5-star Alabama commitment rebuffs Kirby Smart and Georgia's overtures

The reality in recruiting is that even after a player commits to your program, the job isn't done until they enroll. Back in March, Alabama landed a commitment from 5-star CB Jorden Edmonds, the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia for the 2026 cycle. That commitment hasn't stopped the piranha from circling, however, and Kalen DeBoer and the Tide staff have had to continue recruiting the elite DB.

You can't blame Kirby Smart and Georgia for trying to flip Edmonds. After all, Alabama pulled him right out of Georgia's backyard. With Xavier Griffin recently trending toward the Crimson Tide, too, the thought of losing the top two recruits from Georgia to Alabama, along with another loss to the Tide on the field last September, has to be tough for Smart to stomach.

Georgia put in the work to try and get Edmonds to visit Athens this weekend, the final official visit weekend of the summer. Edmonds has decided not to take that visit:

Edmonds has seemed solid with his commitment to Alabama since he publicly announced it. He has been in Tuscaloosa the last two weekends, once for his official, and the other an unofficial visit.

Edmonds is the headliner of the Tide's 2026 class at the moment. He's a consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 1 CB in his class, per the 247 composite.

Alabama's DB recruiting is outpacing everyone in the country

I'm sure there was plenty of disappointment, and perhaps even some mockery, when 5-star Brandon Arrington cut his list to two schools, neither of which was Alabama. But his NIL-driven recruitment aside, nobody can stack up to what the Crimson Tide has done on the recruiting trail at DB in the last two cycles.

Last year, Alabama signed 5-star CB Dijon Lee, 4-star CB Chuck McDonald, and 4-star safety Ivan Taylor. Both Lee and Taylor could see early roles on a secondary that is already loaded with talent.

In the 2026 class, Alabama already has a commitment from two elite corners: Edmonds and 4-star Zyan Gibson. Alabama is also trending in the recruitment of 5-star safety Jireh Edwards, who cancelled his remaining visits after taking his official to Tuscaloosa two weekends ago.

DB coach Maurice Linguist deserves a lot of the credit. He's done an excellent job building relationships, and his ability as a developer is appealilng to young defensive backs. The work he did with Alabama's young, inexperienced secondary last season was nothing short of remarkable. He turned what looked like a preseason weakness into a strength by the end of the season, in spite of plenty of injury attrition.

Linguist continues to stockpile talent in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama should field one of the nation's top secondaries for years to come.