“I’m gonna go play for the best” — Elite 2026 CB Dorian Barney drops bold statement as Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama makes big moves in recruiting

The Alabama Crimson Tide have already begun to make moves for their teams in the future. On Sunday, Dorian Barney committed to Kalen DeBoer's program.

Barney, who plays in the cornerback position, is a 4-star-ranked recruit. On his decision to commit to Alabama, Barney said:

“I wanna be the best so I’m gonna go play for the best, RTR🐘”

Dorian Barney chose to commit to the Alabama Crimson Tide over 38 other schools. This included the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns.

Barney is playing high school football at Peachtree Ridge High in the state of Georgia, where he has put up some impressive numbers.

During the 2023 season, Barney recorded 32 tackles and four interceptions. During his freshman season (2022), which was played at a different high school in Georgia, Barney recorded eight interceptions and led the state in this statistic.

Barney is ranked as the sixth-best cornerback in the 2026 recruitment class by 247Sports. He is also the seventh-best recruit who is playing high school football in the state of Georgia.

Barney will be joining Kalen DeBoer's side in a couple of years and has given his opinion on the man who may be his coach during his college years:

Man, I feel like coach DeBoer is a great guy, His first impression was very good and I feel like my first impression to him was very good. He is a great guy"

The recruitment of Dorian Barney gives the Crimson Tide another strong player in the cornerback position, with the school having recently produced Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry.

The second player to commit to Alabama this weekend

Dorian Barney is not the only player who has recently committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide. On Saturday, defensive back Jamarrion Gordon, who plays high school football in the state of Alabama, committed to Kalen DeBoer's program for the 2026 season.

During his first two high school seasons, Gordon recorded 72 tackles, two interceptions and one sack. By 247Sports' rankings, he is the 10th-best player from the state of Alabama.

The commitments of both Barney and Gordon will bring good news to the office of Kalen DeBoer.

The Alabama defense has recently lost some key players, either through the NFL draft or through players leaving or decommiting from the Crimson Tide after Nick Saban's retirement. However, even without Saban, the Crimson Tide is still one of the most prestigious programs in the country.

Any fears that Kalen DeBoer would affect this prestige has been put to bed, as the Alabama Crimson Tide keeps bringing in top prospects.

Do you think that Dorian Barney will be able to become as good as Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold were?