Alabama’s latest move just gave Indiana a boost in pursuit of 5-star WR Monshun Sales

Curt Cignetti has signed a handful of under-the-radar prospects to Indiana's 2027 recruiting class, which has proven to be an effective strategy during his tenure in Bloomington. But given Indiana's title success, the Hoosiers are now drawing attention from some of the nation's top recruits.

The white whale remains 5-star WR Monshun Sales, who hails from right up the road at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Sales is one of the most coveted uncommitted prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle, as he is ranked as the No. 1 WR and No. 8 overall player in the country according to Rivals.

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The Sales sweepstakes are down to just a few programs, with Indiana well-positioned at the front of the pack. But Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide are a team close on Indiana's heels. Sales' family is from Alabama and he grew up cheering on the Tide. He even had the nickname of "Bama" as a kid.

While DeBoer and company remain heavily in pursuit of Sales, Alabama's latest commitment could have opened the door even more for Indiana.

Alabama landing commitment from 4-star WR Osani Gayles helps Indiana's pursuit of Monshun Sales

On Saturday afternoon, Rivals reported that 4-star WR Osani Gayles has committed to Alabama. Like Sales, Gayles is one of the most highly-touted WR prospects in the country for the 2027 recruiting class. The Tracy, CA native is ranked as the No. 8 WR and No. 51 overall player in the nation.

With Gayles announcing his commitment to the Tide, Hoosier football fans are hoping that shakes up Sales' feelings toward Alabama. The 5-star talent visited Tuscaloosa last month, and as he continues to go through his decision-making process, DeBoer has added a different elite WR to his 2027 recruiting class. It will be interesting to see if that move has any impact on Sales' looming decision.

Indiana holds firm in recruiting race for 5-star Monshun Sales

Along with Indiana and Alabama, other contenders looking to land Sales include LSU, Ohio State, Texas, and Miami (FL). Sales has taken Official Visits to all of those schools, which means a commitment decision could be coming at any time.

With the competition heating up, Cignetti has the Hoosiers in a great place to land their first-ever 5-star high school recruit. Back in May, Steve Wiltfong and Greg Smith of Rivals both logged expert predictions for Cignetti and company to seal the deal with Sales. In addition, the Rivals Industry Consensus currently gives the Cream and Crimson a strong 81.7% chance to secure a commitment from Sales when it's all said and done. Furthermore, Nicholas Rome of Saturday Blitz also believes Sales will be Bloomington bound.

Sales is coming off an impressive junior campaign in which he collected 37 catches for 794 and 9 touchdowns. Owning a 6'5" 195-pound frame, Sales is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. His elite athleticism allows him to make any catch out there, and there's no denying that keeping him in The Hoosier State would be a massive recruiting win for Cignetti and company.

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