As much as we want to say that this doesn't hurt and it's not a big deal for the Alabama football 2026 class, this opposite is the case. As most of you know by now, 5-star EDGE Tank Jones has decided to leave his home state to play his college ball at Oregon.
The hope for head man Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff was that Jones would make the move from Mobile to Tuscaloosa, but that's not going to be the case. From our chair, we have a feeling that NIL played a major role in this decision.
However, it wasn't all about money for Jones in committing to Dan Lanning and the Big Ten program. According to former Rivals Oregon analyst Scott Reed, his sources told him that the Ducks were able to come out on top due to two other reasons in particular.
Breaking: Anthony "Tank" Jones, the No. 2 OLB in the Class of 2026, has committed to Oregon, he announced on the @PatMcAfeeShow 👀 pic.twitter.com/USJtNcG5wP
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) July 31, 2025
5-star EDGE Tank Jones picking Oregon over Alabama is going to sting for Kalen DeBoer
"While NIL will always matter with elite prospects (i.e., culture alone will not beat an offer that doubles the second place team), the thing that stands out the most for Jones about Oregon is the branding and the chance to literally be 100% focused on football and school," Reed wrote on Wednesday night. "The business-like approach looks like it is going to pay off."
So, branding and not having outside distractions is what helped the Ducks win this recruiting battle? The last time we checked, Tuscaloosa isn't a major city in the U.S. where kids aren't able to focus on playing the game they love.
On top of that, branding? Is there anything more iconic in college football than the Alabama logo and the crimson helmet? Alas, we can't fault Jones or be upset with him for this decision, as he made a call that he feels will best prepare him for taking his talents to the next level after 3-4 years in college.
At the same time, countless Alabama fans are going to be left wondering what could have been had he committed to the Tide and played close to home. There are several other elite EDGE recruits that DeBoer can target with Jones off the board, but seeing top in-state standouts move far away to play their college ball is something that will always be infuriating for the Tide faithful.