10 of the last 11 SEC Championships have gone to either the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Georgia Bulldogs (7-3 in favor of Alabama), but with the arrival of Texas and the departure of Nick Saban, the balance of power in the SEC is slowly shifting away from Tuscaloosa and it’s up to Kalen DeBoer to grab it back.
While that process will ultimately have to take place on Saturdays in the fall, Fridays in the spring represent a significant battle in the eternal war for SEC football dominance. This Friday holds particular importance on the recruiting trail and an opportunity for DeBoer to deliver a haymaker to the program in Athens.
Alabama has just five commits in the 2026 class, a group that ranks outside the top 40 in the country, while Smart’s 2026 class ranks sixth-best with 12 commitments, including five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s younger brother, Justice, who joined the fray on Tuesday.
After landing the No. 3 class in the country last year, DeBoer has quite a bit of ground to make up on the recruiting trail, and this weekend could be his best opportunity.
Of the 11 recruits in Tuscaloosa for their official visits on Friday, four hail from Georgia, and even more consider the Bulldogs one of their top choices as summer commitment dates inch ever closer.
Kirby Smart and his staff are desperate to keep four-star edge rusher Khamari Brooks in-state, hosting him constantly this spring, including an official visit last week. Brooks is one of three edge rushers from the Peach State in Tuscaloosa this weekend, but is clearly Smart’s best option of the three.
Alabama and Georgia battling hard over five-star talents
Five-star Xavier Griffin recently de-committed from USC and does not have an official visit with his in-state Bulldogs, and four-star Jamrion Matthews has been committed to the Crimson Tide since February.
Brooks could be the hardest to pluck out of Georgia, so the two most crucial battles between SEC powerhouses will be five-star safety Jireh Edwards and five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro.
Georgia has significant momentum with both players coming out of their official visits, and after missing out on the No. 1 tight end in the class, Mark Bowman to USC, Georgia is doubling down on their efforts to land Prothro, a 6-foot-6, Bowdon, Georgia, product. It will take a huge effort from DeBoer and his staff to sway Prothro away from his hometown team, but if they can pull it off, it’ll be a massive blow to an important rival.
Prothro has yet to set a commitment date, but Edwards’ announcement is just under a month away, set for July 5. The Maryland safety has long been connected to Georgia, where he took his first official visit of the cycle.