his school twice in two weeks, with Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan also joining one of the visits.

“He came down Wednesday, and he also came down the week before that,” Miles told BamaOnLine. “He came to my school, him and Courtney Morgan, the GM. We went out to eat, and he was talking about how I would fit into the program and talking about my OV. A little bit about the Alabama program, and just chatting it up with him and my pops.”

Alabama Building Momentum Quickly With Kingston Miles

Even though Alabama didn’t officially offer Miles until March 24, the relationship between the elite running back prospect and Gillespie actually dates back much further.

Miles explained that his high school running backs coach had previously connected him with Gillespie during his sophomore year, helping establish a foundation long before the Crimson Tide formally entered the picture.

“My running back coach actually knows Coach Gillespie,” Miles said. “He actually got me on the phone with him my sophomore year, that summer. We were talking then, and we’ve always had a relationship since then. We always had a relationship, he’s a great guy to be around.”

That familiarity appears to be paying off now as Alabama positions itself near the top of the race.

According to the Rivals Industry Rankings, Miles is considered a four-star prospect, a top-25 running back nationally, and one of the top overall players in the state of Missouri.

The 6-foot, 200-pound back is coming off a dominant junior season at St. Mary’s South Side High School in St. Louis, where he rushed for 2,098 yards and 26 touchdowns on 265 carries.

Gillespie reportedly believes Miles brings a rare blend of size, speed, and physical upside to the position.

“[He likes] size and my speed, how I’m able to make plays, stuff like that,” Miles said. “I’m 6-foot, 200. I could become like 215. He was saying you don’t get too many backs like that nowadays.”

Alabama Already Sits Atop Miles’ List of Schools

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the report is where Alabama currently stands in Miles’ recruitment.

The talented 2027 back told BamaOnLine that the Crimson Tide currently sits at the top of his board despite never visiting Tuscaloosa before.

Miles currently has an official visit scheduled for June 19-21, although he is considering moving the trip up to the weekend of June 5.

That upcoming visit could become one of the more important early recruiting weekends for Kalen DeBoer and his staff in the 2027 cycle.

“I want to see how the Alabama program is, I’ve never been down there,” Miles said. “It’s a big program, great players have come out there. I want to get down there, see the atmosphere, see the players and the staff and the city of Tuscaloosa.”

Miles also has visits lined up with Auburn and Missouri, with additional schools still pushing for positioning in his recruitment.

Still, Alabama’s history at the running back position continues to resonate strongly with the elite prospect.

“The backs that went there that have went to the league, it’s like a Running Back U school,” Miles said. “They’ve put so many backs in the league. Alabama is just a school that comes with development and competition. That’s what I like. It’s Alabama. They develop their backs and send them to the league, and that’s the goal. Alabama is at the top of my board.”

For Alabama, landing an explosive, physical back like Miles this early in the 2027 cycle would represent another major recruiting win for Gillespie, who continues to establish himself as one of the Crimson Tide’s strongest recruiters under DeBoer.

**Note: Alabama also remains firmly in the mix for several other talented backs in the 2027 class, such as Tai Phillips and Nigel Newkirk.