Elite 2026 Talent Names Crimson Tide in Top Five

2026 4-Star cornerback RJ Sermons officially released his top five schools this week, including Alabama in his list.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer at practice on August 4, 2024 | Alabama Athletics

The Alabama Crimson Tide signed over 20 talented prospects in the early signing period for football last week, and now look to have an early jump on one of the class of 2026's top recruits.

According to Chad Simmons of On3, RJ Sermons, a 4-Star cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class from Rancho Cucamonga, California, released his list of top five schools this week, including the Crimson Tide among Georgia, Oregon, Washington and USC.

NEWS: Elite 2026 CB RJ Sermons is down to Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, USC and Washington. A decision could be nearing.

The latest: https://t.co/wgV44JvgVd (On3+) pic.twitter.com/fuGRQ1h7OX

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) December 10, 2024

Sermons is ranked by the 247Sports composite ranking as the No. 2 cornerback in the nation and the No. 6 overall player in the state of California. He is also rated as a top-100 overall prospect nationally, coming in at No. 33 on the list.

Standing at 6-foot-1, 180 lbs., Sermons already has great size for a division one cornerback. He has long arms that he uses to break up passes and shows a lot of fluidity in his movement. In two seasons of varsity football for the Rancho Cucamonga Cougars, he has racked up 80 total tackles, four of which were for a loss, six pass deflections and an interception.

As of now, the Crimson Tide holds the No. 39 class in the nation for 2026. Alabama has just a single commitment from in-state talent Vodney Cleveland of Parker High School in Birmingham. The 6-foot-3, 305 lb. defensive lineman is rated as a 4-Star prospect as well, and announced his commitment in October.

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