Alabama Heats Up 2026 Recruiting With Elite OT Target From Hawaii

The Crimson Tide is heating up on the recruiting trail. Alabama is currently ranked No. 9 in the 2026 recruiting class heading into the final summer of the class's recruitment.

The Tide will begin official visits this week. Starting on May 30, top recruits from across the country will flock to Tuscaloosa as Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama staff encourage them that Alabama is the right spot for their collegiate football career.

Among those prospects, Alabama is searching for increased depth along the offensive line, and it may pay off. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, Alabama is among the final four schools for four-star offensive tackle Malakai Lee.

Lee, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive tackle from Kaneohe, Hawaii, is choosing between Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Texas. He is ranked as the No. 10 offensive tackle prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and the No. 118 overall player in the country. For Alabama, his primary recruiter is offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic.

The Honolulu, Hawaii native has official visits scheduled to his four finalists, making an appearance at Georgia on April 12. He still has visits scheduled to Alabama on May 30, Texas on June 6, and Michigan on June 20.

Lee has been to Tuscaloosa once before, making the trek across the continental United States on March 26 to visit the Capstone.

Alabama currently has just one offensive line commit in the 2026 recruiting class, with four-star interior offensive lineman Chris Booker being committed to the Tide since February 20.

247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins said of Lee in his scouting profile:

"From a traits standpoint, offensive linemen don’t come much better looking than Lee. He’s all of 6-6, 325 pounds with verified 36” arms and an 85”+ wingspan. He’s a fluid mover as well and has the feet, balance, and frame to project as a tackle and could line up on either side, right or left, in college. He plays a little hoops as well and checks off the multi-sport box for us. He uses his length well and has the ability to slide and mirror opposing edge rushers. He has added some physicality in the run game over the last year. He’s putting guys on their backs more, but playing with a more aggressive edge to him is an area we think Lee can still improve on. Saying that, he’s an easy high Power 4 prospect and if he hits his ceiling, he will be playing football for a very long time."

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.