Alabama

Alabama football 2026 recruiting class outlook at early signing day

Published

5 months ago

December 1, 2025

Alabama football 2026 recruiting class outlook at early signing day

As Alabama football prepares for an SEC championship, the Crimson Tide is also on the cusp of securing the next wave of its future.

The start of the early signing period in college football kicks off Wednesday, Dec. 3, and players like five-star running back Ezavier Crowell, five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin and four-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan are set to officially sign with the Crimson Tide.

Here’s a look at where Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class stands as the early signing period nears.

Alabama football recruiting needs 2026

Alabama has secured much of its 2026 recruiting class, even if the Crimson Tide has had a few recent fireworks in the 2026 class.

The Crimson Tide lost a commitment from four-star offensive lineman Sam Utu less than two weeks before signing day. Alabama secured a commitment from College of San Mateo offensive tackle Tyrell Miller to join Chris Booker, Bear Fretwell and Jared Doughty up front. And on Sunday, Nov. 30, Zyan Gibson wavered in his commitment to the Crimson Tide before releasing a statement saying he was standing firm, citing “miscommunication” as his reason for reportedly leaving the class.

But the headline names of the 2026 class are set in stone, players like Griffin, Crowell, Morgan, five-star safety Jireh Edwards and five-star cornerback Jorden Edmonds, who are locked into what Alabama is building in 2026.

Alabama football recruiting rankings

As the start of the early signing period nears, Alabama has the third-ranked class per 247Sports’ composite rankings behind No. 1 USC and No. 2 Georgia.

Alabama is one of three classes that have secured four five-star players in the 2026 class along with Oregon and Notre Dame. The average rating for each player in Alabama’s 2026 class is the third-highest in college football behind Oregon and LSU.

Alabama football 2026 recruiting class

Xavier Griffin: 5-star linebacker, Gainesville, Georgia
Jorden Edmonds: 5-star cornerback, Marietta, Georgia
Ezavier Crowell: 5-star running back, Jackson, Alabama
Jireh Edwards: 5-star safety, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Cederian Morgan: 4-star wide receiver, Alexander City, Alabama
Jett Thomalla: 4-star quarterback, Omaha, Nebraska
Mack Sutter: 4-star tight end, Dunlap, Illinois
Jamarion Matthews: 4-star defensive lineman, Gainesville, Georgia
Nolan Wilson: 4-star defensive lineman, Picayune, Mississippi
Chris Booker: 4-star offensive lineman, Atlanta, Georgia
Jared Doughty: 4-star offensive lineman, Atlanta, Georgia
Corey Howard: 3-star defensive lineman, Valdosta, Georgia
Rihyael Kelley: 3-star safety, Cincinnati, Ohio
Kamhariyan Johnson: 4-star defensive lineman, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Javari Barnett: 3-star running back, Tampa, Florida
Owen Cabell: 3-star wide receiver, Nashville, Tennessee
Bear Fretwell: 3-star offensive lineman, Brooklet, Georgia
JJ Finch: 3-star defensive lineman, Indianapolis, Indiana
Brian Williams Jr.: 3-star wide receiver, Orlando, Florida
Tayden Kaawa: 3-star quarterback, Honolulu, Hawaii
Zay Hall: 3-star linebacker, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tyrell Miller; College of San Mateo, Union City, California

When is early signing day?

The start of the early signing period is Wednesday, Dec. 3 and lasts through Friday, Dec. 5

The regular signing period begins Feb. 4, 2026.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Alabama

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

Published

2 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

For the first time in five years, Alabama is heading to the SEC Softball Tournament championship.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) is coming off a 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11) on Thursday.

The Crimson Tide will face No. 4 Texas, which is coming off a walkout 5-4 win over No. 9 Georgia.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won its last conference championship.

Here’s what to know about how to follow the Crimson Tide against Texas in the SEC Tournament title game.

When does Alabama softball play vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

Location: John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

Game time — 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9

First pitch in the Alabama softball vs. Texas matchup is set for 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9 for the championship title.

What channel is Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

The 2026 SEC Softball Tournament conference championship game will air on ESPN.

How to listen to Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament

You can tune into each Alabama softball game on Catfish 100.1 FM.

2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket

Click here to see the full 2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket.

2026 SEC softball standings, conference records

All conference records are as of entering the SEC Softball Tournament.

Oklahoma (20-4)
Alabama (19-5)
Florida (17-7)
Texas (16-8)
Tennessee (16-8)
Texas A&M (16-8)
Arkansas (15-9)
LSU (12-11)
Georgia (12-12)
Mississippi State (9-15)
Missouri (9-15)
South Carolina (7-17)
Ole Miss (6-18)
Auburn (4-19)
Kentucky (1-23)

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Published

14 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Alabama softball dominated all the way in its win to advance to its first SEC Tournament championship in five years.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) didn’t trail once in its 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11, 15-10) on Thursday.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Crimson Tide’s win over the Gators.

Alabama softball offense is starting to click at the right time

Alabama did not have to wait until the middle innings to find its offense this time.

Freshman Ambrey Taylor opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was Taylor’s 11th home run of the season and her second in as many days after also going deep against Arkansas in the quarterfinals.

Alabama continued to build from there. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second, Ana Roman singled to right field to bring in another run. Marlie Giles followed with a two-run single, pushing Alabama ahead 4-0 before the inning ended.

Jena Young doubled to drive in two more runs, with one coming across on a fielding error, at the bottom of the third. Alexis Pupillo followed with an RBI single to stretch Alabama’s lead to 6-1 by the end of the inning.

Pupillo shot an RBI-double off the wall and Audrey Vandagriff doubled to score another, extending Alabama’s lead to 8-1, threatening run-rule territory with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing the run rule with an RBI single by Taylor.

After needing a later-than-preferred power surge to pull away from Arkansas, Alabama’s lineup looked more comfortable early against Florida. The Crimson Tide finished with nine runs on 13 hits.

Vic Moten handles early pressure in first SEC Tournament appearance

Vic Moten’s first SEC Tournament appearance did not start easily, but the freshman pitcher kept Florida from taking advantage of the new kid on the block.

Moten walked two batters in the first inning but answered by striking out three straight Gators to keep the game scoreless heading into the bottom half.

Her pitch count climbed quickly. Moten threw more than 30 pitches in each of the first two innings and more than 20 in the third, reaching 87 pitches after just three. But after battling through traffic early, she settled in with a seven-pitch 1-2-3 fourth inning.

Alabama’s lead gave Moten margin for error, but Florida’s offense still had enough firepower to threaten a comeback. Moten ended the complete-game effort striking out four and one run on three hits with seven walks. Not bad for the freshman’s first postseason appearance.

Alabama moves one win away from SEC Tournament history

Alabama’s win over Florida moved the Crimson Tide one step closer to separating itself in SEC Softball Tournament history.

Both No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Florida entered Friday tied with six SEC Softball Tournament championships apiece. With the semifinal win, Alabama will now have a chance to become the first program in conference history to win a seventh SEC Tournament title.

The Crimson Tide had won only two of its last seven meetings against the Gators entering Friday, including a loss to Florida in the 2024 Women’s College World Series. This was the first postseason meeting between the two programs since then.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won the tournament title.

When does Alabama softball play again?

After beating No. 7 Arkansas and No. 3 Florida on back-to-back days, the Crimson Tide will face the winner of No. 4 Texas vs. No. 9 Georgia in the SEC Softball Tournament championship game at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 9.

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

State health officials are urging people to keep their pets vaccinated for rabies after a fox in Elmore County and a raccoon in Lee County tested positive for the virus.

On May 1, the raccoon was spotted acting strangely near Auburn, and the fox emerged from a wooded area and attacked a person in Tallassee, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The person has sought medical treatment.

“Rabies is not seasonal, and we continue to see cases year-round, but late spring is a time when activity peaks, particularly in wildlife,” said Dr. Dee Jones, state veterinarian for the ADPH, “The primary risk of rabies from wildlife is our pets, and keeping them up to date on rabies vaccine is critical.”

Alabama state law requires that dogs, cats and ferrets 12 weeks of age and older be current with rabies vaccination. In addition to vaccination, area residents are advised to take the following precautions to avoid possible exposure to rabies:

Do not leave uneaten pet food or scraps near your residence.
Do not allow pets to run loose; confine them within a fenced-in area or with a leash.
Do not illegally feed or keep wildlife as pets.
Do not go near wildlife or domestic animals that are acting in a strange or unusual manner.
Caution children not to go near any stray or wild animal, regardless of its behavior.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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