Kalen DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan waited until summer to put together a recruiting trail surge in the 2026 class. However, a few recruits had made up their mind that they wanted to join the Crimson Tide before that, and Kamhariyan Johnson was one of them.
Johnson committed to Alabama in April and shut down his recruitment in June. Now, other programs are pushing to pry him away from Tuscaloosa, but that won’t be easy. The four-star edge rusher from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, is locked in with the Tide and is adamantly shutting down any other interested coaches.
As Brett Greenberg of Bama247 reports, Johnson plans to return to Tuscaloosa for gameday visits on September 6 when Alabama hosts UL Monroe and September 13 with Wisconsin in town. Notably, he’s also not taking any other gameday official visits this fall, which will make it about impossible for any program to flip his commitment.
Schools are pushing for a fall visit from Kamhariyan Johnson. No luck.
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) August 23, 2025
The in-state Alabama commit has been shut down since June 10.
He returns to Tuscaloosa for the ULM & Wisconsin games next month.
“They can have a national championship run.”
MORE: https://t.co/n6WHnBZooq pic.twitter.com/Td7nvFlc0K
Kamhariyan Johnson remains locked with Alabama as he eyes gameday visits
It’s good news when any commit shows such passion for the program. DeBoer and Morgan know they don’t have to worry about losing him, and that’s especially important because of the position that he plays.
Edge rusher has been one of the few positions that DeBoer hasn’t recruited particularly well since taking over in Tuscaloosa. The 2025 class featured just one four-star edge rusher, Justin Hill, and in the 2026 class, the Tide missed out on in-state five-star Tank Jones, who committed to Oregon this summer.
By 247Sports Composite Rankings, Jamrion Matthews is Alabama’s top-rated edge rusher in the 2026 class. Johnson is second, ranked as the 36th best edge in the country, and 16th best player in the state of Alabama. At 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, Johnson has the ideal frame to play edge rusher for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who features the 280-pound LT Overton at defensive end.
The Tide will continue to work to flip Jones back after losing him to the Ducks, but that won’t be easy because Alabama isn't the only program interested in his services. So, with Jones likely heading to the Pacific Northwest, Johnson remains a key commit.
Commitments mean less than ever with the freedom of movement presented by the Transfer Portal and recruiting leverage that exists through NIL, so Johnson's loyalty to the program is refreshing, and could make him a fan favorite as he begins his career at Alabama.