Alabama football adds second 2026 quarterback commit. What it means
Tayden Kaawa, a four-star quarterback out of Honolulu, Hawaii, committed to Alabama July 22, picking the Crimson Tide over BYU and Boise State. He joins 2026 quarterback Jett Thomalla, who flipped his commitment from Iowa State, in the Crimson Tide's recruiting class.
Advertisement
Kaawa, Alabama's 20th commit in the 2026 recruiting class, is the No. 351 player and the No. 26 quarterback in the country per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Kaawa reported an Alabama offer June 11 before reportedly holding an official visit with the Crimson Tide June 20-22.
With Kaawa and Thomalla, Alabama has its first recruiting class with multiple quarterbacks since 2023 when the Crimson Tide signed both Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan. Both quarterbacks later transferred.
Kaawa and Thomalla are two of 10 Alabama offensive commits in 2026 joining players like running back Ezavier Crowell, tight end Mack Sutter and wide receiver Cederian Morgan.
Advertisement
Kaawa would be Alabama's first Hawaiian signee since Tua Tagovailoa.
What Tayden Kaawa commitment means for Alabama football
Alabama is adding depth to a room that has really no room for error heading into 2025.
Heading into its 2025 opener against Florida State, Alabama has Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. That's three scholarship quarterback options in a room where the Crimson Tide would rather have at least one more.
With Kaawa, the Crimson Tide adds another development piece, one who fits the bill for what Alabama wants in a signal caller.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, the Orem High School quarterback had 3,280 passing yards, 318 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns as a junior.
Advertisement
Heading into 2026, Alabama could have question marks when it comes to who is behind center. But Kaawa is another piece to ensure that the Crimson Tide has succession plan moving forward.
Alabama football 2026 recruiting class
Zyan Gibson: Four-star cornerback, Gadsden, Alabama
Chris Booker: Four-star offensive lineman, Atlanta, Georgia
Jamarion Matthews: Four-star defensive end, Gainesville, Georgia
Jorden Edmonds: Five-star cornerback, Marietta, Georgia
Kamhariyan Johnson: Four-star defensive end, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Sam Utu: Four-star offensive lineman, Orange, California
Jett Thomalla: Four-star quarterback, Omaha, Nebraska
JJ Finch: Three-star defensive lineman, Indianapolis, Indiana
Javari Barnett: Three-star running back, Tampa, Florida
Rihyael Kelley: Three-star safety, Cincinnati, Ohio
Ezavier Crowell: Four-star running back, Jackson, Alabama
Mack Sutter: Four-star tight end, Dunlap, Illinois
Zay Hall: Three-star linebacker, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Xavier Griffin: Five-star linebacker, Gainesville, Georgia
Owen Cabell: Three-star wide receiver, Nashville, Tennessee
Brian Williams: Three-star wide receiver, Orlando, Florida
Cederian Morgan: Five-star wide receiver, Alexander City, Alabama
Nolan Wilson: Four-star defensive lineman, Picayune, Mississippi
Jireh Edwards: Five-star safety, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 2026 QB Tayden Kaawa commits to Alabama football. What it means
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Rodeo supporting veterans coming to Chicago's South Side this weekend
There's a rodeo coming to Chicago's South Side this weekend to support local veterans. The National Veterans' Rodeo and Resource Fair will take place on Sunday in Bronzeville from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Village Athletic Field. Over 20 veteran support organizations are expected to attend and provide resources like disability compensation, health services, and education. Eli Williamson, co-founder and executive director of Leave No Veteran Behind, said he wanted to help highlight veterans' V.A. benefits while honoring Chicago's rich history with rodeos. "I actually learned how to ride here in the City of Chicago," Williamson said. You can get tickets for the National Veterans Rodeo here.
Associated Press
4 minutes ago
- Associated Press
MLB contenders watch for fatigue as some starters experience an increased workload
CHICAGO (AP) — At age 34, Matthew Boyd is going back to what was once familiar territory for the left-hander. He has logged 130 2/3 innings so far in his first season with the Chicago Cubs, more than he totaled in the previous two years combined. It's a workload jump that goes against what had become conventional wisdom in the majors, where teams have frequently capped pitchers' innings in hopes of keeping them healthy. 'Things have been going great,' Boyd said. 'And I think it's like none of us know what's ahead. And that goes for everybody.' Boyd's workload is worth watching as the Cubs try to rally in the NL Central race and go on a deep October run. He is among a group of pitchers going through a spike in innings in the heart of the playoff picture. After spending most of his career as a reliever, Clay Holmes has 117 1/3 innings going into his 23rd start for the Mets on Tuesday night. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo is up to 127 innings after he finished with 66 2/3 last year. All-Stars Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and Bryan Woo of the Mariners also are progressing toward major increases. 'That's something we always monitor and watch,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'I know we're in constant communication in-between starts.' The days of predetermined innings limits, especially when it comes to young prospects and pitchers on losing teams, aren't going away anytime soon. But more organizations appear to be going with a case-by-case approach. 'I think the reason why it's changed a little bit and we don't look at that either percentage increase or fixed innings increase is because it wasn't working,' said David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets. 'I think more and more we're trying to treat each pitcher as an individual. And if a pitcher feels good both subjectively and objectively, we try not to artificially shut them down.' Crochet, 26, helped show what might be possible last year. The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, began last season with 73 innings in 72 appearances spanning four seasons with the White Sox. He made his first big league start on opening day. With the White Sox closely monitoring his workload in the last part of the season, he finished with 32 starts and 146 innings. He is tied for the major league lead with 141 1/3 innings going into Tuesday night's start against Kansas City. 'I think that I really set myself up for this season to go out there and for there really to be no leash necessary,' said Crochet, who was traded to the Red Sox in December and then agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract. 'I've been feeling really good throughout the season and the five days in between my starts I really feel like I'm prepared and doing a lot to get my body in the right position to have success and to continue to give length throughout the year.' Boyd was recovering from Tommy John surgery when he signed with Cleveland last year. He returned to the majors last August and went 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts and 39 2/3 innings for the Guardians. He also pitched 11 2/3 innings for the AL Central champions in the playoffs. That was enough for Chicago to give Boyd a $29 million, two-year contract in free agency. And he has delivered so far, making the NL All-Star team while going 11-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 22 starts. Boyd pitched a career-high 185 1/3 innings for Detroit in 2019, but he hasn't approached that territory since. The Cubs gave him nine days off between starts over the All-Star break, and Boyd has frequent conversations with manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy about his workload and how he is feeling. The Cubs also have rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who is up to 102 2/3 innings this season — including his time with Triple-A Iowa — after he totaled 34 1/3 innings in the minors last year. 'This is an area where the industry has not maybe figured out the answer, so you're just trying to keep getting better answers,' Counsell said. 'I think in the past, we were just relying on history. I think now we're relying on the data we collect from the actual player.' Communication is one thing, but an array of metrics and biomechanical analysis is at the center of the decision-making process when it comes to pitchers and rest. 'There's tangible things that you just keep an eye on,' Boyd said. 'You have your spin data, you have your velocity. We have biomechanics tracking. It's like, 'Hey, the mechanics are getting out of whack. ... Is there something we need to address? How do you address that?' 'There's so many different avenues you can go down and levers you can pull if you will. And it's not as cut and dry as like 20% increase, 50% increase (in innings).' ___ AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
4 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs remains out of practice after undergoing knee procedure
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs has undergone a surgical procedure on his knee that will keep him out of training camp for now. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday he didn't want to speculate on when Hobbs might return. Green Bay Packers on SI first reported Hobbs' injury and said he could return in about three weeks. 'I'm not going to put a timetable on it, but unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up,' LaFleur said. 'We're hoping to get him back here sooner than later.' Hobbs didn't practice on Thursday or Saturday. LaFleur said he believed the injury occurred during a collision in training camp. The Packers signed Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract in March after he spent his first four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old Hobbs started 38 games, forced three fumbles and intercepted three passes during his time in Las Vegas. Hobbs is expected to help the Packers absorb the loss of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who got released in June and has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The Packers entered training camp with Keisean Nixon, Hobbs and Carrington Valentine as their top three cornerbacks. The Packers have attempted to boost their cornerback depth by having wide receiver Bo Melton work primarily on defense in training camp. They also added a familiar face Monday by signing Corey Ballentine, three days after the Indianapolis Colts released him. Ballentine, 29, made seven starts and appeared in 37 regular-season games and three playoff contests with the Packers from 2022-24. He contributed primarily on special teams last season. '(He's) a guy that's got experience and knows our system not only on defense but on 'we-fense,'' LaFleur said, referring to the nickname the Packers have for special teams. 'Really excited to see him.' ___ AP NFL:
