Elite Class of 2026 CB Lists Alabama in Top Five

According to Chad Simmons at On3, Class of 2026 cornerback RJ Sermons has Alabama as one of his top five colleges, along with Georgia, Washington, Oregon, and USC.

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Sermons is regarded as the second best cornerback in this class and the fifth top prospect from California, according to On3 Industry Rankings.

The 6 foot tall and 180 pound defensive back from Rancho Cucamonga High School in California, where Sermons had a breakout Sophomore season in 2023 recording 46 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery, according to Sermons 247 Sports scouting report by 247's Gregg Biggins. The 4 star cornerback is an all-around athlete and a great player, with Sermons being good in many different elements.

According to his scouting report, RJ is a true cornerback who can play out wide or as a nickel. Good feet, closes well, and demonstrates poise when the ball is in the air. Has good ball awareness and does not need to grip and grab like many young cornerbacks. Good open field tackler, will come up and hit you, and has an excellent all-around game."

Sermons, a two-sport athlete according to his 247 Scouting report, is a very talented track star, with Sermons Scouting report stating that he "placed fifth as a sophomore in the CIF Southern Section 100-meter finals with a wind-aided time of 10.70, per Athletic.net." I ran a wind-aided 10.48 and a season-best wind-legal time of 10.72. Also qualified for the CIF SS 200-metre finals."

Alabama, who offered RJ Sermons on April 15th, 2024, is looking to add to their 2026 recruiting class, which is currently not even in the top 30. The Tide only has one commitment for the 2026 class, Vodney Cleveland, a four-star defensive lineman from Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama, who committed to the Tide this past Halloween.

On3's Recruiting Prediction Meter currently ranks USC as the favorite to land Sermons, with the Trojans having a 96.9% chance of signing the highly ranked defensive back. RJ Sermons' father, Rodney Sermons, played running back for USC from 1994 to 1997. On3's number two cornerback in the class has a positive relationship with the Trojans, with Sermons visiting USC's campus seven times during his recruitment, the most recent on November 30th, 2024, when the Trojans lost 49-35 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Despite the fact that the cards are in USC's hands, the Crimson Tide remain in a strong position after being named one of Sermon's top five teams on Tuesday and will try to gather momentum during the offseason.

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