Four-Star Alabama Offensive Line De-Commits From Alabama

On the football field, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Eastern Illinois Panthers on Saturday, 56-0, setting up a big matchup next weekend in the Iron Bowl.

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Off the football field, Alabama suffered a loss on the recruiting trail on Monday, with Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports/Rivals reporting that four-star offensive lineman Samuel Utu has de-committed from the Crimson Tide's 2026 recruiting class.

Utu, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive tackle from Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California, had been committed to the Crimson Tide since June 9, just three days after his official visit to Tuscaloosa. Utu had visited Alabama twice during his recruitment, taking an unofficial visit on March 22 and his previously mentioned official visit on June 6.

Utu had visited other schools, with an official visit to SMU on May 2. He's also taken visits to USC and Nebraska. He is ranked as the No. 255 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, the No. 18 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 24 player in the state of California, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Alabama's recruiting class drops from No. 2 to No. 3 in the 247 Sports class rankings, but Alabama has 22 commits in the class, while the teams ahead of them have 30 or more commitments (No. 2 Georgia has 30, No. 1 USC has 35).

Even with Utu's de-commitment, Alabama still has three offensive linemen committed in the 2026 recruiting class, with four-star Chris Booker, four-star Jared Doughty, and three-star Bear Fretwell.

Early Signing Day in college football is scheduled for December 3.

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_.