Kalen DeBoer has built some serious momentum on the recruiting trail through the official visit season, but that momentum still hasn’t converted to many commitments for the 2026 class. Alabama’s 2026 group is still just six players strong, ranking 49th in the country, but DeBoer and his staff appear to be inching closer to multiple commitments by the end of the month.
On Thursday, the Crimson Tide got another encouraging sign when four-star offensive tackle Deacon Schmitt informed On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he was cancelling his official visits to USC, Tennessee, and Nebraska and narrowing his group of finalists to Alabama, Colorado, and Oklahoma ahead of his June 28th commitment date.
NEWS: Four-Star OT Deacon Schmitt is down to Alabama, Colorado, & Oklahoma, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2025
The 6’5 320 OT from Windsor, CO has cancelled his OVs to USC, Tennessee, & Nebraska
He’ll announce his commitment on June 28th
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/kOUUE6v7Lq pic.twitter.com/FlDGBh5snb
4-star offensive tackle Deacon Schmitt cancels remaining official visits with Alabama in top 3
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman from Windsor, Colorado, is the No. 1 player in the state according to 247Sports composite and the 370th best player in the country. If he chooses the Crimson Tide, he would be the third offensive lineman to commit in the 2026 class, joining four-stars Chris Booker from Atlanta, Georgia, and Sam Utu from Orange, California.
Offensive line has long been a strength at Alabama, continually producing first-round NFL Draft picks, including the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Tyler Booker. Kalen DeBoer has done his best to continue that legacy with major recruiting investment in the trenches, and Schmitt would fit right in with that philosophy.
DeBoer’s first recruiting class after taking over Alabama featured four offensive linemen, including five-star interior lineman Michael Carroll, and four-star tackle Jackson Lloyd, who was a top 50 player in the 2025 class.
More good news for the Crimson Tide on the recruiting trail
Alabama has plenty of work to do in constructing another top 5 class in the country, but the good news for Tide fans is that Schmitt isn’t the only player nearing a commitment. Fawcett, who reported the news of Scmitt’s canceled visits, teased big Alabama news early on Thursday.
🐘x3 pic.twitter.com/VuUplwm1j4
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2025
Fawcett may be indicating that three commitments are coming for the Tide, and if that’s the case, one of those is expected to be five-star safety Jireh Edwards, who was on campus last weekend for his official visit.