2026 4-Star EDGE Locks in Visit to Tuscaloosa for This Spring

Alabama will host another top prospect from the class of 2026, with 4-Star Edge Jaquez Wilkes confirming to On3 Sports on Tuesday that the top 100 prospect in the 2026 class will visit Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide's A-day Game on Saturday, April 13th.

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Wilkes, a junior from Wadley, Alabama, is regarded as one of the best players in the state, with On3 ranking the 4-star as the state's No. 6 prospect. The 4-Star Edge and linebacker prospect first received an offer from the Crimson Tide in January, and now Alabama's head coach Kalen Deboer will bring the highly touted 6 foot 4 218 pound top 100 prospect to campus for a visit, with Wilkes announcing plans to visit Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Miami, and Tennessee this spring.

The 4-star edge also makes an excellent linebacker, with Wilkes having a propensity for getting to where the ball is no matter where the Junior is lined up on the field. You can also see the strength that he possess, which makes him look like the most dominant on the field at all times. Although Wilkes plays in a smaller classification with Wadley competing in the AHSAA class 1A, his talent looks like it will translate to the next level, with the 4-star prospect being very versatile in whatever position he plays no matter what side of the ball with Wilkes started as a running back and rushed for 2,582 yards and 37 touchdowns, while on defense he had 117 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions. Wilkes even had an impact on special teams, blocking two punts.

Wilkes is at his best in big moments, with the 4-star edge having a video game-like statline in the AHSAA 1A State Championship against Maplesville at Bryant Denny, where fans saw Wilkes rush for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns while recording 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and one interception to help Wadley win their first state championship and cap off a perfect undefeated season.

This would be a huge boost to Deboer's second recruiting class as head coach of the Crimson Tide, who are currently ranked 11th in the nation and sixth in the SEC, according to On3's Team Recruiting Rankings. Alabama gained two commitments at the end of last week, with 4-star interior offensive lineman Chris Booker committing to the Tide on February 20th and 4-star edge Jamarion Matthews signing to Alabama the following day, February 21st. The other member of the Crimson Tide's 2026 class is 4-star cornerback Zyan Gibson, who committed to the team on Christmas Eve.

Alabama is currently one of the favorites to land the in-state prospect, with a school just north of Tuscaloosa being the favorite to land Wilkes, according to On3's Recruiting Prediction Meter (RPM), which predicts Auburn has a 54.6% chance of landing the top 100 prospect, compared to the Tide's 12.8% chance.

Despite On3's RPM indicating that Auburn is currently the favorite, Alabama still maintains a strong position with 4-star prospect Wilkes from Wadley, Alabama. Wilkes has expressed his long-standing support for Alabama, stating to Touchdown Alabama, "I grew up being an Alabama fan; my family has too." With his upcoming visit, Alabama has the opportunity to strengthen their recruitment efforts, especially given their reputation for successfully sending players to the NFL each year. This is particularly relevant for Wilkes’s position, as Alabama recently saw Dallas Turner drafted in the first round, 17th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Alabama will try to add additional players to the 2026 class in the following months, as the Tide has already scheduled a large number of visitors this summer, including some blue chip talents.

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