2026 5-Star ATH Places Alabama in Top-6 Sunday

Alabama capped off an impressive week of recruiting, which saw Deboer and his staff host many highly touted prospects in the 2026 class for the first week of spring practice, with 5-star athlete Brandon Arrington placing the Crimson Tide among his top six schools, along with Texas A&M, Oregon, Georgia, Penn State, and USC, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett.

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Arrington is a 6'2", 180-pound athlete from Mount Miguel High School in La Mesa, California. He is currently ranked as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class. On the defensive side, he recorded 1 interception, 7 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles. Offensively, he had an impressive season with 10 touchdowns, 527 receiving yards, and 31 receptions. Arrington is versatile, able to play both cornerback and wide receiver, and is ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the 2026 class, according to On3.

In addition to his football skills, Arrington possesses exceptional speed, having recorded the third-fastest time in the U.S. for the 60m sprint, clocking in at 6.67 seconds during the California Winter Championships. This time is 0.3 seconds faster than Tyreek Hill's 60m record of 6.70 seconds.

The No. 2 prospect from California has received significant attention from the Crimson Tide. Coach DeBoer and his staff visited Mount Miguel to meet with the highly touted player. In return, Arrington made a trip to Tuscaloosa for the Tide's Junior Day in February. The 5-star athlete praised the Crimson Tide during his visit, telling Rivals' Sam Spiegelman, "It felt great being back in Alabama. I loved it there." This visit has paid off for the Crimson Tide, as they are now among the top six schools for the No. 1 athlete in the 2026 class.

Despite Alabama's efforts, the Tide is not expected to be the favorite to sign Arrington on National Signing Day, with On3's Recruiting Prediction Meter (RPM) predicting that Texas A&M is the current favorite with an 86.2% chance of signing the blue chip recruit, while Alabama has a 1.2% chance. With Arlington scheduled for an official visit to College Station on June 5th.

Arrington's recruitment process still has a long way to go, especially with Early National Signing Day approaching on December 4th. The Tide still has time to secure the speedy cornerback/wide receiver, even though Arrington does not have a visit scheduled to Tuscaloosa this summer. However, I expect Deboer and his staff to arrange a visit with the top athlete in the coming months.

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