"Saban was probably on the visits" "Not impressed": Fans react as Alabama gets upper hand in 2026 recruitment class following latest commitments

Five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin committed to Alabama's 2026 class on Sunday, choosing Kalen DeBoer's program over Texas, Ohio State and Florida State. Griffin’s decision gives the Crimson Tide three five-star pledges so far, joining cornerback Jorden Edmonds and running back Ezavier Crowell.

Both Griffin and Crowell committed shortly after Nick Saban visited Tuscaloosa last week to meet with several Alabama prospects. This led some fans to attribute their decisions more to Saban’s influence than DeBoer’s recruiting.

"Saban probably was on the visits 🤣🤣🤣," a fan wrote.

"Not impressed," another said.

"Though Kalen couldn’t recruit," one fan wrote.

"DeBoer using the out of state Snow Bunnies and Nick Saban to do his recruiting," a netizen wrote.

However, many Crimson Tide supporters voiced strong confidence in DeBoer’s recruiting ability.

"Remember when they said DeBoer couldn’t recruit," a fan wrote.

"We ain't done yet... Roll Tide," another added.

With Griffin's commitment, Alabama has 14 committed players in the 2026 class, ranking No. 7 in the nation.

The Crimson Tide can strengthen their class even more soon, with five-star wide receiver target Cederian Morgan announcing his commitment on July 2. He is an in-state target from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City.

Kalen DeBoer also has another major five-star target in safety Jireh Edwards, who is set to announce his decision on July 5.

Alabama is trending for four-star QB Tayden Kaawa

Four-star quarterback Tayden Kaawa emerged as one of Alabama’s top targets for its 2026 recruiting class after receiving an offer from Kalen DeBoer’s staff in early June. Just a day later, he told On3 that the Crimson Tide are "pretty high" on his list moving forward.

On Sunday, Steve Wiltfong, ON3's Vice President of Recruiting, projected Kaawa to the Crimson Tide. The Utah native was in Tuscaloosa for an official visit from June 20-22 and shared with Athlon Sports why DeBoer's program leads in his recruitment:

“I’d say it would be Alabama because I know how the development is there. I know how they put players in the NFL.”

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound prospect attends Orem High School in Utah. As a junior, he passed for 2,890 yards and 28 touchdowns with nine interceptions, while also running for 318 yards and four touchdowns.

Kaawa is the No. 26 quarterback in the 2026 class and the No. 7 recruit in Utah, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He plans to announce his commitment within the next two weeks.