While everyone is focusing on the Transfer Portal, Kalen DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and Alabama football are making inroads with the top talent in the state of Alabama for the 2026 class after struggling with in-state recruiting for the 2025 cycle.
4-star CB Zyan Gibson from Gadsden, Alabama recently named Alabama one of his top four schools along with Auburn, Miami, and Tennessee. On Monday morning, a couple of RPM's on On3 started coming in for Gibson to commit to the Crimson Tide.
Both Steve Wiltfong and Joseph Hastings submitted RPM's in favor of Alabama for Gibson.
Gibson is a consensus Top-100 player in the 2026 cycle. He is ranked No. 67 in the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 8 CB and No. 4 player in the state of Alabama.
Alabama signed none of the Top-10 players from the state of Alabama in the 2025 class. They currently have a commitment already from DL Vodney Cleveland, the No. 6 player in the state per the composite. Gibson would give the Tide a second high-level in-state commitment and they will be involved with quite a few others.
Cleveland is currently the only commitment in Alabama's 2026 class, but they will certainly be cranking up the heat on that class in the near future. Gibson is likely to be the first domino.