Alabama football just won big in the 2026 recruiting class. Given the transient nature of college football recruiting, the fight for a player lasts until Signing Day. We never know who’s going to flip to whom, and Alabama was close to losing one major commit. A lot of programs jumped back in the race for a key Tide prospect, who kept his options open even after siding with Alabama. But now, Kalen DeBoer and the Tide front office can take a breather.
4-star DE Jamarion Matthews committed to Alabama in February. But even after pledging to a CFB blueblood, which also happens to be his native college, Matthew did not shut down his recruitment. Turns out, Tide fans need not worry about his loyalty. Matthews took to X to declare that Alabama will remain his CFB home. “I’ve decided to shut my recruitment down and stay home!! #RollTide,” he said, sharing a photo of himself against a slew of Alabama memorabilia. “Roll Tide sir! Cant wait to have you,” wrote a passionate fan.
First things first I wanna give thanks to the Man Above for the opportunities and the doors he has opened and closed for me, I also want to thank my beautiful mother, being a single parent raising two young men ain’t easy and i’m very thankful to have her as a mother. Well that… pic.twitter.com/54hrmUfROY
— Jamarion “Juice” Matthews (@marion_matt26) June 28, 2025
Matthews comes with 126 tackles, 31.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries produced in a prep career spanning 3 years. He took visits to Tennessee, Auburn, and Florida State. FSU, in particular, seemed to make an impression on him. But Matthews has finally made up his mind and is taking himself off the market. He will now feature as part of Alabama’s roster from 2026, much to the dismay of the other programs who were vying for him.
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