Class of 2026 Recruiting Tracker: Alabama Crimson Tide Football

To say that recruiting was different for the Alabama Crimson Tide football program in piecing together the signing Class of 2025, well, that doesn't begin to describe what happened.

Of course, Nick Saban suddenly stepped down as head coach at the end of the the 2024 season, and was replaced by Kalen DeBoer. That meant new assistant coaches, different schemes, adjustments to what had been called "The Process" and and whole new way of doing things in Tuscaloosa.

Combined with NIL and transfer portal changes, it all led to a lot of players going elsewhere along with some other surprises. For example, Alabama didn't dip too much in the various rankings of recruiting services, which was very atypical following a coaching change. Also, the Crimson Tide only added 21 players led by quarterback Keelon Russell, defensive lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee Jr.

When comparing to Saban's initial signing class, they're lightyears apart. Linebacker Rolando McClain was the key addition that year, as the new head coach arriving from the Miami Dolphins had only about a month to salvage and add to the group he inherited. Center William Vlachos, wide receivers Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks, nose tackle Josh Chapman, and cornerback Kareem Jackson were among the only starters to develop out of that group.

But the subsequent year, after Saban had 12-plus months to build relationships and pursue many of the nation's top prospects, Alabama added the legendary signing class that formed the foundation of the the team that won three national titles from 2009-2012. It included Julio Jones, Mark Ingram II and Barrett Jones on offense, with the defense adding Mark Barron, Dant'a Hightower, Marcell Dareus and Terrence Cody.

The 2013 and 2017 signing classes were also top-rated collections for Saban at Alabama. The former included Johnathan Allen. Derrick Henry, Reuben Foster, A'Shawn Robinson and O.J. Howard, The latter boasted Najee Harris, Tua Tagovailoa, Devonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Mac Jones (who was considered a 3-star prospect by some analysts).

Back to last year, Alabama placed third in the 247 Composite rankings, for the Class of 2025. In comparison, The Crimson Tide was second the year before, and first in 2023 as Saban enjoyed recruiting essentially as much as he did coaching games and the team on a daily bases (which can be pretty rare, most coaches are much better at one aspect).

That 2023 group was also considered among Saban's best as nine different players were rated to be a 5-star prospect by the various recruiting services, topping the claimed record of eight set the previous year by Texas A&M. Overall, it was the head coaches' 10th unofficial recruiting title in 13 years, which might never be equaled.

Meanwhile, Washington under DeBoer was No. 26 in 2023, and No. 47 in 2024 recruiting in the Pacific Northwest. But the Southeast obviously had a richer talent base to attract, and the transfer portal was starting to be hailed as the great equalizer in college football.

"When it comes to recruiting ... it is the lifeblood of our program."
Kalen DeBoer

Class of 2026

Hard Commits (20)

Team Rankings - Through July 16, 2025

247Sports: No. 5
On3/Rivals: No. 5

Commitments

CB Zyan Gibson, 5-foot-11, 177 lbs. - Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)
CB Jorden Edmonds, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. - Marietta, Georgia (Committed 03/26/2025)
EDGE Jamarion Matthews, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs. - Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 02/21/2025)
EDGE Kamhariyan Johnson, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. - Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Committed 04/12/2025)
OL Chris Booker, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. - Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 02/20/2025)
OL Sam Utu, 6-foot-4, 320 lbs. - Orange, California (Committed 06/09/2025)
QB Jett Thomalla, 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. - Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/17/2025)
DL JJ Finch, 6-foot-3, 260 lbs. - Indianapolis, Indiana (Committed 06/22/2025)
RB Javari Barnett, 5-foot-11, 205 lbs. - Tampa Bay, Florida (Committed 06/23/2025)
S Rihyael Kelley, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 06/23/2025)
SN Eli Deutsch, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. - Franklin, Wisconsin (Committed 06/24/2025)
RB Ezavier Crowell, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. - Jackson, Alabama (Committed 06/26/2025)
TE Mack Sutter, 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. - Dunlap, Illinois (Committed 06/26/2025)
LB Zay Hall, 6-foot-2, 222 lbs. - Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 06/27/2025)
LB Xavier Griffin, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. - Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
WR Owen Cabell, 6-foot-2, 201 lbs. - Nashville, Tennessee (Committed 06/30/2025)
WR Brian Williams, Jr., 6-foot-4, 185 lbs. - Lake Mary, Florida (Committed 07/01/2025)
WR Cederian Morgan, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs - Alexander City, Alabama (Committed 07/02/2025)
DL Nolan Wilson, 6-foot-4, 250 lbs. - Picayune, Mississippi (Committed 07/04/2025)
S Jireh Edwards, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. - Baltimore, Maryland (Committed 07/05/2025)

1. Zyan Gibson - Gadsden, Alabama

Position: Cornerback
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 177 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 67 nationally, No. 5 position, No. 5 state
On3/Rivals: No. 68 nationally, No. 9 position, No. 4 state

2. Jorden Edmonds - Marietta, Georgia

Position: Cornerback
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 5-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 14 nationally, No. 1 position, No. 2 state
On3/Rivals: No. 28 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 4 state

3. Jamarion Matthews - Gainesville, Georgia

Position: Edge
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 240 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 159 nationally, No. 17 position, No. 16 state
On3/Rivals: No. 77 nationally, No. 12 position, No. 8 state

4. Kamhariyan Johnson - Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Position: Edge
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 260 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 365 nationally, No. 32 position, No. 16 state
On3/Rivals: No. 327 nationally, No. 36 position, No. 15 state

5. Chris Booker - Atlanta, Georgia

Position: Offensive line
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 285 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 288 nationally, No. 22 position, No. 33 state
On3/Rivals: No. 259 nationally, No. 19 position, No. 30 state

6. Sam Utu - Orange, California

Position: Offensive line
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 320 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 108 nationally, No. 7 position, No. 14 state
On3/Rivals: No. 169 nationally, No. 11 position, No. 21 state

7. Jett Thomalla - Omaha, Nebraska

Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 205 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 127 nationally, No. 10 position, No. 1 state
On3/Rivals: No. 214 nationally, No. 16 position, No. 1 state

8. JJ Finch - Indianapolis, Indiana

Position: Defensive line
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 260 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 460 nationally, No. 55 position, No. 3 state
On3/Rivals: No. 514 nationally, No. 54 position, No. 5 state

9. Javari Barnett - Tampa, Florida

Position: Running back
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 205 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 490 nationally, No. 30 position, No. 70 state
On3/Rivals: No. 593 nationally, No. 38 position, No. 75 state

10. Rihyael Kelley - Cincinnati, Ohio

Position: Safety
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 180 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 1095 nationally, No. 92 position, No. 44 state
On3/Rivals: No. 632 nationally, No. 51 position, No. 28 state

11. Eli Deutsch - Franklin, Wisconsin

Position: Long snapper
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 225 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4.5-Star prospect
Kohl's Kicking: No. 21 nationally

12. Ezavier Crowell - Jackson, Alabama

Position: Running back
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 210 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 5-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 71 nationally, No. 4 position, No. 6 state
On3/Rivals: No. 41 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 3 state

13. Mack Sutter - Dunlap, Illinois

Position: Tight end
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 230 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 86 nationally, No. 7 position, No. 1 state
On3/Rivals: No. 99 nationally, No. 6 position, No. 1 state

14. Zay Hall - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 222 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 1231 nationally, No. 102 position, No. 44 state
On3/Rivals: No. 1112 nationally, No. 99 position, No. 39 state

15. Xavier Griffin - Gainesville, Georgia

Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 5-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 8 nationally, No. 1 position, No. 1 state
On3/Rivals: No. 22 nationally, No. 2 position, No. 2 state

16. Owen Cabell - Nashville, Tennessee

Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 848 nationally, No. 126 position, No. 23 state
On3/Rivals: No. 853 nationally, No. 122 position, No. 25 state

17. Brian Williams, Jr. - Orlando, Florida

Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 185 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 809 nationally, No. 118 position, No. 105 state
On3/Rivals: No. 936 nationally, No. 143 position, No. 108 state

18. Cederian Morgan - Alexander City, Alabama

Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 210 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 5-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 12 nationally, No. 2 position, No. 1 state
On3/Rivals: No. 23 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 2 state

19. Nolan Wilson - Picayune, Mississippi

Position: Defensive line
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 250 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 4-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 102 nationally, No. 15 position, No. 4 state
On3/Rivals: No. 62 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 3 state

20. Jireh Edwards - Baltimore, Maryland

Position: Safety
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 210 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 5-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 26 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 3 state
On3/Rivals: No. 16 nationally, No. 3 position, No. 3 state

Class of 2027

Hard Commits (2)

Team Rankings - Through Apr. 12, 2025

247Sports: No. 3
On3/Rivals: not ranked

Commitments

ATH Alexander Ward, 6-foot-1, 170 lbs. - Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/26/2024)
EDGE Jabarrius Garror, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. - Mobile, Alabama (Committed 07/31/2024)

Class of 2025

Team Rankings

247Sports: No. 3
On3: No. 3
Rivals: No. 4

Signings (21)

EDGE Justin Hill, 6-foot-3, 220 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Signed 12/04/2024)
TE Marshall Pritchett, 6-foot-5, 211 lbs. - Rabun Gap, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
S Ivan Taylor, 6-foot, 174 lbs. - Winter Garden, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
LB Darrell Johnson, 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. - Eastman, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
WR Lotzeir Brooks, 5-foot-9, 170 lbs. - Millville, New Jersey (Signed 12/04/2024)
OT Micah DeBose, 6-foot-5, 215 lbs. - Mobile, Alabama (Signed 12/04/2024)
DL London Simmons, 6-foot-3, 296 lbs. - Flowood, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
LB Luke Metz, 6-foot-3, 220 lbs. - Hoschton, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
OT Mal Waldrep, 6-foot-5, 320 lbs. - Phenix City, Alabama (Signed 12/04/2024)
DL Steve Mboumoua, 6-foot-4, 290 lbs. - Summit, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
QB Keelon Russell, 6-foot-3, 175 lbs. - Duncanville, Texas (Signed 12/04/2024)
CB Dijon Lee, 6-foot-4, 190 lbs. - Mission Viejo, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
DL Kevonte Henry, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. - Norwalk, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
CB Chuck McDonald, 6-foot, 190 lbs. - Santa Ana, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
K/P Alex Asparuhov, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. - Fresno, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
LB Abduall Sanders, Jr., 6-foot-1, 225 lbs. - Santa Ana, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
OL Michael Carroll, 6-foot-6, 315 lbs. - Bradenton, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
OT Jackson Lloyd, 6-foot-7, 290 lbs. - Carmel, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
TE Kaleb Edwards, 6-foot-6, 240 lbs. - El Dorado Hills, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
RB Akylin Dear, 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. - Quitman, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
WR Derek Meadows, 6-foot-4, 20 lbs. - Las Vegas, Nevada (Signed 12/04/2024)