"Using Michigan for clout" "DeBoer gets who he wants": Fans react as 2026 prospect snubs Wolverines for Alabama

Three-star defensive lineman JJ Finch committed to Alabama over Michigan and Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defender is the third commitment for Kalen DeBoer's 2026 class this month, joining four-star offensive lineman Samuelu Utu and four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla.

“#LL3️⃣ #LLTrell 🕊️ Roll Tide 5️⃣L," Finch told On3's Hayes Fawcett following his announcement.

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Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito, who initially offered Finch during his time at Western Michigan, continued recruiting him at UM. Finch visited Ann Arbor on June 6 and had the Wolverines in his top five before ultimately committing to Alabama.

However, some Michigan fans expressed skepticism, claiming the Wolverines weren’t seriously pursuing Finch for their 2026 class.

"Was never in this, Hayes using Michigan for clout again," a fan wrote.

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"Stop with the click baits, we follow Michigan all the time, never once even heard the insiders talk about this kid," one added.

"What a horrific decision young man," a person exclaimed.

As a junior in the 2024 season, Finch recorded 92 tackles (24 for a loss), seven sacks, seven pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles. He is the No. 49 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Finch's addition brought happiness among Alabama fans.

"Deboer gets who he wants. Excellent choice over Rocky flop and one hit wonder U young man," a netizen wrote.

"Look like a grown man. Roll Tide Buddy," one exclaimed.

"Congratulations can’t wait to see this chapter of your life. Roll tide," a person wrote.

Finch becomes the third defensive lineman to commit to Alabama’s 2026 class, joining Jamarion Matthews and Kamhariyan Johnson. The Crimson Tide have eight committed players in the cycle, ranking No. 11 in the nation.

Four-star IOL Zaden Krempin enjoys official visit to Michigan last weekend

Four-star offensive lineman Zaden Krempin included Michigan in his top schools in May, alongside Texas LSU and Texas A&M. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect was in Ann Arbor last weekend for his official visit.

"Thank you @UMichFootball for an incredible weekend! Decision time," Krempin tweeted with some snaps from his Michigan trip.

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In an interview with On3 in May, Krempin had high praise for Sherrone Moore's program:

“When I was offered last spring, just got really connected with Coach (Grant) Newsome. He’s a cool guy to be around but also they develop guys. It’s cool that the head coach used to play next to Trent Williams at OU and was an o-line coach. So, he understands that life and respects it.”

Krempin attends Prosper High School in Prosper, Texas, and in-state Texas Longhorns are considered the leaders in his recruitment so far.

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 Nadim El Kak