Alabama’s remaining 5-star target could be slipping away as commitment date nears

It’s still not known exactly when 2026 five-star edge rusher Tank Jones will announce his commitment. However, on Monday, the Mobile, Alabama, told a Mobile-based radio station that, “I’m making a decision either this week or next week.” 

Jones’s decision will bring an end to a stressful waiting game in Tuscaloosa, but it may not be the news that Crimson Tide fans have been hoping for. 

Kalen DeBoer cannot let Tank Jones leave the state in 2026 recruiting cycle

Kalen DeBoer has put up a firm border around the state of Alabama in his second recruiting cycle since arriving in Tuscaloosa. In the 2026 class, three of the top four players in the state, Cederian Morgan, Ezavier Crowell, and Zyan Gibson, are committed to the Crimson Tide. Jones is the lone uncommitted player in the state’s top 10. However, rumors have begun to swirl that Jones could be trending towards Oregon. 

Jones is down to a top-three of Alabama, Texas A&M, and Oregon, and if he leaves his home state for Eugene, it will be the second consecutive year that Lanning has plucked the top high school recruit out of Alabama. Last season, Oregon earned a commitment from five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord from Birmingham. The Ducks also recently edged out the Tide for 2026 five-star safety Jett Washington in a head-to-head battle. 

In 2025, DeBoer’s highest-ranked in-state commit was Micah DeBose, an interior offensive lineman who ranked just outside of the national 200 according to 247Sports Composite Rankings and was the 13th best recruit in Alabama. 

Auburn secured six of the top 10 players in that cycle, and only two in 2025, but if Jones doesn’t choose the Tide, it’s hard to argue that DeBoer fully capitalized on the precarious state of Hugh Freeze’s employment status and its negative impact on the Tigers’ recruiting class. Jones is also the last chance for the Tide to keep pace with other SEC rivals, Georgia and Texas A&M, which are two of only three programs with more highly-regarded recruiting classes than Alabama. 

Most outlets, including Rivals, still predict Jones to land with the Crimson Tide, but with such a secretive recruiting process that still hasn’t nailed down a commitment date, it’s been difficult to handicap. At least we know that this saga is nearing its conclusion. 

By the composite rankings, Jones is the 18th-ranked player in the country and the fourth-best edge rusher. He would slot directly between five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, ranked 17th, and Morgan, ranked 19th in the country, and put the finishing touches on DeBoer’s second elite recruiting class since taking over in Tuscaloosa.

UPDATE: Tank Jones set to commit on Thursday

On Wednesday, On3's Hayes Fawcett broke the news that Tank Jones will announce his commitment on the Pat McAfee show on Thursday.