BREAKING: 4-star Elite defender Stuns Fans with Shock Decommits From Gainesville and committed to DeBoer and Alabama over offers from LSU, Clemson and Florida State

Alabama is strengthening its 2026 recruiting class under Kalen DeBoer, aiming to build on the momentum from a stellar 2025 cycle. The Crimson Tide secured a key commitment from the Southeast, adding another top prospect for the future.

On Friday, four-star edge rusher Jamarion Matthews from Gainesville (Ga.) High School announced his pledge to Alabama. His final choice came down to the Tide, LSU, Florida State, and Clemson, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports.

Matthews, standing at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, is ranked as the No. 17 edge rusher nationally per the 247Sports Composite. He also ranks just inside the top 200 overall prospects and is the No. 26 recruit in Georgia for the class.

Although Matthews will play his senior season in Georgia, he previously competed at Harvest in Alabama, where he posted 29 tackles for loss and 17 sacks in just 10 games as a junior.

DeBoer assembled the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class in 2025, continuing Alabama’s high-level recruiting tradition established under Nick Saban. Now, he looks to replicate that success in 2026 while aiming to improve on his 9-4 record from his first year in Tuscaloosa.