One of the top commitments in Alabama's highly-regarded 2026 recruiting class is 5-star safety Jireh Edwards from Baltimore, Maryland. He was a silent commitment to the Crimson Tide for weeks before making it official on July 5th.
Edwards recently made headlines by announcing his recruitment was completely shut down a couple of weeks ago. That won't - and has not - stopped the sharks from circling. Big-time programs will continue to recruit Edwards until he signs on the dotted line in December. He has continued to rebuff overtures of programs trying to get him on campus for a gameday visit this fall.
On Wednesday, Rivals dropped an interview with Edwards where he made a statement that will surely make all Alabama fans smile:
Alabama 5-star safety commit Jireh Edwards remains locked in with the Tide, @BenjaminRivals reports🐘
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 27, 2025
“I don’t believe in the transfer portal.”
Read: https://t.co/tKOxwqt9Ap pic.twitter.com/nBWAAOV2hg
Jireh Edwards says he doesn't believe in the Transfer Portal
In the free-agency era of college football, when even starters are frequently jumping into the Transfer Portal to seek bigger paydays, it's a rare sight to see a kid come right out and say they don't believe in the portal.
It shows that Edwards is fully committed to the process with Alabama, which is why Kalen DeBoer and company made him such a priority in this class.
A lot of elite recruits now are looking for situations where they can step in and play right away. That might not necessarily be the case for Edwards in Tuscaloosa, though the Crimson Tide could end up losing both its starting safeties after this season. Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard are both juniors, but both could use strong seasons to propel themselves into early NFL Draft entry.
Even if they both leave early, Alabama has young, talented depth waiting in the wings. Zay Mincey and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. will be third-year players next season who will be ready to step into starting roles. Freshman Ivan Taylor, who has made a big impression in his first few months on campus, will push to start, too.
But talent wins out in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer and DC Kane Wommack have been unafraid to play freshmen. Zabien Brown started as a freshman at CB last year. Dijon Lee is either going to start or at least see significant playing time at corner this season.
If Edwards is ready to play, he'll play as a freshman. Alabama has had no problem rotating at positions you wouldn't normally see rotation to reward players who have earned the right to get on the field.
But the good news for the Crimson Tide is that it sounds like they won't have to spend the year wondering whether Edwards is going to hop in the portal if he doesn't get a ton of playing time right away.