SEC Rival Beats Alabama Out For Elite In-State Recruit
The Alabama Crimson Tide has the second-most national titles in college football, at 16.
On the way to winning those titles, Alabama had to conference rivals like the Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Ole Miss Rebels.
Advertisement
On3's Hayes Fawcett reported Friday that Ole Miss secured the commitment of 2026 receiver Corey Barber. Barber picked Ole Miss over Alabama, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Miami Hurricanes.
While Ole Miss is not as big of a rival to Alabama as Auburn or Tennessee, the Rebels have caused problems for the Crimson Tide in the past.
Ole Miss beat Alabama in consecutive years in 2014 and 2015.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer leads his team onto the field. John David Mercer-Imagn Images
Barber is a four-star prospect and the No. 43 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Rankings.
The recruit also held offers from the Texas A&M Aggies, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Washington Huskies and others.
Advertisement
If he had committed to Alabama, he would have joined five-star cornerback Jorden Edmonds, four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson, four-star edge rusher Jamarion Matthews, four-star inside offensive lineman Chris Booker and four-star defensive lineman Kamhariyan Johnson.
Ole Miss' 2026 class contains four-star linebacker Izayia Williams, four-star running back Damarius Yates, Barber, three-star receiver Jameson Powell, three-star quarterback Rees Wise, three-star athlete Zion Legree, three-star running back Ja'Michael Jones and three-star corner Braylen Williams.
Alabama finished 9-4 in DeBoer's first season in Tuscaloosa. His biggest include No. 2 Georgia, No. 15 LSU Tigers and No. 21 Missouri Tigers.
However, his losses were to the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers, Vanderbilt Commodores, Oklahoma Sooners and Michigan Wolverines.
Related: Alabama Named a Finalist for No. 2 Recruit in Ohio
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
Alabama basketball set to face former player, assistant in 2025-26 nonconference schedule
Alabama basketball set to face former player, assistant in 2025-26 nonconference schedule Alabama basketball added another opponent to its 2025-26 nonconference slate this week. The Crimson Tide will face the Kennesaw State Owls from Conference USA on Sunday, Dec. 21. The game will be played at a neutral site, Propst Arena in Huntsville. The matchup against the Owls will come against a head coach that Alabama fans know well: former Crimson Tide guard and assistant coach Antoine Pettway. A starter on Alabama's 2004 team that went on a deep NCAA Tournament run to reach the program's first Elite Eight, Pettway will be in his third season as Owls head coach. He previously served as an assistant at Alabama from 2013-23 under Anthony Grant, Avery Johnson and Nate Oats. Pettway guided Kennesaw State to a 19-14 overall record and a 10-8 mark in Conference USA play last season. He had a four-year playing career at Alabama from 2000-01 to 2003-04 under coach Mark Gottfried, averaging 9.1 points per game to go with 3.7 rebounds with 3.5 assists while starting all 33 games his senior season. Oats has put together another loaded nonconference schedule with marquee matchups for 2025-26. The Crimson Tide will face Illinois (in Chicago), Purdue (at Coleman Coliseum), St. John's (Madison Square Garden) and Arizona (in Birmingham), among others. Alabama finished 28-9 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Duke in the East Region final in Newark. The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 6 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Where Alabama football's 2026 recruiting class sits in rankings entering June
Where Alabama football's 2026 recruiting class sits in rankings entering June As we enter the month of June, one could say that the Alabama Crimson Tide have yet to fully hit their stride on the recruiting trail. At the moment, the Crimson Tide hold only five current commitments in their 2026 recruiting class, each of which come from the state's of Alabama and Georgia. Of those five, one ranks as a five-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings in top cornerback Jorden Edmonds, while the others are all considered as four-star's. The four-star's are Zyan Gibson, Jamarion Matthews, Chris Booker, and Kamhariyan Johnson. However, with the calendar having now flipped to June, it marks what is usually a loaded month for recruiting at Alabama annually in which the Crimson Tide will host countless prospects for official visits, and could even land some commitments if last year is something to go off for Kalen DeBoer and staff. Where does the Crimson Tide's 2026 recruiting class currently rank however nationally with only five commits, as of June 5? Alabama football 2026 recruiting class ranking 247Sports: No. 46 nationally (No. 12 in SEC) No. 46 nationally (No. 12 in SEC) On3: No. 10 nationally (No. 4 in SEC) No. 10 nationally (No. 4 in SEC) ESPN: Unranked nationally (Not in Top 25) Unranked nationally (Not in Top 25) Rivals: No. 44 nationally (No. 12 in SEC) While the Crimson Tide's recruiting class ranking isn't as high as one might be accustomed to, it is also important to remember that Alabama only has five players committed, which is far less than some of the other top programs, and for the fact that it is only June. However, don't be surprised if this ranking changes in the near future, as the Crimson Tide are among the favorites for some big names currently, and could easily start to build momentum as we enter the summer months. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Where Wisconsin football's class of 2026 ranks nationally after Jack Janda's commitment
Where Wisconsin football's class of 2026 ranks nationally after Jack Janda's commitment Wisconsin football's class of 2026 rose significantly in the national rankings following tight end Jack Janda's commitment on Wednesday. Janda, who committed to the Badgers following his official visit this past weekend, became the 11th athlete to offer his pledge to Luke Fickell's class of 2026. The pass-catcher's addition elevated Wisconsin's national ranking from No. 34 to No. 27. Notably, Janda is Wisconsin's fifth commitment in his class since Sunday. He joins tight end Jack Sievers, defensive lineman Arthur Scott, linebacker Ben Wenzel and defensive lineman Djidjou Bah as players to commit after the May 30 visit weekend, a strong indication of what could transpire during other visit windows this summer. Prior to the recent string of commitments, Wisconsin's class of 2026 took a hit when defensive lineman Carmelow Reed flipped his commitment to Ole Miss. With Janda, Sievers, Scott, Wenzel and Bah joining the fray, coupled with wide receiver Tayshon Bardo reaffirming his commitment to Fickell's program, UW has officially turned the corner in the 2026 cycle. Wisconsin's next batch of targets includes linebacker McHale Blade, wide receiver Jayden Petit, running back Amari Latimer, offensive tackle Kamari Blair and athlete Jackson Ford, all of whom visited Madison this past weekend alongside Janda. As of June 4, Wisconsin does not boast a blue-chip recruit in its class of 2026. In terms of Janda as an individual prospect, 247Sports lists the three-star prospect as the No. 818 player in the class of 2026, the No. 43 tight end and the No. 12 recruit from his home state of Michigan. He is Wisconsin's fifth-highest-ranked commit in the class. For more on the Badgers' pursuits in the 2026 cycle, bookmark our class of 2026 tracker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
