A recent flip in On3's RPM (Recruiting Prediction Machine) for 5-star edge rusher Anthony "Tank" Jones gave Alabama a slight advantage over Auburn. According to the RPM, Alabama is now in the lead for Jones with a 31.1% chance of landing his signature. Auburn is in second at 25.0%.
Jones recently made his visit plans known. He will be in Auburn this weekend for an official visit, but Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will get the final word. He will take his fifth and final visit of the summer to Tuscaloosa over the weekend of June 20th.
Why is the flip for Jones to Alabama in the RPM significant? It means that now Alabama has the lead for the top three players in the state of Alabama in the 2026 class.
The Crimson Tide has set the pace in the recruitment of 5-star WR Cederian Morgan and 5-star RB Ezavier Crowell. DeBoer and the staff have strategically set up the visits for Morgan, Crowell, and Jones to overlap on the weekend of June 20th.
Morgan plans on making his announcement on July 2, less than two weeks after his official visit to Alabama. Crowell had initially planned to wait until New Year's Eve, but has changed his tune. Most expect him to make a decision this summer, too.
Jones doesn't have a date set, but he has mentioned plans to make a decision sometime this summer as well.
Alabama is looking to dominate Auburn in the state of Alabama in 2026
Hugh Freeze took full advantage of established relationships during the 2025 cycle, and the Tigers landed eight of the top 10 players in the state. DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan still signed a better overall class, but it was obvious from the beginning that the 2026 class would have more of an in-state flavor.
Alabama is looking to lock down the state and show Freeze and Auburn who runs it.
Along with now leading for the top three players in the state, Alabama already holds a commitment from the No. 5 overall player in the state, 4-star CB Zyan Gibson from Gadsden.
The Crimson Tide recruits nationally. The brand is too big to set borders. But the bread-and-butter still has to be in the state, particularly in this new era of NIL. The kids who grew up dreaming of donning the crimson and white. They're more likely to stick around through adversity and are less likely to look for a bigger payday elsewhere after each season.
Alabama fans should get ready for an exciting summer on the recruiting front. DeBoer and the Tide have a ton of momentum, and it starts in the state where they are currently shoving Freeze into a locker.