Helton had been committed to Alabama since July 2023, when Nick Saban was still the head coach of Alabama football. Under the new regime, DeBoer might want to move in a different direction regarding his offensive line. According to Bama 247 Sports, Helton is listed as 6-foot-2, 320 pounds. The large discrepancy in weight could potentially be due to illness or offseason numbers not being updated quite yet.
Helton is one of the starting offensive linemen for Alabama quarterback target Julian “Juju” Lewis. Lewis reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025.
Despite the loss of Helton in 2026, Alabama still has a connection to Lewis and the high school. Current Alabama tight end-turned-wide receiver Caleb Odom was a superstar for Lewis at Carrollton last season and could help the Crimson Tide in the recruiting effort.
