In this era of college football, verbal commitments have to be taken with a grain of salt. Flips are rampant - just ask anyone who has recruited Izayia Williams. He just flipped to Florida State this week, marking the seventh different commitment he has made during his recruitment process.
And just because a recruit shuts his recruitment down doesn't necessarily mean that's true, either. It certainly won't stop the sharks from circling in the fall, with nearly four months until the early signing period. It is, however, another positive sign for someone you have committed.
That is the case for 5-star safety Jireh Edwards, one of the crown jewels of Kalen DeBoer's 2026 class. Edwards committed to Alabama back on July 5th, and while his commitment has always been viewed as solid, plenty of programs - including Auburn - have hoped to sway him this fall.
According to Hayes Fawcett, those programs may as well pack it in as the Maryland native is as solid as it gets with his commitment to the Tide.
BREAKING: Five-Star Alabama Safety commit Jireh Edwards has Shut Down his Recruitment, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 16, 2025
The No. 2 Safety in the ‘26 Class committed to the Crimson Tide in July
“No such thing as an open Recruitment when you’re HOME!”https://t.co/wFO09PrX1k pic.twitter.com/2QGv2EwpdM
Jireh Edwards shuts down his recruitment, becoming the 2nd Bama 5-star to do so
Edwards joins 5-star LB Xavier Griffin, who announced his recruitment was shut down back on July 25th, in shutting things down.
Edwards has formed a bond with fellow 5-star DB Jorden Edmonds, and both will come to Tuscaloosa in January with one singular goal in mind: winning a National Championship at Alabama. The Crimson Tide's crop of defensive backs for now and the future continues to be elite. Maurice Linguist has done an exceptional job on the recruiting trail to stockpile talent in Tuscaloosa.
Edwards, Griffin, and Edmonds join WR Cederian Morgan and RB Ezavier Crowell to give DeBoer five 5-stars in the 2026 class. Alabama's class is a consensus Top-5 group in the country, and according to the 247 composite, it has the highest average recruit ranking of all the others. Alabama may not have the quantity of some of the other programs, but the quality DeBoer has put together exceeds all others.
Alabama will look to put the finishing touches on the class with perhaps a flip or two in the next few months, but the main work left is to keep everyone who has already committed to the Crimson Tide in the boat. Edwards reaffirming his commitment on Saturday is another big step in that direction.