Alabama football landed its first commitment in the 2026 recruiting class with 4-star in-state CB Zyan Gibson announcing his pledge to the Crimson Tide via his X account.
Gibson is one of the top cornerbacks in the country in the 2026 class. He's ranked as the No. 72 overall player in the 247 composite rankings. He's the No. 4 player in the state of Alabama.
Gibson chose Alabama over Auburn, Tennessee, and Miami and held a plethora of power-four offers.
Gibson marks a big in-state recruiting win for Kalen DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and the rest of the Alabama Crimson Tide staff. The new coaching staff was way behind the eight-ball in state for the 2025 cycle, and Hugh Freeze and Auburn took full advantage of that by landing eight of the Top-10 players in the state.
Alabama recently lost a commitment from a Top-10 player in the state for 2026 when 4-star DL Vodney Cleveland decommitted from the Crimson Tide.
Regardless, Gibson's commitment is a signal that Alabama will have a much better showing in-state for the 2026 class. The Crimson Tide is a national brand and recruits the best players regardless of region, but winning in-state recruiting battles will always be important.