Bama fans are feeling déjà vu with another elite recruit projected to land elsewhere

As fun as June and the majority of July were on the recruiting trail for Alabama football fans, the last week has been anything but.

Alabama has an elite recruiting class, but recently missed out on the top recruit in the state of Alabama for the 2026 cycle when edge rusher Anthony 'Tank' Jones committed to Oregon, spurning the in-state Crimson Tide for the Ducks.

And while it wasn't unexpected, 4-star LB Anthony Davis Jr. followed that up by choosing Ole Miss, with Alabama as one of his finalists.

And now, arguably the top remaining uncommitted target on the Crimson Tide's board - 4-star DL Elijah Golden - has been projected to land elsewhere as he nears a decision:

Golden is set to announce his commitment on Sunday, August 9th. Alabama is one of his four finalists, alongside Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech.

Alabama prioritized others and fell behind the eight-ball with Elijah Golden

Unfortunately for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, the Crimson Tide prioritized others in this cycle and likely fell behind the eight-ball for Golden down the stretch. You can't blame DeBoer for that: Tank Jones is the superior prospect between the two in the 2026 class, but unfortunately, missing on Jones is likely going to lead to a second straight miss on the defensive line.

Alabama still has a good defensive line class. They have a talented trio committed in 4-stars Nolan Wilson, Jamarion Matthews, and Kamariyan Johnson. But it's clear they'd like to find another body up front.

There's still a long way to go until the early signing period in December. DeBoer and his staff won't give up their pursuit of in-state star Tank Jones, and they could always circle back on KJ Ford, who trended to Alabama right before announcing his commitment to Florida a couple of weeks ago.

Golden's recruitment isn't over yet, either. Alabama could still make a significant push between now and Saturday to try and sway him away from the Irish. Steve Wiltfong is one of the best in the business, but he's not infallible, either; he's been wrong before, and he'll be wrong again. The Crimson Tide could make a move in the next few days if they really view Golden as a can't-miss type of prospect.

In the end, Alabama's class is going to be fine one way or another, just as it was with Jones choosing Oregon. But some good news on the trail would be nice for Crimson Tide fans after a rough week.