Class of 2026 4-star prospect sends clear message while shutting down recruitment in favor of Kalen DeBoer's Alabama

Four-star edge rusher Jamarion Matthews has been committed to Alabama since February but continued exploring other college options over the summer. But on Saturday, the Gainesville High School (Gainesville, Georgia) star ended his recruitment.

In a post on X, Matthews confirmed that he's sticking with Kalen DeBoer's program:

"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 being said, I’ve decided to shut my recruitment down and stay home!! #RollTide."

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In-state Auburn made a strong push for Matthews, with defensive tackles coach Vontrell King-Williams and outside linebackers coach Roc Bellantoni recruiting him to play both linebacker and defensive end.

"They think I could be a big player in their defense, and I made big plays in the backfield, so that's their message to me," Matthews told Rivals following his official visit to Auburn earlier this month.

Matthews also took official visits this summer to Alabama (June 6-8), LSU (June 13-15) and Florida State (June 20-22). After these visits, he felt confident that his original choice of Alabama was the right one.

As a junior in the 2024 season, Matthews recorded 57 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He's the No. 14 edge rusher in the 2026 class and the No. 101 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Alabama is trending for four-star DL Nolan Wilson

Four-star defensive lineman Nolan Wilson picked up an offer from Alabama in October and has kept the Crimson Tide near the top of his list ever since. He made several visits, with the most recent being an official trip to Tuscaloosa from May 30 to June 1.

On Saturday, On3’s Andrew Bone and Steve Wiltfong projected that Wilson would eventually commit to Kalen DeBoer's program.

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Wilson is the No. 4 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and the No. 68 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He plans to announce his college decision on July 4, choosing from Alabama, Florida, Miami, Auburn and Ole Miss.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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Edited by Bhargav